Your neck and décolleté (pronounced “dec-ah-low-tee”) are often overlooked when it comes to selfcare and skincare application. Everyone seems to concentrate on their face. They apply serums and cream abundantly and diligently slather on sunscreen to safeguard their face. However, they don’t worry about these neglected areas as much.
But your neck and décolleté are sensitive areas that are prone to discoloration and dryness – especially as you age – since these areas becomes thinner and more delicate. Also, the skin around your neck and décolleté is susceptible to sun damage too. And because people tend not to focus on these areas this can result in visible problems that are harder to correct than to prevent. So, here are some tips on how to best care for your neck and décolleté area.
Why is Using Skincare on Your Neck and Décolleté Important?
The skin in this area is thinner and more delicate, so it requires special care. Using the right skincare will help keep your skin moisturized, protected, and healthy. Additionally, it’s possible to improve the appearance of your neck and décolleté area with the right skincare products. Wrinkles, discoloration, blemishes, and other visible signs of aging can be targeted with specific products.
It’s likely you’ve seen social media posts that feature older people who diligently used skincare on their faces but overlooked their necks and décolleté. They have youthful looking faces but age spots and wrinkles on their necks and chests. The sun, environmental damage, and natural aging processes don’t neglect these areas. So, you shouldn’t either.
Choosing Products for your Neck and Décolleté
It’s important to choose skincare products that are effective for your neck and décolleté. For the most part, you can use the same skincare you’re applying topically to your face. You can then tailor additional products to target specific issues, such as, the signs of aging, sun damage and dryness. It’s a good idea to use a day and night cream just like you do on your face. This allows you to use heavier creams to super moisturize in the evening.
Yes, you can seek out special neck creams. These are normally formulated to help firm, hydrate, and moisturize your neck while also improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. They can also offer firming and boost collagen production to counter the perpetual pull of gravity – to avoid the dread “turkey neck” many suffer as they age.
Décolleté creams are formulated to help even out the skin’s tone, reduce the appearance of discoloration, and improve the skin’s texture. A décolleté cream is thicker than a neck cream, so it’s best to use it at night. Which is why we suggest using a day cream in the AM to moisturize. Plus, always layer on a sunscreen too.
When choosing skincare products for your neck and décolleté, look for ingredients such as peptides, hyaluronic acid, retinol, vitamin C, collagen, vitamin E, and resveratrol. These ingredients are effective for targeting the visible signs of aging, fine lines, dullness, and dryness. For age spots or uneven skin tone you can look for niacinamide and/or tranexamic acid or kojic acid. These can help to lighten and even skin while also improving visible skin texture.
Tips to Care for your Neck and décolleté
- Wash and moisturize your neck every day. Use a gentle cleanser and moisturizer designed for your neck and décolleté, or you can use the same products you use on the rest of your face.
- Generally, you’ll want to avoid using scrubs or exfoliating products on your neck since they can be too harsh and lead to irritation.
- Try to avoid looking at your phone or computer screen in a way that causes you to tip your head down too much. This can cause you to develop a line between your eyes and create an overall droopy look.
Prevention is key
The skin around your neck and collarbone is thinner and more delicate than the rest of your face so it’s more prone to damage over time. It’s best to prevent this damage from occurring or accumulating rather than having to work harder to correct the signs of aging later. Moisturize and protect your neck and décolleté everyday (and night) and apply a sunscreen in the morning. Using the right skincare early and consistently on this area can help avoid potential problem later in life or improve the appearance of your neck and décolleté at any age.
Products that contain ingredients aimed at countering the signs of aging, sun damage and dryness are best. Using the right skincare products for your neck and décolleté can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, discolorations, and other visible signs of aging. Protect these delicate areas as much as you protect your face, and nobody will be able to distinguish your true age.
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