19 Neck Creams to Keep Skin Smooth and Supple

The neck is often cited as being the first place on the body to reveal one's age. That's because the skin on the neck, like that on the eyelids and hands, is extremely thin and fragile. It is constantly suffering the wear and tear of movement—twisting, bending, arching intently over Instagram—not to mention the fact that it has to carry an 11-pound head around all day. Now, dermatologists are reporting that signs of aging are being seen in a much younger set of necks. "In general, dermatologists are seeing an uptick in certain cosmetic procedures and aesthetic concerns from our patients because many of us are staring at ourselves all day long on zoom/work calls," says dermatologist Dr. Shari Marchbein, "but also the action of looking down at our phone or computer can exacerbate “tech neck”, which in addition to the musculoskeletal issues, is characterized by skin sagging and deepening of the horizontal neck lines from chronically looking downward, most commonly at electronics."

To compound the simple fact that neck skin is thinner, Marchbein says, "It also has fewer oil glands and is therefore more prone to showing the signs of aging such as sagging, sunspots and fine lines. After age 25, our bodies start producing less collagen at a rate of about 1% less per year in the skin. That means that by our mid to late 20s (and certainly by our 30s), we will start to notice some looseness of the neck skin particularly close to the jawline, a deepening of the horizontal neck lines and more pronounced platysma bands. By our 40s and 50s we have more significant sagging, skin laxity and volume loss, which is increasingly evident especially if these areas have not been addressed and maintained throughout the years."

This does not mean we are not all doomed to a lifetime in turtlenecks. There are now slews of high-tech, high-performance neck creams and serums that can prevent the development of those tell-tale indicators of advancing years, and even give already droopy skin a bit of a hoist. Marchbein advises consistent use of a moisturizer rich in collagen-boosting peptides and antioxidants, as well as retinoids—and always, always SPF of at least 30. "In addition to skincare," she says, "it is important to try to modify our behavior when it comes to our phones and computers by looking at them at eye level, so we aren’t constantly looking down and creating the tech neck dynamic." Here, 22 of the best lifting and firming formulations to start slathering on below the jawline for a neck that remain impervious to time.