5 Tips for Achieving a More Youthful-Looking Neck & Chest
At what age should you start paying attention to your neck and chest skin?? Well, I’d say if you clicked on this article, then you probably already should be! Ha! Here’s the thing. We pay SO much attention to protection and prevention on our faces, yet sadly the neck and chest are almost always an afterthought. But remember, your neck and chest are both extensions of your pretty face, so give them some care and attention as well. So, today I am sharing 5 Tips for Achieving a More Youthful-Looking Neck and Chest.
TL;DR
Jennifer shares 5 tips for achieving a more youthful-looking neck and chest
Jennifer's product recommendations are shoppable via text links and image widgets
As a professional makeup artist, I see it all the time when I’m up close with my clients over 40, 50, and 60+. They work hard to exfoliate, cleanse, and moisturize, (and even botox + filler!) the face. Yet when I get to their necks, it’s obvious they’ve neglected this area and their true age is showing through due to volume loss, sun spots, and wrinkling.
In fact, most dermatologists would recommend starting as early as your late teens and early twenties with a simple skincare regime to help prevent wrinkles and sun damage in this area.
Now remember - I’m never implying that wrinkles are a bad or an ugly thing - they’re a being alive and having skin thing! But most of us would like to keep a smooth neck and chest for as long as we can! And prevent any new wrinkles or age spots too.
So if you find yourself falling into this category of ignoring your neck area, you’re not alone. But what is to be done about it?? Keep reading to see the best products and methods to get you on your way to a more youthful-looking neck and chest!
5 Tips for Achieving a More Youthful-Looking Neck and Chest
1. The causes Behind Neck and Chest Aging
Volume loss and repeated folding of the skin in both of these areas are the two biggest causes of wrinkles. This is due to our collagen being broken down by sunlight exposure and just plain old aging. Remember this super thin-skinned area of the body is very delicate. Sun exposure causes the dreaded age spots in these areas as well.
Also, are you a side sleeper? Do you stare down at your cell phone or computer all day? (It’s got a name - “Tech Neck.”) I’m guilty of both. These sorts of things can cause creases to grow deeper with time in these areas.
I’m definitely seeing a few vertical lines down my chest due to always sleeping on my left side and my skin folding over on itself during the night. Ugh. But I’m working on that though to try and train myself to be a back sleeper so gravity can work for me (and my chest) and not against me!
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I say all of this so that we become more mindful of the things we CAN control :
- sun protection
- deeper moisturization + hydration
- sleep and neck positioning.
2. Cleanse and exfoliate
Just like your face, you should continue down the neck and chest when you’re in the shower or washing your face at night. You know that “brand new woman” feeling after you’ve washed your face and then you use a beautiful scrub on the face??
You can also experience that on the neck and the chest to improve the texture and tone by smoothing out that flaky skin, thus revealing plump soft skin!
Products to try: My latest physical exfoliant love is the Il Makiage Power Polish Anti-Aging Skin Renewing Exfoliating Treatment, $58. I am a big fan of the Il Makiage brand already, and their 100% free and easy exchanges and returns policy is amazing. But I’ve never returned anything - I have been very happy with all of their products. This scrub smells wonderful and is a super-fine exfoliant that I use on my face as well. I keep it in my shower and use it every other day to reveal my softest skin!
If you want to go the extra mile for renewed, fresh skin on the neck and chest, try an exfoliant peel like Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting AHA + BHA, $42, once a week. This is a professional-strength AHA/BHA peel that dramatically and visibly brightens skin, refines texture and smooths the look of wrinkles in just 10 minutes.
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3. Moisturize and Hydrate
The neck has some of the thinnest skin on the body, along with our eyelids and chest. Which makes it prone to wrinkling more easily. It also has fewer sebaceous glands than those we find in the face so it doesn’t get the benefits of natural oils from glands to moisturize itself.
Products to try: I live by anything Elemis. And if you’ve never felt the magic that is their Pro-Collagen Neck + Decollete Balm, $84, I highly recommend it! Their products give me a spa-like experience every time I use them. What I like about this balm is it gives a blurring effect to the skin and makes it feel like I’m touching silk! It contains sea buckthorn oil which is the ultimate ingredient for skin hydration, rich in antioxidants, and can help in evening out skin tone.
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Another great and super popular moisturizer to use specifically for the neck, that has been around for a long time is the StriVectin Tightening Neck Cream, $95. It helps with crepey skin, it tightens and provides lift on the neck when you use upward motions as you rub it in.
If you just can’t stomach the more prestige pricing though, no worries. Try the trusted name of Gold Bond Ultimate Firming Neck, Chest, and Hand body lotions, $14. It contains Hyaluronic Acid and is scent free! All of these balms and creams should be used DAILY to really make an impact on these areas.
4. Protect with SPF
You gotta PROTECT the neck with SPF. I know I sound like a broken record - but being vigilant about your sun protection is important. Especially with summertime here, you gotta go with that high SPF…and even a wide-brimmed hat!
You can use a mineral or a physical sunscreen - just use it! No skill is needed for this part, just apply it over the previously mentioned moisturizers and anti-aging products to help prevent sun damage (age spots!) and wrinkled skin.
Products to try: One of the best and most convenient ways to apply your sunscreen is with the Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50, $30. It’s good for all skin types, is portable, and can be worn under or over makeup - just swipe over the face, neck, and chest easily. It won an Allure Best of Beauty award and for good reason and does not produce a white cast even on darker skin tones.
Then, of course, you can’t talk facial sunscreen without talking EltaMD. Their UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46, $40, for sensitive and acne-prone skin is a popular favorite. Just check out their over 36K, 4.7 approval ratings on Amazon!
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5. Makeup Does help
Since our necks and chest rarely match the tone of our faces, it’s not weird at all to extend some makeup down there! I’ll sometimes cut my foundation with a little extra SPF or moisturizer and mix them together, then apply a very thin layer to these areas to make sure that my coloring matches up and it helps with evening out skin tone.
Or you can take a beautiful bronzer like the L’Oreal Infallible 24-Hr Wear, $11, and apply it with a large fluffy bronzer brush all over the neck to warm it up. I love this formula specifically because of its blurring powers! I am wearing shade light/medium 300 as we head into the summer. You can also check out my latest YouTube video on this exact product here.
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If you aren’t implementing any of these practices or products, then go ahead and start! Your entire neck and chest will thank you now, and later.
Look Details
This orange print scoop neck blouse from LOFT, $64, is my summer favorite | My matte lip color is “American Woman ” by Nars | My Ettika gold ring, $45 | Similar beach hat, $82
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Thanks for another informative post, Jennifer!
You’re so welcome Angie! glad you found some value in it!