Do you really need a neck cream? Well, because the skin on your neck is thinner, it needs extra hydration to help reduce and delay the visible signs of ageing. A good neck cream will have ingredients that promote collagen and elastin production. These proteins make skin look youthful and reduce the appearance of crepey skin, which will knock years off without the need for painful surgery!
Our step-by-step buying guide will explain the key ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and retinol, to help you find an effective neck cream for your age and skin type. We've even ranked our top 10 favourites from trusted brands including StriVectin, No7, Clarins and Elemis, all available to buy on Amazon, Boots, John Lewis and eBay UK.
Quick List - Top Neck Creams
bareMinerals
Clean, Vegan Neck Cream With Plant-Based Retinol
Felipe Partarrieu is a dermatologist, who is GMC registered with a full licence to practise in the UK. Specialising in cosmeceuticals, facial skin care, and hair disorders, we worked with Felipe to bring you top quality information to help you make informed buying decisions and understand more about what goes onto your skin.
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Table of Contents
Felipe Partarrieu is a final year dermatology resident, who is GMC registered with a full licence to practise in the UK. Specialising in cosmeceuticals, facial skin care, and hair disorders, we worked with Felipe to bring you top quality information to help you make informed buying decisions and understand more about what goes onto your skin.
You'll find a wide variety of plant extracts and oils in neck creams such as shea butter, sea buckthorn oil, tree fern and horse chestnut extract. These are used for hydration and to help smooth thinner, more delicate skin, such as the neck area.
White truffle and Montpellier rock-rose help reduce dark spots giving the skin a more youthful look, and soy fibre extract has anti-ageing properties. Geranium flower oil and algae are toners that'll cleanse and brighten your skin, plus they can help skin problems like acne. Finally, oat seed oil has soothing properties, which is ideal for sensitive skin.
Pamper yourself with a relaxing massage daily at home using our favourite face rollers.
First things first, not all essential oils are ideal for topical facial applications, as they cause breakouts or can be too irritating if used daily. However, oils with higher linoleic acid to oleic acid ratios, such as rosehip, evening primrose, safflower, and hemp seed, have better barrier repair potential. They help the skin retain moisture and be more resistant to external harm.
Many neck creams have a protein restoring complex or peptides as the main ingredient as they're the base for collagen and elastin production. As we age, our skin produces less of these proteins naturally, which help reduce wrinkles, make skin firmer, balance skin tone and even repair sun damage.
Peptides are more easily absorbed than pure collagen or elastin, but you still find elastin as a key ingredient in skincare products. It'll make skin firmer, but it won't be as effective as using a protein restoring complex.
Peptides are becoming interesting cosmetic ingredients as there is some evidence that they can reduce premature skin aging, improve the barrier function of skin, moisturize the skin and protect it from UV damage.
Signal peptides, also known as palmitoyl pentapeptides, act as little messengers and trigger skin cells to perform specific functions such as building structural proteins of the skin like collagen, elastin, fibronectin, and laminin. These proteins are responsible for the skin's texture, strength and resilience, making it look and act younger.
Hyaluronic acid sounds like something produced in a lab, but this ingredient naturally occurs in the body. It's 100% safe to use and is suitable for all skin types. It can even help soothe sensitive skin, so don't let the name put you off!
This ingredient helps our skin to stay moist and hydrated. It'll help draw water to the skin's surface to plump cells, which can aid in hiding wrinkles and fine lines. As we age, the body produces less hyaluronic acid, so giving it an extra boost is vital for keeping skin healthy.
For hydrated, youthful looking eyes, check out our best eye creams!
Hyaluronic acid (HA) can bind moisture in up to 1000 times its weight when topically applied, making your skin appear plumper, dewier, and more hydrated after each use.
In most cases, these agents draw water from the dermis (the middle layer of the skin) into the epidermis, although it can also draw water from the air when there is high humidity. It also helps the skin heal after injury. For maximum surface hydration, look for a product containing HA molecules in various sizes.
Anti-ageing ingredients are often quite hard to pronounce and can have very science-y sounding names, like pro-xylane, vitafibrine and retinol. You may even find a product that uses terms like "advanced idebenone technology" or "sepilift technology".
