THE GLOSS Beauty Editor Sarah Halliwell asks the experts for their advice on how to care for your neck properly…
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At the Aveeno wellbeing event at Killruddery’s Grain Store at the weekend, attended by lots of THE GLOSS readers, we had a panel discussion and a Q&A session, and I found that many people were asking about caring for their neck. Several women in the audience said they were conscious of what their neck looks like, whether in terms of lines and/or less than firm skin, and wanted to know if dedicated neck creams were worth the money.
Our neck and chest area can certainly benefit from a bit of TLC, and we often need a reminder to take our skincare further than our chin. The skin is very thin on your neck so you do need to take care what you use in this area; it is also drier and with less collagen than the skin on your face. Just giving your neck some attention every day is beneficial – it’s just as much on show as our face.
I asked Dr Laura Lenihan, who has a skin clinic in Galway for her take on neck care. “I always say that everyone should bring their skincare products down to their chest – or at least to their neck. Everything you use on your face, you should use on your neck – especially retinoids. The skin on the neck can be a bit more sensitive there, but it’s definitely worth testing it out and reaping the benefits. SPF is probably the most important thing, as people forget to do this and then we get the decrease in collagen and elastin there as we age. A lot of neck creams are just watered-down versions of face creams – so just use your face creams on this area. There are some really novel neck creams out there with ingredients that you potentially aren’t using elsewhere – but I honestly just think get the basics right first and go from there.” www.drlauraclinic.ie
Nuala Woulfe of Woulfe Skin Specialists in Glasthule has some advice, too: “Protect the skin on your neck! Use SPF daily. Avoid sunburn and excessive sun exposure. Moisturise your neck skin and décolletage, drink plenty of water, eat a healthy diet filled with antioxidants and vitamins.” www.nualawoulfe.ie
“All in-clinic treatments and home maintenance are a waste of time and money without sun protection,” Dr Rosemary Coleman.
Experts agree that SPF for your neck (front and back) is key, and often forgotten. Consultant dermatologist at Blackrock Clinic, Dr Rosemary Coleman, says we need to address this: “The problem is that the majority of people apply SPF incorrectly most of the time, either not focussing on the ingredients (zinc oxide with ferric oxide are scientifically proven to be the best protection against pigmentation), and definitely not covering all bases ie all exposed skin: face, neck, chest, ears, lips, back of neck, arms and legs. They also don’t apply enough product and forget to reapply. All in-clinic treatments and home maintenance are a waste of time and money without sun protection.” www.blackrockhealth.com
If you’re going to try retinol on your neck area, go gradually, as always when starting with retinol. After cleansing, apply a moisturiser to sensitive areas of the face and neck. Following this, apply your retinol product and leave it for 15 minutes to fully absorb. Then apply a further layer of moisturiser. As your skin adjusts, you won’t need the initial moisturiser step.
Have you done all of this and are considering further treatments?
Dr Laura Lenihan says: “Again, everything you do on the face, you should be doing on the neck, pretty much. We would do a tonne of microneedling, radio frequency microneedling and even CO2 on the neck area with pretty impressive results – it’s really worth it.” Dr Rosemary Coleman adds: “A good tip is that whenever someone starts treatments such as IPL, they should always include the neck (and preferably décolleté) as otherwise the face is a different colour/tone/texture to the neck/body and it can look odd.”
Nuala Woulfe mentions Profhilo: “It’s an injectable hyaluronic acid treatment for skin laxity on the face, neck or hands, as well as lip lines, arms and decolletage, offering intense hydration and tighter, more luminous skin. This treatment contains higher concentrations of hyaluronic acid (HA) than dermal fillers, with 64mg of HA per injection. Unlike a dermal filler treatment, Profhilo does not give volume, but instead provides a slow release of hyaluronic acid below the skin surface to hydrate and rejuvenate. It hydrates your skin from the inside out, getting rid of any crepey-ness, and also increases your collagen and elastin production, making it look firmer.” She says Profhilo stimulates your body to produce four types of collagen.
The Institute of Dermatology experts say that Ultherapy – a “focussed ultrasound
treatment which lifts and tones skin on neck and under chin (also chest and
brows)” – can deliver visible results in three months. www.instituteofdermatologists.ie
Six topical treatments to try:
1. Yon-Ka Serum CBD contains concentrated cannabis sativa seed oil. “We recommend using six to eight drops for the full face, neck and décolleté, as part of your nighttime routine,” says Michelle Ryan, national educator for the French brand. “You can combine it with a sleep mask, such as Yon-Ka Hydra No 1, to boost hydration in the skin.” €110; www.yonka.ie.
2. NeoStrata Triple Firming Neck Cream, €79.95. Yes, we do need triple firming, and this cream is designed to work on volumising as well as treating discolouration of the skin. Gentle and non-sticky, this is a smoothing, firming pharmacy favourite that makes an excellent accompaniment to the Rebound Sculpting Cream (a great autumn moisturiser); www.neostrata.ie.
3. The latest launch for necks is Trinny London’s The Elevator Neck and Décolleté Concentrate, €84; at time of writing it’s sold out on the Brown Thomas website, showing that Trinny, as always, knows what women want. After your serum, apply three pumps to your neck and décolleté using upward motions. They advise taking some time to massage the neck “for added skin-smoothing benefits.” For best results apply twice a day, always with an SPF afterwards in the daytime. From €34 for 14.5ml mini version; www.trinnylondon.com.
4. No7 Restore & Renew Face & Neck Multi-Action Serum is formulated for mature skin, particularly ages 60-plus, to firm, even, brighten and lift skin on both face and neck, with a skin-nourishing complex of calcium, amino acids and ceramides. €43; www.boots.ie.
5. Clarins Super Restorative Décolleté and Neck Concentrate (€81) is both firming and evening, offering proven results on skin density, texture, creases and tone. It’s non-greasy and, being Clarins, is a pleasure to use. Don’t forget your SPF50 protection during the day. See the Clarins website for the best application techniques; www.clarins.ie.
6. For an affordable, multitasking option, try the Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Rich Balm, a favourite of ours for autumn/winter skin comfort and long-lasting hydration. Use on face and neck for that bit extra as we head into that central heating/cold wind time of year – it’s the skincare equivalent of wearing a cashmere scarf. Currently €11.20 online at www.inishpharmacy.com.
