No matter how great your facial skincare routine is, and how diligently you cleanse, tone, treat, moisturise and protect the skin above your jawline, neglect your neck and you may live to regret it. Because just like the skin on your face, your neck is subject to the wear and tear of everyday life – including things like gravity and, arguably, the biggest offender of them all: the sun.
Read on for the fix!
No matter how great your facial skincare routine is, and how diligently you cleanse, tone, treat, moisturise and protect the skin above your jawline, neglect your neck and you may live to regret it. Because just like the skin on your face, your neck is subject to the wear and tear of everyday life – including things like gravity and, arguably, the biggest offender of them all: the sun.
Read on for the fix!
Why Does Your Neck Age Faster?
Not only is your neck exposed to environmental stressors way more often than other areas of skin, but it’s also structurally a little different. It’s extremely thin, fragile and has little muscle support which means it isn’t able to protect itself quite as well as stronger, thicker areas of your body.
It also contains very few sebaceous glands which are responsible for producing sebum, a mixture of oils that helps lock in hydration and keep your skin moisturised. With less sebum at its beck and call than, say, your face, it’s no wonder your neck becomes drier, more dehydrated and vulnerable to the visible signs of ageing.
Finally, your neck is constantly moving as you speak, laugh, eat, move your head and basically carry out anything in life. Looking down at your phone, for one thing, adds a ton (not literally!) of extra weight on your poor neck area, scrunching up the skin and making it susceptible to lines, bands and wrinkles.
FACT: Once you hit your mid-20s your levels of collagen decrease by around 1 percent every year. And even more so if you constantly subject your skin to things like sun exposure, stress, pollution and a bad diet. This might not sound like a huge amount but in actual fact it means that by the time you’re in your 50s, your skin is producing almost no fresh collagen at all. And what you're left with continues to weaken year after year. Shocking stuff, right?
The Most Common Signs Of Ageing Skin On Your Neck
1. Loose, Rough Skin
Why It Appears: Sagging skin that’s kind of bumpy and appears loose around the jawline is all thanks to nature’s unavoidable loss of collagen and elastin. These important proteins offer vital support and 'bouncebackability' to the skin, so as collagen and elastin production slows down it makes perfect sense that your skin will automatically drop with it.
Harmful free radicals form in your skin when it’s exposed to environmental stressors like UV radiation and pollution. And it’s these free radicals that break down collagen and elastin, causing a dramatic loosening of the skin which is especially noticeable on your neck.
What To Do: One of the best ways to fight back against free radicals is to regularly apply topical antioxidants. Antioxidants include synthetic ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol and hyaluronic acid but plant extracts and botanical oils are also chock full of them. Our advice? Apply Organic Age-Defying Facial Oil to a clean neck every evening – it contains no less than 20 antioxidant-rich plant oils!
PRO TIP: Smooth a few drops Organic Age-Defying Facial Oil on your skin after moisturising, starting at the base of your neck and working upwards. This will lift your skin and help keep gravity at bay.
2. Horizontal Lines
Why They Appear: Look at anyone and you’ll see that lines around the neck are completely normal due to the natural movements of the head. It’s just that these wrinkles get deeper and more etched-in as you get older thanks to weakened connective tissues, a natural loss of fat, a reduction of collagen and loss of laxity. Repetitive motions also make matters worse by persistently causing folds in your neck that eventually become the norm.
What To Do: When it comes to skincare, include your neck in everything you do for your face and, because the skin is drier in this area, make sure you thoroughly moisturise morning and night with Imperial Moisturiser and Night Elixir.
TOP TIP: Maintain good posture when working at your desk and look across (rather than down) at your screen. Also, avoid looking down at your phone or a book for hours on end. All of these actions cause the skin on your neck to crease. Similarly, the position in which you sleep is very important because too many pillows lift your head and scrunch up the skin on your neck. Stick with one pillow and sleep on your back if you can.
3. Vertical Bands
Why They Appear: These bands are all thanks to your platysmal muscle – two strips of muscle that run down the front of your neck. As these muscles age and weaken, they pull apart, which creates peaks and troughs down the neck. This, coupled with the skin’s inherent thinness and its natural loss of strength and elasticity as you age make these vertical bands (aka platysmal bands) become more and more prominent.
What To Do: Other than invasive action like fillers, Botox or surgery, little can be done to get rid of these vertical bands once they’re formed. However, keeping the skin on your neck strong, firm and healthy is key to reducing their prominence.
Cleanse twice daily with Crystal Cleanser and gently exfoliate two or three times a week with Natural Luminosity Scrub to encourage cellular turnover. You could also try applying a firming treatment serum like Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum before moisturising. This will help boost your collagen supplies while keeping the skin hydrated and protected from environmental damage.
DID YOU KNOW?: Regular weight training and certain exercises like sit-ups or crunches cause your neck to tense, making your platysmal bands become more prominent over time. Grab a weight and check yourself out in a mirror as you lift it and you’ll see these bands sticking out as you tense. The solution? Try to relax your neck when exercising.
4. Dark Spots
Why They Appear: Easy, the sun, which is accountable for around 80 percent of all external skin damage. And dark spots are one of the most common signs because UV stimulates melanin production which gives your skin its colour. When melanin goes awry (thanks to too much sun) your skin can become patchy and uneven, and your neck is often one of the first areas to go. Simply because you neglect it… so don’t.
What To Do: Slow down this whole sorry affair by applying an antioxidant-rich serum like Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum to cleansed skin every morning. This will help fight free radicals caused by exposure to sunlight, therefore limiting their damage before they get a chance to do a number on your skin.
Next, generously smooth Organic Tinted Moisturiser with SPF 25 all over your neck (and face of course!). And yes, you need to do this all year because UV radiation is there every day, not just in warm, sunny months. Finally, wide-brimmed hats are a great shout for adding extra cover to your face and neck – especially when you’re out in the full sun.
NEED TO KNOW: UV radiation is around all year long, come rain or shine, even penetrating through cloudy skies. And if you ignore the skin on your neck, it’s going to feel the wrath of those damaging rays. Always cover up. Always wear a high SPF, no matter the weather.
We all know skin ageing is inevitable and to be embraced. That said, remember there are plenty of wise, easy steps you can take to stop your neck ageing before your time. And there are the HIGHBORNs to help with exactly that ... don't forget you can enjoy 20% OFF the entire store today, CLICK HERE.
Tracey x
Perfect for a Supple, Youthful Neck
Crystal Cleanser
Imperial Eye Gel
Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum
Night Elixir
Organic Tinted Moisturiser SPF25
BEST VALUE: Four Phase Day and Night
Natural Luminosity Scrub