They may have different names, but these are all anti-ageing ingredients that help firm skin and reduce wrinkles. One step up from hyaluronic acid, which only penetrates the top layers of skin, these ingredients work deep below the surface. They also help to repair sun damage by reducing patches of skin discolouration.
Serums are great for a boost of skin-loving ingredients, explore our top anti-ageing serums!
There are many substances that have scientifically proven "anti-ageing" properties. Retinoids, such as retinoic acid and retinol, are vitamin A derivatives that have been shown to reverse some of the features of photoaging, photodamage and improve postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.
They also promote collagen growth beneath the skin and have anti-oxidant properties, diminishing wrinkles over time. Because they increase the rate at which your cells turnover, they are also suitable for combating blemishes.
Some creams are suitable for both your face and neck. It might be worth making the switch if you're not attached to a specific facial cream as using the same cream for both your face and neck can save money and space, which is ideal if you're going on holiday.
However, it can get expensive buying separate neck and face creams. What's more, the skin on the neck ages faster as it's thinner than the skin on our faces, making neck-specific creams better for firming. So splash out if you've got a bigger budget, or your neck is in desperate need of some TLC. You won't regret it!
The variety of skin care products available might make you think you need a different product for every part of your body. The skin on the neck is much thinner than the skin on the face, so it loses elasticity before most other areas, meaning it needs, at least, as much care as the face.
For most cases, you don't need a separate neck cream unless it helps you remember to apply to that area or if your face has a combination of oily skin and your neck feels drier.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Elemis Pro-Collagen Neck & Décolleté Balm | ![]() | Plant-Based Ingredients for Anti-Ageing and Hydration | |
2 | Prai Throat & Decolletage Creme | ![]() | A Favourite for Younger Looking Skin | |
3 | bareMinerals AGELESS Phyto-Retinol Neck and Decolleté Cream | ![]() | Clean, Vegan Neck Cream With Plant-Based Retinol | |
4 | StriVectin Tighten & Lift Neck Serum Roller | ![]() | Tighten and Lift With a Mini Massage | |
5 | Clarins Super Restorative Décolleté and Neck Concentrate Cream | ![]() | Anti-Ageing for Mature Skin | |
6 | Elizabeth Arden Anti-Ageing Neck and Décolleté Firm & Repair Cream | ![]() | Fight the First Signs of Ageing | |
7 | Eva Naturals Store Firming Lotion for Sagging Neck, Face, and Décolleté | ![]() | Fights Wrinkles and Increases Elasticity for Younger-Looking Skin | |
8 | Vichy Neovadiol Phytosculpt Tightening Face and Neck Cream | ![]() | Tightening and Firming for Post-Menopausal Skin | |
9 | No7 Restore & Renew Multi Action Serum for Face and Neck | ![]() | Restore and Renew With This Multi-Action Serum for Face and Neck | |
10 | Omorovicza Firming Neck Cream | ![]() | Defend Against Damage and Thinning Skin |
Elemis' neck cream uses algae and sea buckthorn oil to hydrate skin and reverse signs of ageing. It's efficacy has even been proven via an independent clinical trial, with 90% of women claiming it left their skin feeling firmer after regular use.
An absolute must-buy, this is a skincare product for everyone! The plant-based ingredients means it's suitable for vegans, and it's a great option for all ages. If you're not sure where to start when choosing your first neck cream, we can't recommend this one highly enough.
Prai's Throat & Decolletage Creme is a popular anti-ageing neck cream and a go-to product for many skincare fans. With hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin and an anti-ageing complex that promises visible results within 7 days, you'll be on your way to a firmer neck in no time!
Although it works, it's formulation can cause irritation if you have sensitive skin. Don't be put off, though! It'll be fine if you've never had problems with skincare products in the past. If you're unsure, you can always do a patch test first.
This refreshing, game-changing vegan neck cream contains Phyto-Retinol, a natural, plant-based retinol that is as effective without inducing redness, dryness, or irritation. Protein Peptides and Hyaluronic Acid work synergistically to improve texture for fresher, more youthful-looking skin in this delicate yet potent formulation.
