The best neck creams and treatments to smooth, plump and firm

The best neck creams should work like any great skincare does, tackling your concerns within the most efficient formula and pleasant texture possible.

Wondering whether you really need a neck treatment as well as your best skincare products for the face? If you have specific concerns, the answer may well be yes. "The skin on the neck is some of the thinnest on the body," explains Aesthetic Doctor, Dr Ahmed El Muntasar (opens in new tab). "As we age there is movement and trauma. Especially now with phones, we are constantly looking down, so you can get a lot of pull and push, which causes the skin to keep on thinning. For this reason, the neck is not very tolerant to active ingredients, such as retinol. This is why being careful with this area is important."

What's more, the major muscles running down the sides of our necks are not supported by bones in the same way they are in the face, meaning they are naturally less taut. Plus, our necks are as exposed as our faces to UV and pollution yet we don't always deem the area worthy of our best facial sunscreen or best vitamin C serum. If any of this sounds familiar to you, or you're worried about wrinkles, pigmentation or dehydrated skin, using the best neck creams and treatments will help your décolletage level up with the skin above the chin. 

What to look for in the best neck creams and treatments

• Low-dose actives: "Prevention is always best with the neck. Keeping the neck upright, using ingredients such as vitamin C or very low concentration retinol such as 0.2% retinol," says Dr El Muntasar. "A higher concentration of retinol can cause retinol neck, which is dry, red and irritated and can be uncomfortable." 
• Gentle ingredients: Always balance out more active ingredients with ones that soothe, hydrate, and protect, advises Dr El Muntasar. "Niacinamide is fantastic for the neck, a good thick moisturizer is fabulous. But especially an SPF, every single day for the neck. People often put SPF on their face but forget the neck, decolletage, and ears."
• In-clinic treatments: "Botox is a great option if the patient is seeing a lot of bands in the neck. If the skin is thinning, skin boosters are fabulous for this," says Dr El Muntasar. w&h Beauty Editor Fiona McKim recommends Teoxane Redensity 1 (opens in new tab), an injectable skin booster that floods the top layers of the skin with plumping hyaluronic acid, plus antioxidants and amino acids to boost hydration and glow. It costs around $600/£550, and a course of three treatments is recommended for the ultimate smooth, plump, and radiant effect, which lasts from 6-9 months. 

10 effective neck treatments, chosen by our beauty team

Now you know why your neck needs special attention, meet the luxurious product that blends potent actives with a gentle formula that won't irritate or overload this delicate area. As with all Omorovicza skincare, the base carrier in this neck cream is Hungarian Thermal Water, packed with skin-healing minerals - no filler here. 

There are also two forms of plumping hyaluronic acid, plant enzymes (from truffles no less) a firming protein and polysaccharide blend, and exfoliating skincare acids to smooth lines and rough skin texture. This is pricy, so may not suit every budget. But it's worth noting the cream feels an absolute treat to use. It's rich and silkily textured with enough 'slip' to be massaged in for a minute before it sinks in and gets to work.

Yes, it's expensive, but this could be the buy for you if a high-tech, lasting solution for loss of neck firmness is what you seek. This sort of device has recently become very popular during salon facials as the little micro-currents sent into the skin have an instantly visible tightening effect, that you can expect to last for a couple of days. 

Using this Nuface at home on a nightly basis means you'll get that tightening of the jaw line (and wherever else you like) and also stimulation of blood flow to the skin, which works long-term on skin tone and texture. It's relatively comfortable, if you feel anything it'll be a tiny 'zapping' sting, and you only need a few minutes a night while you watch your favorite box set to make a huge difference. It comes with a gel that helps the device glide more smoothly along the skin, but you'll want to follow up with your best face moisturizer to soothe and plump. 

This isn't a new product, but it is a huge QVC hit that sells like nobody's business and has scooped the accolade of best neck cream in The Beauty Bible three times. So clearly, Time Bomb is on to something good. 

The cream itself feels fairly rich and buttery, just what you want in this area, and contains Vitamin C, a powerful brightener to tackle age spots. It also packs in a blend of natural plant oils to deeply hydrate and peptides, which communicate with tired skin cells to make them act like younger, firmer ones. These things take time to work their magic but give it a month and you should see good results.

Elemis is known for creating products with a combination of spa-like feel, but also hardworking ingredients. This balm is no different, and would certainly make the best neck cream for anyone looking to gently nourish and plump the area without using anything too aggressive. Infused with sea buckthorn oil, one of the richest known plant sources of fatty acid omega-7, this serum also contains Mediterranean algae which help to hydrate, nourish and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Skin firming tree fern extract also helps to visibly improve the appearance of skin elasticity and smoothness, thus reducing any creepiness you might be experiencing. It also smells gorgeously sensorial and comes in a handy airless pump to preserve the active ingredient and ensure you can use every last drop. 

