The neck is often one of the first areas of the body to develop wrinkles and sagging skin, and this isn’t just a coincidence…
The skin on your neck is significantly different from the skin on the rest of your body, meaning that special care needs to be taken if you want this area to remain smooth, taut and wrinkle-free as you age.
What Makes the Skin on the Neck Different?
You may think that the skin all over your body is exactly the same, but there are actually some important differences in a few areas.
When it comes to the skin on your neck, there are a few key things that you should be aware of…
The Skin on the Neck is Thinner
The cell composition in the skin on your neck is different from what can be found in the skin on the rest of your body. The dermis here is much thinner, meaning that there isn’t as much collagen around.
Collagen is one of the main proteins that gives your skin its structure, volume and firmness – the less collagen an area has, the quicker it will start to sag and wrinkle.
The Skin on the Neck Has Fewer Sebaceous Glands
Have you ever noticed that you don’t tend to get neck pimples?
There’s a reason for this…
The skin on your face and body contains numerous sebaceous glands, which is where your natural oils are secreted from. While those glands may be responsible for acne, they are also key when it comes to keeping your skin lubricated and moisturized, with those oils playing a crucial role in the integrity of your skin’s natural protective barrier.
However, the skin on your neck has a much lower number of sebaceous glands, meaning that less oil is produced here. Skin that lacks moisture is more likely to age faster, and wound healing is also slower.
Establishing a Skin Care Routine for Your Neck
While many may have a regular skin care routine for their face, the neck is often neglected, making it even more vulnerable to aging and damage.
Wondering if you can use your facial skin care routine on your neck too?
Yes, but, as mentioned above, the skin on the neck is quite different, meaning that it would really benefit from its own customized skin care routine.
Cleanser
Cleansing your neck is important, but, with the neck already producing less oil, you need to be careful about the cleanser you use in this area.
Many cleansers strip away the skin’s natural oils, but you need to try to preserve the oils on your neck as much as you can.
Go for a gentle, non-foaming cleanser so as not to damage that precious barrier. Make sure that you don’t over-cleanse your neck either – once a day is enough. Since this area doesn’t produce too much oil, there won’t be quite as much of a build-up here as there might be on your face.
Toner
Toners are designed to clear away any residue left behind by a cleanser, while also re-balancing the skin’s natural pH level, which is something that most cleansers, no matter how good they may be, will end up disrupting.
Your skin needs to be at the correct pH level in order to function optimally, so a toner designed for your face would be just as suitable on your neck too.
Exfoliants
Just like your face and body, your neck needs to be exfoliated too. Chances are, you already do this, but if you are using a scrub on your neck, it may be worth changing your methods.
Why?
Due to how thin and delicate the skin on the neck is, scrubs can do more harm than good. They pull at the skin, causing friction, and some scrubs even lead to micro-tears that then allow bacteria to enter the skin.
What’s the best exfoliant to use on your neck?
Ideally, you want something as gentle as possible, meaning an alpha hydroxy acid.
True, an acid may not sound gentle at first, but these work by dissolving away the glue-like substance that keeps dead and old skin cells attached to the surface of your skin. This not only leaves your skin brighter and smoother, but also stimulates your skin’s natural cell turnover process.
There are various alpha hydroxy acids out there, with mandelic acid and lactic acid known for being the gentlest.
Aim to exfoliate a couple of times a week, although this does depend on your skin type.
Serums and Treatments
If you use serums on your face, then chances are that you already know how useful they can be at targeting various skin concerns.
Serums are packed with high concentrations of powerful ingredients, and, due to their thinner and lightweight consistency, they are able to penetrate deeper into the skin than a moisturizer, delivering those ingredients to the skin cells that really need them.
Some facial serums will work well on the neck too, such as a formula that focuses on antioxidants and vitamins, as these support and enhance the skin’s natural processes. Hydrating serums are beneficial to the skin on the neck too, keeping it plump and bright.
Specialized treatments
However, specialized serums or treatments can sometimes be advantageous, as they will contain ingredients that target the specific issues the skin on the neck faces.
For example, the OROGOLD 24K Neck Duo Treatment is a two-part system that consists of both an essence and a cream. The silky essence targets the skin cells responsible for keeping the skin tight and wrinkle-free, while the cream provides moisture and protection, allowing your skin to thrive.
Moisturizer
Since the skin on the neck has fewer sebaceous glands, it is highly prone to dryness. This is where a moisturizer comes in…
A moisturizer performs three main functions:
- Forms a thin, protective layer on the surface of the skin, to prevent moisture from evaporating
- Increases the skin’s moisture content
- Fills in any cracks and gaps in the skin to give the skin a smoother appearance
Your skin’s oils also perform all of these jobs, which is why a moisturizer is so useful when oils are lacking.
