Look after your neck: Your daily skincare routine doesn't stop at your chin
Dermalogica Model, Dermalogica Neck Fit Contour Serum €85
Preserving your neck is always a beauty priority. The fine skin on your neck and décolletage has less supportive collagen, fewer oil glands and less fatty tissue underneath than skin elsewhere on the body and over much of the face. It often shows signs of gravity and sun damage faster, creating a contrast with the face. Working from home has made another external enemy— technology— that bit more bothersome. Your laptop may be less ergonomically placed than your computer monitor at the office. Distance from colleagues means more time looking down at phones and tablets.
There is nothing wrong with extending your regular facial skincare over your neck and chest. These areas need gentle cleansing and the protection of broad-spectrum SPF30 (or higher) just as much as the face. They also need ingredients such as retinol and Vitamin C to fend off dull, uneven texture and exfoliants to keep them smooth. Formulas with denatured alcohol or strong fragrance can dehydrate and irritate them.
The reason so many of us think we need a separate moisturiser for the neck is that neck care has been its own skincare category for years. None of the ingredients in neck serums and moisturisers is exclusive to this product category, you can also use them on the face if your face and neck are the same skin type. Skincare for the décolletage and bust tends to be focused on firming but it is important to remember when shopping that the most they can do is improve the look of the skin in these areas. Even the most expensive formula cannot impact your breast tissue. You will find that its ingredients are also common to facial and neck moisturisers. Provided your skin type is consistent on your face, neck and chest, you may find it useful to view all three spots as one, not least because there is some great skincare with 'neck' on the label.
Age positive US skincare brand StrivectinMD is perhaps best known for their stretch mark cream but , is also popular with beauty editors. Strivectin’s signature ingredient NIA-114, an optimised form of Vitamin B3, strengthens the skin’s moisture barrier. Bearberry, Rice Bran, and Licorice Root extracts help even skin tone and reduce the look of discolouration. A little goes a long way — this is a great choice if you like a rich moisturiser.
, is dispensed via a soothing three-roller applicator. The serum is packed with smoothing goldenrod extract, an antioxidant botanical, hydration-boosting red algae, and soothing black-tea ferment.
, also comes with a comforting, deputing roll-on top. The formula attacks neck and décolletage ageing on three fronts. Rye seed extract works with a rarely used palmitoyl tripeptide-42 and rambutan extract to deliver Retinol-like results without the irritation: visibly smoothing, firming and toning the skin. Resurrection plant-inspired polysaccharide gives skin’s moisture barrier a boost; while griffonia seed provides an antioxidant defence to help protect against free radicals.
, is part of the brand’s Correct collection and really throws a lot of well-researched anti-ageing ingredients at crêpey skin. The formula includes 0.2% pure retinol and 5.0% glaucine complex, an alkaloid derived from a yellow poppy-seed plant that helps reduce the collagen-corrupting metalloproteinases which can be released during fat cell synthesis. Tripeptide R makes up a substantial 2.5% of the serum and fortifies skin against further ageing while improving the appearance of existent wrinkles.
Sleeping on your side or tummy can cause creasing on the neck or décolletage.
If you follow the facial roller or gua sha tool [an ancient Chinese healing technique] trends, you’ve probably learned that massage can help with depuffing and lymphatic drainage in the morning but cannot undo the pressure of a whole night’s sleep. Prevention is better than cure, and silicone patches that keep smooth skin in place can stop side-sleep creasing from happening.
Patches are not the most attractive beauty aids but they can reduce the risk of wear and tear, especially if you tend to sleep in a position that winds up etched on your neck or cleavage. The creator of one such product,—SiO SkinPad—says she used to sleep with her baby’s stuffed toys between her breasts in an effort to prevent lines, so you know she was committed to a cure. Gigi Howard’s SiO Beauty SiO Neck Lift, €33 at niche-beauty.com, is a breathable medical-grade silicone patch that hydrates and preserves the delicate skin around your neck while you sleep. Each patch is reusable up to 10 times.
