Stop at the jawline? Why your neck needs skincare, sunscreen and stretching too

Most of us stop our skincare at the jawline, but your neck is actually one of the first places you need to take care of. The skin there is much thinner than your face, has fewer oil glands and less collagen support, so it dries out faster, gets creepy, and wrinkles more easily.

Why should you not ignore the neckline while doing skincare?

Add constant movement from looking down at phones and laptops, what dermatologists now call tech neck, plus chronic sun exposure that most people forget to protect against, and you get early horizontal lines, sagging, pigmentation, and what is often called turkey neck.

That’s why caring for your neck does more than just keep it looking younger. Regular massage and gentle stretching of the neck improves blood circulation, releases knots that cause tension headaches, and even relieves tightness in the upper back that desk workers and gamers often feel. A firm, hydrated neck also makes your whole face look younger because your face and neck age as one unit.

What's the solution?

The fix is simple — treat your neck as an extension of your face. Cleanse it gently every day with a moisturizing cleanser, paying attention to behind the ears and down to the décolletage, and exfoliate once a week with a mild exfoliant to remove dead cells and prevent tanning and dullness.

Every product you use on your face should travel down. Hydration is key, so look for moisturizers with hyaluronic acid, glycerine, ceramides, and peptides to lock in moisture and support elasticity, and apply them in soft upward strokes from the collarbone to the jawline.

During the day, sunscreen is non-negotiable — a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day, even on cloudy days and even if your foundation has SPF, because the chest and neck get more UV than you think. At night, add actives that fight ageing, for instance, vitamin C to boost collagen and fight free-radical damage, and retinol or retinoids to increase cell turnover, but start low at 0.25 per cent to 0.3 per cent because neck skin is more sensitive and prone to irritation. If retinoids irritate you, peptides and niacinamide are gentler alternatives.

Lifestyle matters just as much. Keep your phone and laptop at eye level instead of bending your neck, sit with your spine in a neutral position, and include simple neck tilts, rotations, and yoga or Pilates to keep the platysma muscles toned and prevent drooping.

Furthermore, regular face and neck massage with a gua sha or roller in upward motions boosts lymphatic drainage and firmness. And remember that what you eat shows up on your neck too — antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and omega-3s from flaxseeds and walnuts help maintain hydration from within.

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