You have tried minimizing the amount of time you are looking down at your device. You are mindful of your posture and you have tried the self massage and exercises in the first part of this series. Yet you still feel like your neck doesn’t resemble its former self. Are there other options out there? What are the skincare options for treating the loose, lined skin on the neck?
Some will tell you that a good neck cream is the answer. In many cases, you are just being sold an extra product. As the skin on the neck is the same as the skin on the face, a separate cream or moisturizer just for the neck is unnecessary. Any cream for the face is suitable for the neck and decollate. Apply the cream in upward strokes with slightly firm pressure from the clavicle to the forehead, working it in until absorbed. The moisturizing cream will protect the skin’s barrier against free radicals (the scavenging electrons that break down our skin) and reinforce the ingredients that you are using in serums.
Even more highly functioning than creams and moisturizers for aging concerns are serums. Serums are lighter in consistency than creams, thus they absorb more deeply into the skin delivering nutritive ingredients to where they can be higher functioning. Serums will give results more efficiently for this reason. Serums are your “power product” you need in order see change in the skin. Look for serums with high amount of anti-aging ingredients on the label. The best anti-aging ingredients to look for in serums:
- Grape Seed Oil – Rich in polyphenols and proanthocyanidins that resist the breakdown of collagen and elastin, which are the components in the skin that prevent sagging and loose skin. It also boosts hydration in the skin and protects against free radical damage. Grape seed oil is excellent for doing the self massage motions in Part 1 of this series.
- Vitamin A – All anti-aging regimens should have a little Vitamin A in them. Vitamin A disrupts the process that breaks down the skin due to UV exposure. It also protects against free radical damage.
- Vitamin C – “C” is for collagen, which gives the skin its density and plush feel. Vitamin C helps those proteins maintain their strength and shape. It is also an antioxidant, thus also protects against those pesky free radicals.
- Peptides – Applied to the skin, peptides act as messengers to send signals to the skin to trigger it to perform duties like building collagen, elastin and function as if it is younger tissue. There are many types of peptides and they work best teamed with antioxidants and skin repairing ingredients like Omega fatty acids.
- Omega Fatty Acids – These help form a “seal” on the skin, trapping needed hydration and defending the skin’s barrier functions. Omega Fatty Acids are anti-inflammatory, which helps support collagen structure by reducing the damage done by inflamed, irritated skin.
Utilizing these ingredients in a serum base will help protect, strengthen and support the skin on the neck. With continued use (at least one to three months of use are needed to see result with skin care), you will notice firmer looking skin on the neck. When coupled with self massage, neck exercises and a good wellness regimen, these results will be progressive and long lasting.