What To Do About Your Aging Neck

We are all guilty of giving our face most of the attention during our skin care routines. We carefully apply masks, serums and moisturizers to the space between our hairlines and our jawlines, neglecting the delicate skin around our necks. Not to be ignored, the neck has thinner, more fragile skin than the face, making it especially vulnerable to signs of aging. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to minimize and prevent the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sagging around this delicate area.

How To Get Rid Of Neck Wrinkles

Like other body parts that can develop wrinkles and age faster than your face (knees, elbows and hands, we’re looking at you) the neck is often an afterthought when it comes to skin care. Whether the wrinkles or lines that crop up around our neck are the result of too much sun or too much screen time, aka “tech neck,” we’ve gathered some easy solutions for you to treat signs of aging on your neck. First up, gua sha techniques! 

Gua Sha For Neck and Face  

Eminence Organic Skin Care International Educator, Brian Goodwin, tells Skin Inc.: “Gua sha is designed to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reduce inflammation and sculpt the face and neck, which is why it has become such a popular addition to daily skin care routines. In addition to helping reduce deep-set neck lines, gua sha can also be used to reduce tension in our necks, while relieving puffiness by moving fluids and improving lymphatic flow. This is a great technique for targeting the fine lines and wrinkles on the neck and chest, as it can easily be incorporated in the treatment room or in an at-home routine.”

Watch Lead Skin Care Trainer Natalie Pergar demonstrate how to use a gua sha tool to massage the face and neck here: 

You can also follow these steps:

• Start by cleansing your face and neck
• Apply 4–10 drops of your preferred facial oil
• Scrape the tool up your neck on both sides
• Next, sweep from the middle of your chin up your jawline
• After this, sweep over your cheeks finishing at the hairline
• Sweep over your eyebrow and up towards your hairline
• Sweep from between the eyebrows up towards the hairline
• Finally, sweep from the middle of your forehead to the hairline
• Repeat on the other side of your face
• Make sure to sweep each area between 3–10 times before moving on to the next part of the face

Our intensely hydrating and skin-protecting Rosehip Triple C+E Firming Oil boasts three of gua sha’s favorite oils: jojoba, rosehip and seabuckthorn. Rich in essential fatty acids that help problem skin and promote hydration and elasticity, Rosehip Triple C+E Firming Oil not only feels good, it’s good for your skin. And if you’re thinking about trying the oil, now is a great time. The limited edition Rosehip Oil & Gua Sha Gift Set includes a full-size Rosehip Triple C+E Firming Oil, plus a gua sha tool. Made from natural aventurine, each Eminence Organics gua sha tool has its own unique shade, markings and beauty. Makes a great gift for your beauty-obsessed friends or yourself this holiday season!

Moisturize For Hydration

Hydration is key to preventing and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. We suggest using our Monoi Age Corrective Night Cream for Face & Neck before heading to bed. After cleansing, apply this luxurious night cream to the skin, starting from the collarbone and working your way to the jawline in fluid, upward motions. Enriched with monoi, shea butter and our exclusive Argan Stem Cell Complex, this deeply hydrating moisturizer nourishes and replenishes the area overnight, leaving you with skin that appears smoother, softer and more youthful.

Happy customer Gwen called it a “Winner!” in her online review, saying: “I use it nightly and the results are clearly visible, particularly under my chin where my skin is a little loose and starting to look crepey. It smells lovely and feels great … this will be my go-to moisturizer from now on!”

Give Your Skin An Instant Lift

Some days, your skin needs an extra boost. For results you can see instantly, we suggest using our Hibiscus Ultra Lift Neck Cream. Apply it under your usual daytime moisturizer to tighten the look of the skin in the neck and décolletage area. A blend of hibiscus and botanical hyaluronic acid enriches and hydrates the skin, while all-natural active ingredients like paprika and edelweiss revitalize sagging skin, smoothing away the appearance of wrinkles.

Another ingredient that Brian recommends is bamboo, saying: “Products rich in bamboo can also benefit clients concerned about collagen loss and sagging skin, as the naturally occurring silica found in bamboo is packed with healing and regenerative ingredients like fiber, minerals and proteins that protect against common factors that contribute to aging skin.” Applying our Bamboo Firming Fluid down the neck and décolletage can help the skin to appear firmer and tighter, as can adding the Bamboo Age Corrective Masque to your routine 2–3 times a week. 

Stretch It Out

Stretch your neck daily to tighten weak muscles, stimulate blood circulation and allow greater oxygen flow and nourishment into your skin cells. Try these simple stretches to keep the skin around your neck looking smooth and wrinkle-free:

• Tilt your head back. Press the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth and swallow. Repeat with your head tilted to the right, then with your head tilted to the left.
• Place your fingertips at the base of the neck and lightly pull the skin downwards while slowly tilting your head back. Hold for a few seconds, tilt your head back towards your chest and repeat.

Are you looking to help improve the appearance of the skin on your neck? Visit your nearest Eminence Organics Spa Partner to find out how. 

This article was originally written in September 2016.