Skincare doesn’t begin and end with your face. In fact, the skin on your neck deserves just as much care and attention as your visage – maybe even more so. The good news is it’s never too late to start treating and protecting the skin just south of your chin. And we have six easy ways to do just that.
But first, what’s the deal with neck ageing, anyway?
Why Your Neck Ages So Quickly
Yes, neglecting the skin on your neck is a bad move, but it’s not the only reason it prematurely ages. Because… biology.
Here’s the thing. While your skin’s basic biological structure is pretty similar over your entire body, it has a few variations which make certain areas more susceptible to dryness and the visible signs of ageing. The skin on your neck, for example, is thinner than on the rest of your body, making it more fragile and prone to environmental damage.
Its relative thinness means it also contains less collagen – the protein that holds your skin together and gives it strength and structure. This all adds up to a one-way ticket to lines, wrinkles, sagging and dryness.
But that’s not all. The skin on your neck contains fewer sebaceous glands than the skin on your face which means it’s seriously lacking in natural oils called sebum.
Sebum is a sticky, oily substance that’s made up of complex oils and lipids which lubricate and protect your skin. It’s absolutely essential for sealing in moisture, aiding the healing process and creating a natural barrier from the environment.
So, while those of you with oily skin might hate your shiny T-zone, remember, those oils do way more good than bad. Ask any friend who suffers with a lack of natural oils and they’ll tell you, dry skin is no joke.
Thin skin, precious little collagen, a lack of sebaceous glands and a touch of skincare neglect? It’s no wonder the skin on your neck ages you up quicker than you can say “pass the moisturiser!” But all is not lost. You just need to start including your neck in your skincare routine. Simple.
Here’s how…
1. Cleanse Your Neck Daily
You would never go to bed wearing a full face of make-up, so why not include your neck in your cleansing routine?
When it comes to the delicate neck area, leave the shower gel well alone and use only a gentle facial cleanser. Yes, you want to remove dirt, grime and toxins that may have built up throughout the day, but remember, the skin on your neck is fragile, so frantically rubbing at it with formulations containing too many chemicals will upset the skin’s pH balance and have disastrous effects.
Instead, smooth Crystal Cleanser over your neck twice daily, using the palms of your hands to gently stroke it up from your collarbones to your jawline. Working in upwards motions helps lift and firm the skin.
2. Exfoliate Regularly
As with the rest of your face and body, dead skin cells will accumulate on your neck if left to their own devices. This can make your skin look dull and will stop the rest of your products from effectively penetrating your skin to do their jobs properly. Which, quite frankly, is money down the drain.
Exfoliate often with Natural Luminosity Scrub which gets the job done while remaining kind to your neck. Again, smooth it over your skin using light upwards motions and don’t forget to exfoliate the back of your neck while you’re at it.
3. Treat Your Neck As Well As Your Face
When applying a treatment serum, always continue past your jawline, gently smoothing it over your neck – and even down to your décolletage area.
Serums have a small molecular structure which means they’re great for delivering effective ingredients deep into your skin to help deal with dryness and ageing. Super potent active ingredients like tretinion, hydroquinone and glycolic acid, however, can be way too powerful for the sensitive skin on your neck and may cause further dryness and irritation.
Instead, we recommend sticking with our Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum which contains gentler ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. And just because they’re less irritating, this doesn’t mean they won’t be as effective at fighting the visible signs of ageing. Our formulation works hard to target concerns like 'crepiness', lines, sagging and uneven skin tone.
4. Never Skip Your Moisturiser
If you’re serious about maintaining a younger-looking neck, moisturising is one of the most important steps in your routine. Remember your neck’s lack of sebaceous glands? Well, this means you have to help it out by adding oils and moisture into your skincare routine.
After cleansing, exfoliating and applying your treatment serum, finish with a moisturiser that contains a carefully curated blend of light, skin-loving oils and water-boosting ingredients. In the morning, apply Imperial Moisturiser in upwards strokes all over your neck, and at night try Night Elixir.
Both of these contain vegetable glycerine and hyaluronic acid to draw water into your skin, plus shea butter and argan oil to help seal in cracks and lock all that goodness in. Pure heaven – for your neck and your face.
5. Protect Your Neck
One of the biggest causes of skin ageing is that big ball of fire in the skin: the sun. Now, we know you’re great at protecting your face from UV damage, but can you honestly say you’re as vigilant when it comes to your poor neck? Probably not.
Make sure you include antioxidants like vitamin C in your neck’s skincare routine (Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum takes care of that nicely) and wear a broad-rimmed hat to protect both your face and your neck.
After moisturising, it’s also prudent to finish with mineral foundation that contains a broad-spectrum protection of at least SPF 25. You could also try our Organic Tinted Moisturiser With SPF 25 which we’re trying hard to restock as we speak. Bear with us…
6. Finally, Prevent "Tech Neck"
Repetitive movements are devils for creating creases and wrinkles in your skin which is why, as you age, you experience things like smile lines, crow’s feet and frown lines. And as if the natural movements of your head weren’t enough for your neck to contend with, technology has made wrinkles in this area a real pain in the neck, if you’ll excuse the pun.
What are we talking about? Platysmal bands, often known as ‘tech neck.’ These are the creases or deep folds that circle your neck and get more prominent as you age due to your platysmal (neck) muscle constantly stretching your skin and causing it to sag. They’re also the kinds of wrinkles that you don’t notice... until one day, you really do.
These bands around your neck are kind of inevitable thanks to the ageing process, but bending your neck to look down at your phone etches them in at a much faster rate. The solution? Keep your head up and hold your phone at eye level. Easy.
Fancy amping up your skincare to ensure your neck isn’t ageing you up way before your time? Then get your hands on our Seven Phase Ultimate Collection which offers everything your neck needs – and more – for your best value skincare solution.