As someone who has battled crepey skin on my neck, knees, and arms since my early 50s, I know how frustrating it can be to find products that live up to their promises. When I discovered Crepe Erase, I was initially hopeful. Could this new skincare line erase years of sun damage and restore my skin‘s smooth, youthful appearance? After testing their products for over 6 months, I‘m sharing my honest review.
What Causes Crepey Skin As We Age?
Before we dive in, let‘s quickly cover what causes that thin, sagging wrinkled texture that resembles delicate paper or – as the name suggests – crepes. As we age, our skin naturally loses collagen, elastin fibers, and hydration. This causes it to become loose and delicate with visible pores and fine lines. Sun exposure also degrades supportive proteins in skin over time.
While crepey skin can form anywhere as we mature, it often appears first on thinner areas like the neck, chest, arms, knees and hands. Trying to treat it can feel tedious and frustrating. But I‘m not one to give up easily in the battle against aging!
Overview of Key Crepe Erase Products
The Crepe Erase skincare line features several collections of body and face anti-aging products:
Intensive Body Repair line: Flagship lotions and creams infused with TruFirm Complex as the key active ingredient
Advanced Body Repair line: "New & improved" formulas with additional alpha hydroxy fruit acids
Exfoliating Body Scrubs: Gentle physical and chemical exfoliator pre-treatments
Brightening Facial line: Lightweight moisturizers and serums for face with vitamin C
Eye Cream: Thicker formula for delicate eye area skin, contains TruFirm blend
I tried almost all of these over a 6 month stretch, so I got an intimate look at the much-hyped effects. Keep reading for the results!
TruFirm Complex – What You Need to Know
Crepe Erase touts their exclusive TruFirm Complex blend as what sets their skincare formulas apart. This plant-based blend contains apple, dill and sage extracts meant to tone and tighten. But there are two important facts I learned after analyzing the ingredients:
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There is zero published clinical evidence showing these exact extracts can affect elasticity or collagen when applied to mature skin. No studies validate the marketed claims.
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Concentrations are undisclosed. Without knowing exact percentages, the true efficacy is questionable at best. This proprietary covering up of ingredient amounts raises some flags for me!
So while the botanical ingredients sound nice, I came to realize the TruFirm complex relies more on creative advertising than proven science…
My Experience Using Crepe Erase for Over 6 Months
I tried what felt like nearly every Crepe Erase product during my testing period. I began with their Intensive Body Repair Treatment, applying the lightweight lotion to my crepey neck zone twice daily. It absorbed quickly leaving no greasy residue. My skin felt smoother and softer within days. But no noticeable improvements in sagging.
After 6 weeks with no real change in wrinkles or tightness, I upgraded to the thicker Advanced Body Repair Treatment. This new & improved formula contains AHAs so I hoped it might penetrate deeper. I applied diligently morning and night for over 2 months. While the hydration felt lovely temporarily, my stubborn crepey skin remained.
I pressed on and incorporated other Crepe Erase items like their exfoliating body scrub and vitamin C facial creams. Still my skin showed no increased elasticity or firming. By month 4, I saw zero anti-aging benefits. Only hydrated skin for a few hours until drying out again. With no retinol or collagen-stimulating ingredients, the steep $70 price tag felt like a waste.
By my 6 month mark of using Crepe Erase every day, I gave up. The before and after photos showed no real change in appearance. Just a moisturized glow from all the plant oils that faded fast. I cannot justify the high costs for such mediocre results. There are better products out there in my experience.
Crepe Erase Alternative Treatments I Recommend
After my Crepe Erase journey ended in disappointment, I asked my dermatologist for advice. She suggested trying retinol creams or prescription retinoids to genuinely improve crepey skin‘s tone and texture long-term. The key is boosting new collagen growth!
Here are the over-the-counter retinol creams I‘ve tested with better results than Crepe Erase:
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RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream – Contains pure retinol at an ideal 0.1% concentration for newbies along with mineral-rich spring water to gently hydrate skin. After 3 months my neck looks less crepey!
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Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Night Moisturizer – This budget-friendly option uses a unique retinoid complex called Retinyl Propionate that converts to retinol once absorbed by skin. I use it on my chest and hands nightly.
