The 9 best neck creams and treatments that are so effective, you'll never neglect your neck again
From creams to high-tech tools, these are the jawline, neck and décolletage treatments our beauty team truly rates
If we're being honest, the neck is an area that many of us neglect to apply our best skincare products, but there is so much evidence to suggest using a targeted treatment in this area is a sensible idea.
"The skin on the neck is some of the thinnest on the body," aesthetic doctor and GP Dr Ahmed El Muntasar tells us. "We are constantly looking down [at our phones], so there can be 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 – so being careful with this area is important."
What's more, unlike the face, the major muscles that run down the sides of our necks are not supported by bones, 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, using the best neck creams and treatments will help your décolletage level up with the skin above the chin.
The 9 best neck treatments and tools, reviewed by our beauty team
Clever creams and serums
Key Ingredients: Phytosterol, proxylane, Vichy Mineralizing Water Product Type: Cream
You don't have to spend a lot of money to get the best neck cream – this product proves that. The entire Neovadiol range targets the effects of menopause on the skin, specifically loss of elasticity and firmness. Powered by proxylane, which mimics a hormone in the skin that wanes during menopause, this cream helps to boost the skin's natural regeneration, strengthen it and alleviate the appearance of creases. Expect to see both short and long-term gains; we found that once the balm was massaged in, it cooled our skin right down, creating an invisible corset effect that helps everything feel tighter within seconds. Long term, our skin appeared plumped and hydrated, and creases were less noticeable.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, peptides, oligogeline, kigeline Product Type: Spray on serum
The chest is notoriously prone to sun damage, which isn't surprising when you consider it's often on show (unless you have a penchant for polo necks). This powerful serum is a one-stop shop for neck improvement and targets everything from pigmentation to loss of elasticity. It's a super intensive neck treatment in a handy, spray-on form.
It's enriched with powerhouse niacinamide to brighten sun-induced dark spots across the neck and chest, alongside a phytobioactive called kigeline, which makes skin feel springy and firm. We sprayed it morning and evening onto clean skin on our neck and chest, which felt refreshing and quenching, then followed with our favourite moisturiser – and sunscreen, obviously. After a couple of weeks, our chest appeared smoother and more even-toned, which aligns with the brand's trials, in which 91% of people agreed their skin felt and looked firmer after using the spray for four weeks.
Key Ingredients: Royal silk koishimaru, Complex Focus Lift Product Type: Serum
When it comes to skincare, good things take time, but there’s a lot to be said for the instant gratification that comes with Sensai's Essence. It wraps skin with stretchable polymers, which we found provided an immediate firming effect. Over time, when applied with this Japanese skincare brand's signature massage method, it helps to reshape facial contours. The royal silk koishimaru blend stimulates the skin's own hyaluronic acid production for long-lasting hydration that leaves skin glowing and plumped.
This is pricey, so it won't suit every budget. But it's worth noting that the whole thing feels an absolute treat to use, from the dedicated massage technique to the rich formula. Of everything we tried, this was the best neck cream for truly enjoyable pampering. Think of it more as a nightly ritual than just another step in your regimen.
Key Ingredients: Harungana, Montpellier rockrose, oat, shea butter, sunflower extract Product Type: Cream
There's no magic pulls-it-all-back-in-formula (not even the best neck cream does it all), 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 this rich décolléte and neck concentrate, with harungana extract, helps to "anchor" fibroblasts back in place, therefore supporting the skin's natural structural integrity.
We could tell as soon as we applied this that it was jam-packed with deeply moisturising ingredients, including shea butter, plus antioxidant-rich Montpellier rockrose, which helps protect the neck from the dulling effects of UV rays and pollution. It smells and feels luxurious and is such a pleasure to use that you'll be far more likely to stick with it consistently.
Key Ingredients: Patented NIA-114TM, Gravitite-CF Lifting ComplexTM, liquorice root Product Type: Cream
Your regular face cream will impart moisture, providing a temporary plumping effect, but to make a real difference to your décolletage choose elasticity-boosting creams designed for this delicate area. We reckon this is the best neck cream for the job in that regard.
This gravity-fighting formula really pads out lines, so we're not surprised it's the best-selling neck cream in the US. What's great about this cream is that, on top of the elasticity-enhancing, skin-smoothing complex, it works to strengthen the skin barrier with NIA-114TM, an optimised form of niacin/vitamin B3, which helps to prevent moisture loss long-term. Plus, brightening ingredients like bearberry, rice bran and liquorice root target uneven skin tone to help reduce discolouration.