Look for a moisturizer infused with plant extracts and antioxidants, along with plenty of humectants for hydration.
Masks
Have you ever used a neck mask before?
For most people, the answer would be no. After all, most of the masks you see in stores are designed for just the face.
However, your neck needs some regular TLC too, and a neck mask is perfect for providing this.
The neck mask you choose should be packed with hydrating and collagen-building ingredients, since this is what your neck really needs. The OROGOLD 24K Neck Lifting & Chest Firming Mask has exactly that, and each box contains eight sets of masks for your neck and chest.
If you don’t want to invest in a new neck mask, then any cream or clay masks you use on your face would work on your neck too, so long as they don’t end up drying the skin out.
Sunscreen
You hopefully already know how important sun protection is for the rest of your body, so don’t neglect your neck either!
The same sunscreen you use on your face can also be used on your neck, and make sure to remember to include your neck when re-applying throughout the day too.
Prevent Tech Neck
Yes, tech neck is really a thing…
It refers to the horizontal wrinkles that appear on the neck and chest due to people spending so much time looking down at a screen.
In addition to those repeated downward motions causing those wrinkles to form, and stick around, the blue light emitted by most electronic devices can cause quite a bit of damage too…
How Does Blue Light Damage the Skin?
Blue light is a specific wavelength of light emitted by electronic devices, and, when it comes in contact with your skin, it has a number of different effects.
To begin with, blue light triggers the formation of free radicals, which are damaged molecules that spread through the skin, attacking healthy skin cells and turning them into free radicals too. This includes the cells responsible for collagen-production, meaning that wrinkles and sagging skin are a noticeable side effect.
Blue light can also cause pigmentation, meaning dark spots, and photoaging.
How to Prevent Tech Neck
You will need to take different steps to prevent each of the two main causes of tech neck.
To prevent blue light from damaging your skin, try downloading a blue light filter for your device. This will minimize the amount of blue light your skin is exposed to.
To prevent the wrinkles caused by constantly looking down at your screen, simply start looking face-on at it instead. This may mean adjusting the way in which you hold your devices, which will feel strange at first, but the long-term effects will be worth it.
Treating Tech Neck
If you’ve already noticed some of the signs of tech neck, then you’re probably wondering how you can treat these.
Research suggests that iron oxide, which can be found in mineral sunscreens, is able to reduce how sensitive the skin is to blue light damage.
Vitamin C is another ingredient that can help – this powerful antioxidant has been proven to be effective at treating photoaging and hyperpigmentation, while also being a key player in the collagen production process.
The best way to deliver vitamin C to your skin is through a serum, such as with the OROGOLD 24K Vitamin C Booster Facial Serum. It contains two different forms of vitamin C, meaning that your skin receives a double dose of the ingredient’s benefits.
While other antioxidants may not be quite as effective, they can still help too. Keeping your skin moisturized is also crucial – this will help to combat the effects of all of those downward movements to a certain extent.
Always Remove Any Makeup on Your Neck
The key to keeping your foundation looking natural is to blend it down onto your neck too – a tip that many follow.
However, when it comes to removing that foundation in the evening, the neck is often forgotten, leaving all of that makeup residue to settle into the pores in that area.
Why does this matter?
Because all of those leftover makeup particles will trigger the formation of free radicals in your skin. As discussed earlier, those free radicals cause a significant amount of damage to skin cells, breaking down collagen fibers to leave the skin wrinkled and loose.
The same makeup remover that you use on your face can be used on your neck too, so make sure that this area isn’t neglected.
Adjust Your Sleeping Position
Do you sleep on your side or on your stomach?
If your answer is yes, this is something you might want to change…
Why?
Because sleeping on your side usually pushes your neck into a downwards position. This, as you now know, encourages the formation of wrinkles.
Sleeping on your stomach is just as bad – it pushes your neck into your bedding, causing the appearance of both horizontal and vertical lines.
Sleeping on your back, ensuring that your head is straight, is the best sleeping position when it comes to keeping the skin on your neck looking youthful.
If you think that this may be difficult to stick to, try arranging your pillows around your body in a way that prevents you from turning over onto your side in the middle of the night. There are also special pillows that you can purchase that will help to encourage you to stay on your back for the entire night.
With the skin on your neck being pretty different from the skin on your face, as well as the skin on your body, properly caring for this area can be tricky. However, once you understand exactly what the skin here needs, those requirements are easy enough to meet, meaning that you’ll be able to retain that smoothness and firmness for years to come!