Smile lines have taught us every action has a reaction, and that includes repeatedly creasing our necks as we spend more time looking down. "Wrinkles and sagging of the jowls and neck used to begin in late middle age," says Dr Christopher Rowland Payne, consultant dermatologist at The London Clinic (opens in new tab), "but in the past ten years, because of 'tech neck', it has become a problem for younger women." 

One way to prevent things from going south is to sleep on your back, so the area lies flat and un-creased as you rest. Sleeping on this silky Illuminage Rejuvenating Pillowcase will also help prevent the skin from rumpling or creasing in the night, plus it contains copper oxide fibers that promote natural cell renewal for a smoother skin texture over time.

Even pre-tech, a neglected neck always gave the game away. There's no magic pulls-it-all-back-in-cream (yet) but you can firm a bit and prevent a lot with active ingredients. Fibroblast repair is key as when these cells lose their shape, collagen begins to flag then skin structure is negatively affected too. A daily dose of Clarins Super Restorative Décolléte and Neck Concentrate, with Harungana extract, helps to 'anchor' fibroblasts back in place, therefore supporting the skin's natural structural integrity. 

It also contains deeply-moisturizing ingredients, such as shea butter to hydrate dry skin on the neck as well as antioxidant-rich botanicals like Montpellier rock rose, which help protect the neck from the dulling effects of UV rays and pollution. It smells and feels luxurious, and is such a pleasure to use you'll be far more likely to stick with it consistently. 

If you fancy using a neck tool without paying hundreds, try this non-electric face massaging duo - a jade roller and gua sha. These manual tools have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries, but have recently gone mainstream on social media due to their ability to leave the skin looking almost instantly firmer and healthier. 

This is because massage helps drain away fluid build-up while stimulating circulation to deliver nutrients to the top layers of the skin. Not only does this encourage a natural glow but also, by reducing puffiness around the face, it can give the appearance of a firmer neck and jawline. Use both pieces on your neck and jawline for about five minutes per day, with gentle pressure and some slippery skincare, to see long-term results. What's more, even the best gua sha tools and best facial rollers don't tend to cost the earth so this is a pleasingly affordable neck treatment. 

Prevage is Elizabeth Arden's ultra-potent, highly targeted, and most scientific skincare line. It is also their priciest, so definitely an investment buy, but you can see where that spend has gone in terms of the ingredients included. 

This concentrated cream contains a powerful antioxidant blend, of Vitamin E,  thiotane plus Idebenone (Prevage's secret sauce antioxidant).  This combination helps to neutralize free radical damage, which in turn prevents collagen degradation, pigmentation, and dullness. It also packs in a couple of retinol derivatives, which speed up cell turnover for improved texture and softened lines, plus hyaluronic acid and a selection of other nourishing ingredients like glycerin and shea butter. It feels deliciously rich yet sinks in swiftly, instantly plumps and nourishes, then over time improves skin texture and tone. 

Rodial's lightweight gel leaves your neck looking smoother and plumper without overloading the thin skin in this area. This gel gets its name from an ingredient it contains called Croton Lechleri, which is popularly known as Dragon's Blood. It encourages healing and helps strengthen collagen fibers in the skin to make it firmer and smoother. 

The pomegranate in this product is packed with antioxidants, which help to reduce the appearance of age spots, plus Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, from an evergreen perennial plant, reduces inflammation and promotes healing. And how does it feel? Pleasingly refreshing, which anyone with oily skin or who just doesn't like the feeling of heavy creams will appreciate. Although if your skin is very dry you may find the texture a little light for your liking. 

Exfoliation is one of the speediest, easiest ways to improve skin anywhere, and we don't often remember to extend our exfoliator down to the neck and chest area. Gently sloughing away dead skin cells will help to reveal peachy-fresh ones while allowing your best neck cream and all its ingredients to be more easily absorbed. 

This Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Natural Action Exfoliator is a gentle, granule-free scrub that will leave the skin smooth and soft without causing irritation. You'll need to apply it in small amounts, gently working each into an area of the skin until it turns from a thick balm to a looser texture, then rinse. The skin underneath is instantly softer and free of dead cells which will offer radiance and a smoothed-out effect. Follow up with an active serum or cream to double down on neck improvements. 

woman&home thanks Dr Ahmed El Muntasar and Dr Christopher Rowland Payne for their time and expertise