One area that is often overlooked by mature women is the neck area. The neck is often overlooked because people think it’s not important as it’s not the first place that people usually notice.
However, in order to achieve a youthful appearance, the entire visible skin, including the skin on the neck, needs to look flawless. A good skincare or makeup routine for the neck area can make it look younger, skinnier and more defined.
How To Make Your Neck Younger Naturally
The best way to make your neck look younger naturally is to adopt a proper diet, exercise regularity, use moisturizers with humectants, use retinol creams, use collagen creams and avoid alcohol based products. Acupuncture is also a great way to encourage your skin to produce collagen and improve the elasticity in the neck skin.
In order to get professional opinions, I connected with Vanessa Thomas, a Cosmetic Chemist and founder of Freelance Formations. Vanessa holds a Master’s degree in cosmetic science and is on the board of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists FL Chapter. She has over 20 years of experience formulating various types of
cosmetics such as skincare, hair-care and more.
According to Vanessa, here’s how to make your neck younger naturally:
- Proper Diet/Exercise: Proper diet and exercise meaning eating enough fruits and veggies and drinking enough water. Having extra weight and skin creasing around the neck area can also contribute to an aging neck. Vitamin C from fruits and veggies help boost collagen production keeping the skin more elastic.
- Use Moisturizers with Humectants: For dry skin, you will want to implement a toner that contains humectants. Humectants are ingredients that are usually found in lotions and cleansers. They hydrate the skin by attracting water molecules and keeping your skin moisturized and healthy.
- Try Retinol Cream: Retinol is one of the few ingredients that has been proved to help with anti-aging. Retinol is derived from Vitamin A found in animal ingredients and is an ingredient used in anti-aging products such as facial moisturizers and serums. Retinol can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve uneven complexion/tone, and exfoliate the surface of the skin.
- Apply Collagen Cream: Collagen helps with skin elasticity. Collagen is a protein derived from the connective tissue in animals, but there is also collagen that is made up of sugars and has no animal involvement. Collagen is converted to gelatin by boiling water which hydrolyzes it to a mixture of degradation products. Collagen is produced in younger skin, and it helps to aid the wound healing process. When we age, we produce less collagen, leading to the appearance of lines and wrinkles and we are more prone to scarring.
- Avoid Alcohol-based products and harsh soaps: Excessive use of alcohol-based products and harsh soaps can dry out skin and irritate skin which contributes to skin looking aged and loss of elasticity.
Try Neck Exercises
Cynthia Rowland, a facial fitness expert and creator of Facial Magic Facial Exercise System, suggests that facial exercise, using proven resistance, anchoring and isometric contraction will make your neck look younger naturally.
Cynthia suggest you try the following exercise for your neck:
- Sit or stand with shoulders erect.
- Clench the back teeth together, push the tongue against the area below your bottom teeth, keep your lips closed.
- Hold for 5 seconds, release, reposition and hold the next contraction for 10 seconds.
- Release and repeat two times for a total of 35 seconds.
Try Acupuncture and Micro-Needling For the Neck
Dr. Sarah Emily Sajdak, DAOM, L.Ac. is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine specializing in Beauty Acupuncture. Dr. Sajdak received her master’s degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine (MSTOM) at the Pacific College of Oriental College. She is nationally board certified (NCCAOM) in traditional Oriental medicine, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and holds state license in acupuncture in California and New York.
According to Dr. Sajdak, Acupuncture and the more modern technique of Micro-Needling are both great ways to produce collagen and improve the elasticity in the skin, this includes the neck. The micro-needling especially helps to tighten up the skin and the only side effect is redness for 24-48 hours, similar to the appearance of a mild sunburn.
Also, watch your diet because sugar makes the skin sag and destroys collagen over time. What most people seem to forget is that alcohol has a lot of sugar. Alcohol can also make you dehydrated which makes the skin appear dry and sag more over time. So along with any treatment, cleaning up your diet to include collagen producing foods such as berries, tropical fruits, leafy greens, and beans is important.
You can also take a collagen supplement but, as with any supplement, check with your doctor to make sure it’s right for you. I prefer to recommend supplements to help the body build collagen naturally from within such as vitamin C or an herb such as Ashwagandha which has been shown to help with emotional eating and to thus curb sugar cravings.
Beauty from the inside out is the way to lasting results, always! Acupuncture is great for internal medicine and then the micro-needling can give you the external boost as well! – Dr. Sarah Emily Sajda, DAOM, L.Ac.
How To Make Your Neck Younger with Makeup
The best way to make your neck younger with makeup is to first moisturize your neck with moisturizing lotion and then apply foundation on your neck and blending it downwards towards your chest with a Kabuki brush. Contour and blend your chin, jawline and neck in order to achieve a defined and youthful look.
I connected with Lea Roman, a Licensed Cosmetologist and founder of Mindful Soul & Beauty to provide you with more details on this topic. Lea is a Beauty Therapist who helps woman of all ages diminish limiting beauty beliefs. According to Lea, you should try the following to make your neck look younger with makeup:
- The VERY first thing you’ll want to do is, look at yourself in the mirror and smile. A smile puts you in a good mood. Not to mention, it instantly makes you feel beautiful.
- NOW you’re ready. What you’ll want to do before applying any makeup is moisturize. I use Yarrom|Pom from doTERRA – it helps produce collagen.
- Apply the same color foundation as you use for your face onto your neck and begin blending downward towards your chest with a Kabuki brush. Be sure to buff it out on your chest area to diminish any lines of demarcation. MAC Cosmetics Studio Face & Body foundation is perfect for this technique. It’s sheer, moisturizing, and easy to build upon if you desire more coverage. It doesn’t settle into fine lines which is a huge plus for the neck!
- Next you’ll want to get your contour kit. Be sure you use cream contour, powder will only amplify fine lines and wrinkles. Anastasia Contour Cream Kit is silky and easy to apply. With a concealer or foundation brush, apply your darker contour color under your chin and at jawline.
- Then below your chin draw two lines with your darker contour color on the outer parts of your neck down to your collar bone.
- Next you’ll use your lighter contour color from your kit (often called highlighter). Draw a line down the center of your neck. You’ll also draw a line on each side from your jawline to the base of your neck.
- Now you’re ready to blend. Grab your Kabuki brush and gently blend all the lines together starting at your chin and jawline. Work your way down to the chest area. You’ll want to do this until the colors softly blend, leaving an illusion of a svelte youthful neck.
- Lastly, set with setting spray, I love Skindinavia. Do NOT set with powder!