Key ingredients: Idebenone, thiotane, vitamin E, lupin seed extract, hyaluronic acid Product type: Cream
Prevage is Elizabeth Arden's ultra-potent, highly targeted and most scientific skincare line. It is also their priciest, so definitely more of an investment buy, but you can see where that spend has gone relative to its ingredients. This concentrated cream contains a powerful antioxidant blend of vitamin E, thiotane and idebenone (Prevage's "secret sauce" antioxidant). This combination helps to neutralise 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. We found it deliciously rich yet it sinks in swiftly, so would suit anyone except the very oiliest of skin types. Once it's absorbed, it instantly plumps and nourishes, giving an instant impression of smoother, bouncier skin. Then, after a few weeks, we noticed gradual improvements in texture and tone, too.
Top tools and devices
Microcurrent stimulation helps to re-educate muscles that have lost tone and encourage collagen production, which can be a good tactic across the neck area. This sort of device has become popular during salon facials, as the little microcurrents sent into the skin also have an instantly visible tightening effect, which you can expect to last for a couple of days.
The Bear utilises this technology to send electrical currents into the skin and stimulate the 69 muscles in the face and neck. Then, with regular use, it helps to train the skin to produce more collagen and elastin. It connects to the FOREO app and offers different 'workouts' for you to follow. We found the 2.5-minute V-shape yoga treatment particularly good on the neck and jawline and liked that you can select the strength of the microcurrent (from 1–10). We've tried all the way up to 10 and it's still painless, with just a hint of a tingle underneath the skin. Of course, as with any neck toning device, wrinkles aren’t going to disappear overnight – you’ll need to keep it up for 30–60 days to see the full results.
"LED light therapy (notably red light LED) does have some effects on the skin, encouraging the body to produce more collagen, thus improving skin health," explains Dr. Dev Patel, aesthetic doctor and founder of Perfect Skin Solutions. "Many devices, especially those for home use, will just not be powerful enough to deliver great results, but used regularly [they] may still have a benefit."
The Sensse LED mask offers a hands-free option and straps around the neck like a collar. You only need to wear it for 10 minutes a day – which we found doable – but for some reason, it does feel a bit more burdensome to slot into your daily routine over just slathering on a cream, but it's a good excuse to press pause for 10 minutes if you can. It has several light therapy options but the red LED technology encourages collagen production to improve neck texture in 4–6 weeks.
Smile lines have taught us that 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, "but in the past 10 years, because of 'tech neck', it has become a problem for younger women."
Short of throwing away your iPhone, there's not much you can do to prevent tech neck, but another way to stop things from going south is to sleep on your back, so that the area lies flat and uncreased while you rest. Snoozing on this silky pillow cover also prevents the skin from rumpling or creasing in the night, which will definitely help in the long term, too.
How we tested the best neck creams and treatments
Beauty Editor Stephanie testing one of the devices in this guide
So many neck creams, serums and devices make huge claims; it's worth saying that there is no magical product that will radically, instantly transform skin texture or tighten it up. Even the best neck creams and treatments are a long game, so with this in mind, the woman&home beauty team tested a wide range of buys over at least a four-week period in order to allow cumulative results to build.
As well as checking how our skin responded to the claims made by each product – be that fading pigmentation, smoothing lines or plumping dehydration – we also assessed each treatment on its packaging, ingredients, ease of use, and value for money. Those included in this guide were the ones that came out on top.
How to choose the best neck creams and treatment
- 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 the skin to become dry, red, 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. People often put SPF on their face but forget the neck, decolletage, and ears."
- Injectables: "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. Our beauty editor Fiona McKim recommends Teoxane Redensity 1, 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 £550, and a course of three treatments is recommended for the ultimate smooth, plump, and radiant effect, which lasts from 6–9 months.
If you want to go the skin boosters route, a good choice for the neck is Restylane® Skinboosters™ - micro-injections that are made up of stabilised hyaluronic acid, to deeply hydrate, improve elasticity and work towards smoother and brighter skin. Particularly well-suited to the neck, they work gradually to visibly improve skin texture and firmness where topical creams frequently fall short.
Find out more at galdermaaesthetics.com or book a session at therapieclinic.com for £173 per session
- Ultrasound therapy: Ultherapy is often recommended for treating skin laxity across the neck. “This non-surgical, non-invasive treatment helps to lift and tighten skin on the face, neck, jawline and décolletage, with little to no downtime” explains Dr Maryam. Results are visible after just one 60-minute treatment, but peak at 3–6 months. Dr Zamani, who regularly performs the treatment, recommends a top-up every one or two years. “The treatment delivers focused ultrasound energy to the deep layers of the skin and underlying tissues,” she explains. “This energy stimulates the production of collagen, which can help to tighten and lift the skin.” Prices are around £2,100+ The Clinic by Dr Maryam Zamani.
