It’s easy to forget about certain parts of our bodies when taking care of your skin. While many of us prioritize the face, the skin on our neck and chest is just as important. In fact, it’s even more susceptible to dryness, fine lines, wrinkles, and visible looseness since the skin in that area is very thin and delicate. If you find that your neckline is lacking attention, add a neck cream into your daily routine to improve your skin’s texture and appearance.
Among the many options to choose from, it can be hard to determine which are effective at softening, firming, and tightening the complexion. For that reason, I found two formulas that fight signs of aging thanks to retinol, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, chemical exfoliants, and more. And fortunately, it won’t cost you a pretty penny to go with either or both. Below, I compared the $45 Dermelect Self-Esteem Neck Firming Lift Cream with the $25 ActivScience Triple Neck Firming Cream that does the job for half the price.
Save: Activscience Triple Neck Firming Cream
Key Features:
Main Ingredient: Retinol promotes cell turnover and increases collagen production to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In addition to tightening skin, this multi-purpose ingredient can also improve dullness, even skin tone, and clear acne to reveal a smoother and brighter complexion, as well as fight acne.
Other Ingredients: Collagen and hyaluronic acid deeply hydrate and plump the skin. As a result, this cream smooths creases for firmer and tighter skin.
Best for: Dryness, crepiness, wrinkles, and loose skin
What We Love:
More than 8,000 Amazon shoppers give the Activscience neck cream their full approval, saying it keeps loose “turkey neck at bay” and makes their jawline “smooth again.” This lightweight cream melts into the skin to add moisture and firmness thanks to its powerful blend of retinol, collagen, and hyaluronic acid.
This $25 neck cream is an effective and affordable option that’ll produce noticeable improvements in just a few weeks, according to reviewers. A shopper added that it immediately “plumps up” crepey skin, while another user shared that their neck and chest looks “smoother, tighter, and much less crepey” with consistent use.
Keep In Mind:
Retinol can potentially cause redness and irritation to the skin, especially for those who are new to the ingredient or have sensitive complexions. If you’re unsure, test a small amount to see if any reaction occurs. Make sure to also use sunscreen after use as the extract increases your skin’s sensitivity to the sun. Retinol is not recommended for women who are pregnant, planning to be, or nursing. Additionally, a few users noted that its pump application is hard to use at times; it dispenses larger amounts if pressed too hard, so make sure to lightly press it to avoid waste.
Splurge: Dermelect Self-Esteem Necking Firming Lift
Key Features:
Main Ingredient: Chemical exfoliants such as Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) and Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) sloughs away dead skin to promote new cell growth, leading to visible improvements in wrinkles, roughness, discoloration, and acne. Cell regrowth also encourages collagen production to increase skin’s elasticity and firmness.
Other Ingredients: Shea butter maintains skin’s hydration for a soft and plump texture. Avocado oil is another key hydrator that shares similar properties to green tea; these extracts are both rich in antioxidants that soothe inflammation as well as minimize and protect against damage from the free radicals that cause skin aging.
Best for: Dryness, crepiness, wrinkles, and loose skin
What We Love:
The Dermelect neck cream contains gentle chemical exfoliants, antioxidants, vitamins, and natural botanicals to tone and lift the area around your neck and jawline. With the help of antioxidants, BHAs and AHAs help with surface-level issues, but also deeply penetrate the skin’s layers to increase thickness and restore firmness, per dermatologist Kim Nicols in a previous Shape interview. The cream is also incredibly soothing thanks to its super moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties, making it useful for those dealing with rough texture, itchy and flakey skin, acne, or redness.
Many mature shoppers are fans of this neck cream, too. “I’m almost 60 and my neck looks at least 10 years younger,” said a reviewer who added that their “crepe” skin has “completely smoothed out.” Other reviewers similarly wrote that it “dramatically reduced” crepiness, “tightens flabby skin,” and left their necks “soft to the touch.”
Keep In Mind:
Similar to retinol, the combination of BHAs and AHAs can cause dryness and irritation, especially if a high-concentration is present. However, some AHAs — particularly lactic acid, which is in this Dermelect lotion — are gentler. “Lactic acid is the most hydrating of the AHAs, so it can be used for sensitive skin and dry skin,” dermatologist Karen Hammerman previously explained to Shape. Gradually incorporate it into your skincare routine or apply a patch test to prevent irritating the entire neck area.
In Conclusion:
Both neck creams are sure to improve skin’s appearance, whether you find yourself with so-called sagging “turkey neck,” tech neck lines, or simply dryness. It comes down to which ingredients you prefer to keep your neck hydrated and firm. The Activscience Triple Neck Firming Cream contains tried-and-true ingredients known to fight signs of aging, and is a solid option if your skin is already familiar with retinol use. The Dermelect Self-Esteem Neck Cream is suitable for those who want a more gentle way to achieve less wrinkles and smooth, even texture. Not to mention, its other nourishing ingredients make the formula incredibly hydrating and soothing.
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