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Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Oil – This lightweight serum texture spreads easily without clogging pores. Retinol is paired with hyaluronic acid for enhanced wrinkle-smoothing. Love it for arms and knees!
consistency I prefer thanks to the addition of dimethicone. But the 0.3% prescription-strength retinol provides noticeable improvement in my skin‘s tone and texture over time. I
For those with very advanced signs of aging, speak to your doctor about whether prescription retinoids are appropriate for your skincare regimen. In clinical studies, these vitamin A derivatives demonstrate true efficacy for brightening, smoothing and tightening mature crepey skin.
[Before and after photo using retinol for 6 months to improve crepey neck]What It‘s Like Trying to Return Crepe Erase Products
I had high hopes for the Crepe Erase line. But by month 4 with no real results from daily use following their instructions, I contacted customer service to return my 3 latest purchases. Despite being within their advertised 60 day window, I was told:
"All products must be unopened and unused to be eligible for a full refund."
I explained that as a first-time buyer, I needed to properly test the creams as directed over a few weeks before determining they were not working. The policy makes this impossible! The representative responded that for open items, only a 50% refund could be issued as an online credit. And I would need to cover return shipping costs myself.
I was shocked at the flawed logic given testing requires actually using the skin care products for visible anti-aging benefits to emerge. What are we supposed to do… guess if it works upon opening the jars?
It all sounded like a scheme to make returns extremely inconvenient to avoid refunds. I‘m glad I only bought 2 or 3 items at a time to try. With free shipping thresholds encouraging bulk buys, getting stuck with a 6 month stash of expired items would be even worse!
Is Crepe Erase Worth the Money And Hype?
Crepe Erase markets itself as an almost magical fix for aging skin. The removal of fine lines, wrinkles and sagging texture seems promised across the product range if you just use it diligently. However, the reality never matched all the dramatic before and after photos I saw online and on TV.
If you struggle with mildly dry, delicate crepey skin, the nourishing natural oils and butters provide a quick surface-level boost of hydration and plumping. But for true long term skin rejuvenation? I suggest looking to proven powerful ingredients like retinol instead. Or explore preventative skin health approaches overall, as waiting until signs of aging appear makes treatment exponentially harder.
In summary for this real-life Crepe Erase review:
Thumbs up for the lightweight, fast-absorbing texture that temporarily hydrates. Gentle enough for daily use head to toe.
Thumbs down for mediocre anti-aging results. Lack of clinical evidence supporting the key TruFirm complex ultimately translates to unfulfilled promises.
Frustrating reaction from customer service made seeking a return refund difficult and impractical.
Crepe Erase fails to earn my recommendation overall. But hopefully my transparent personal review helps set realistic expectations if you still wish to give it a shot!
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have some questions about my experience using Crepe Erase? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions:
Does Crepe Erase really work or is it a scam?
Crepe Erase isn‘t an outright scam, but it does rely on misleading hype about anti-aging benefits that aren‘t supported by scientific evidence. The temporary smoothing and hydrating works modestly by infusing skin with oils and butters. But long term crepey skin improvements seem minimal for most based on hundreds of reviews analyzed.
What‘s the best Crepe Erase product?
Of the collection, the Exfoliating Body Scrub likely makes the most impact by removing dead skin so other treatments can better penetrate. But no particular Crepe Erase product really stood out as a game-changing wrinkle-eraser in my testing.
How fast does Crepe Erase work?
The brand claims visible results after just 1 use. But in reality it took over 2 weeks of continual use to notice any subtle plumping effects from added surface hydration. No actual improvements to crepey skin texture emerged even after 6 months in my experience.
Is Crepe Erase safe?
When used as directed, Crepe Erase products appear non-irritating for most skin types thanks to the focus on botanical ingredients. But some customers have reported redness or acne breakouts. Discontinue use if any sensitivity develops and consult your dermatologist if pregnant, nursing or under doctor‘s care.
Can you use Crepe Erase on your face?
Yes, Crepe Erase has dedicated facial creams and serums containing antioxidants and hydrators safe for the delicate eye and lip areas. But they lack the retinol and peptides I prefer for whole-face wrinkle-fighting action. Proceed with caution doing a patch test first.
I hope this in-depth Crepe Erase review provides helpful guidance as you navigate the crowded anti-aging skincare market! Let me know if you have any other questions.