In just one week, the product was clinically demonstrated to significantly minimize the appearance of wrinkles and crepiness. With a clean and healthy formula, this neck cream is cruelty-free and vegan. It's also free of a bunch of potentially harmful ingredients, and it is non-comedogenic so it won't clog pores or cause breakouts.
This lightweight, non-greasy serum is specially formulated to use on the sensitive skin of the neck and leaves the area feeling instantly firmer. A blend of polymers and NIA-114 technology work together to visibly lift dull skin and rebuild the skin barrier, allowing critical moisture to be retained for a hydrated, more supple feeling.
Unlike the other items on our list, this neck-focused formulation has a cooling roller applicator that provides a mini-massage, promotes quick product absorption into the skin, and significantly improves neck and facial contours over time.
A top choice for women over 45, this cream will lift, smooth and reduce the appearance of dark spots. It's got a non-oily texture, so won't look of feel greasy on skin, making a ideal for daily wear with or without makeup.
Apply this cream up to two times a day, morning or evening after you've cleansed, and you should start to see results within two weeks of use. Coming in a 75 ml tube at an affordable price for the amount of product, this is a fantastic neck cream for mature skin!
This cream tightens, tones and moisturises skin to help minimise fine lines and wrinkles. It can even reduce the appearance of sun damage and erase dark spots for healthier looking skin. Besides the neck you can also use this product on the elbows, wrist, and cleavage.
A tried and tested product, clinical test results have shown that 7 out 10 women thought their skin looked firmer after usage. Whether you're hoping to postpone the first signs of ageing, or after a suitable cream for mature skin, Elizabeth Arden has you covered!
This cream aims to reduce the appearance of double chin while restoring the surrounding skin's elasticity, giving almost miraculous results in combating the dreaded 'turkey neck.' Peptides function at a deeper level to smooth, tone, and tighten skin, revealing a more youthful appearance.
Hyaluronic acid boosts and retains moisture, plumping up the skin and significantly minimizing the appearance of wrinkles on the face and neck. This firming lotion also contains Glycolic and Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which stimulate cell renewal and collagen formation, thereby reversing the effects of aging.
This cream is specifically formulated for post-menopausal skin. It tightens and contours the skin of the neck for a more youthful appearance. Although it has a slight scent, it's suitable for sensitive skin and is hypoallergenic, so it's unlikely to cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
This cream is best used at night because it can look greasy, especially on oily skin, which isn't ideal. In general, we recommend it more for dry and combination skin due to it's heavy moisturising and hydrating properties.
When you use this product, you will experience significantly firmer feeling and visibly smoother looking face and neck. Lines and wrinkles will be dramatically decreased, and skin tone will also appear more even. Using a skin-fortifying blend of calcium, amino acids, and ceramides, the skin around the face and neck feels nourished.
It's important to moisturise as dryness can cause thinning of the skin around the neck, leaving it prone to damage. Luckily, this cream contains the important vitamins your skin needs to stay in top health, with white truffle oil to help cleanse the skin and even out skin tone.
Best of all, Omorovicza's neck cream is fragrance-free, alcohol-free, gluten-free and vegan friendly, so it can be enjoyed by everyone. Apply both morning and evening to get the best results!
Neck cream, like face cream, is best applied in the morning if it contains SPF and at night if it does not. During application, use a light hand and avoid pulling or tugging on this delicate skin. Apply the cream with your finger tips in upward sweeping motions, just as you would on your face, working against gravity to prevent sagging. Lastly, allow the cream to sink into the skin properly as it can easily move around if it hasn't set.
Experts recommend starting to use neck creams with anti-ageing ingredients in your 20s, as this is when protein production starts to slow. Most specialists recommend active anti-ageing care regimens after turning 25.
Written and researched by Rosa Fairfield
No. 1: Elemis|Pro-Collagen Neck & Décolleté Balm
No. 2: Prai|Throat & Decolletage Creme
No. 3: bareMinerals|AGELESS Phyto-Retinol Neck and Decolleté Cream
No. 4: StriVectin|Tighten & Lift Neck Serum Roller
No. 5: Clarins|Super Restorative Décolleté and Neck Concentrate Cream
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