The Best Ingredients for Neck Skin Care

To care for the skin on your neck, it's necessary to use cosmetics with powerful ingredients that are able to nourish and protect thin skin. We'll tell you which compounds are the best here.

Believing that the same products in your facial beauty routine can be used to care for the skin on the neck is not entirely correct. This area needs special formulas that cleanse, moisturize, and shield due to its exposure and sensitivity due to its thinness.

The skin is elastic and resistant thanks to its keratinized cells, as defined by the medical dictionary of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra. In the specific case of the neck, it may show discoloration, redness, and wrinkles faster than other body areas.

That’s why it’s necessary to pay attention to this delicate area of skin with intense treatments that penetrate the deep layers that a simple skin moisturizer can’t reach.

The skin of the neck reveals clues about our age

Just because of its thinness, this lining loses its ability to regenerate faster compared to the skin of the rest of the body. This happens because it’s surrounded by muscles that become flabby over the years. In addition, exposure to sun, wind, and pollution causes damage.

As a result, furrows, wrinkles, blemishes, and other conditions often appear. Thus, the neck is one of the first parts that reveal the physical signs of aging, through the following symptoms:

• Sagging of the skin
• Horizontal wrinkles
• Accumulated fat
• Blemishes

The Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology explains that rejuvenating the neck is a frequent surgical procedure. However, one way to avoid surgery is to treat the skin with exclusive compounds.

Why can’t we use the same moisturizer for our face to care for the skin on the neck?

Unlike the face, the neck has fewer hair follicles, which makes it difficult to protect it from ultraviolet (UV) rays. This is why sometimes you see fresh faces and parchment-like necks.

The first step to taking care of your neck is to ask for dermatological advice and determine which cosmetics favor the good condition of your dermis. The needs of the face will never be the same as those of the neck; therefore, the selection of products varies.

For the face, you have to consider the oily, dry or mixed condition, while in the case of the neck, the choice of creams, lotions, and serums depends on depigmenting, firming, or oil-reducing requirements.

Ingredients to care for the skin of the neck

Just as you develop your facial routine, spend a few minutes pampering your neck. Start by cleansing impurities with micellar water. Then apply a serum, gel, oil, or cream containing the ingredients listed below.

DMAE

Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) is an active ingredient that stimulates facial and neck muscles. When fused with other cosmetics, it fights sagging.

It works as a tightener, moisturizer, and antioxidant. It’s also called AminoEthanol, 2-DiMethyl, N-dimethyl, deanol, or dimethylethanolamine.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps fade blemishes and smooth wrinkles. The correct dosage should be determined by a physician, depending on the condition of your skin. Generally, skin care products have a concentration of more than 5% and less than 20%.

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is a star ingredient in cosmetics. It has multiple benefits.

For the neck, it moisturizes, hydrates, and restores the skin barrier. This substance helps the skin on the face and neck not to differ in texture.

It also promotes smoothness and radiance. No matter how mature the skin is, this dermatological supplement promises efficacy.

Amino acids

Treatments with peptides or amino acids have to be authorized by doctors due to the complexity of the formulas. These compounds stimulate the generation of collagen and elastin, especially when combined with other elements, such as hyaluronic acid.

Retinoids

The Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products points out that retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A, useful in the treatment of dermatological pathologies. They recommend medical supervision, given some reactions they could cause, mainly in pregnant women.

This drug with the nomenclatures acitretin, alitretinoin, and isotretinoin is prescribed topically to activate collagen. Its suggested that you use it every other day, since at the beginning, it tends to cause irritation or dryness.

Antioxidants

An article in the Chilean Journal of Dermatology highlights that oxidative stress is key in the aging process and, although the skin has effective antioxidants, oral and topical supplements could play a beneficial role in the rejuvenation of the dermis.

Creams with vitamins C and E, in addition to ferulic acid, are excellent antioxidants. They can also be found in foods such as wheat, oats, apples, dates, vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, coconut, plums, vegetables, and citrus fruits.

Sunscreen

Sunscreens come last, after moisturizers. It’s important to apply sunscreen to both the face and neck, preferably every 4 hours, even if you’re indoors.

Use versions with SPF 30 or higher. Check that the ingredients listed on the label include zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

Omitting this product can have consequences, such as rhomboidalis complexion – that is, wrinkles and thick folds around the neck, according to a study published by the magazine Farmacia Profesional.

Other alternatives to take care of the skin on your neck

Apart from cosmetics, some useful tips are based on eating well so that the tissues regenerate themselves, trying natural oils such as linseed or avocado oil, and practicing exercises for the neck.

Finally, some modern treatments, such as the botulinum toxin, mesotherapy, chemical peeling, and transdermotherapy prevent or promote the recovery of wrinkled or blemished skin without resorting to more invasive processes.