The Best Neck Creams are Secondary to Good Skin Care
Before sharing our picks of the best neck creams for 2016, let’s talk about the basics.
The skin of the neck and décolletage need the same basic care as any other area of your skin that is frequently exposed to the sun. Further, the skin of the neck and chest is extra thin — like the skin around your eyes. Before you plunk down hard-earned money on expensive creams and potions remember,
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Use high SPF (30+) broad spectrum sun protection every day;
Eat a balanced skin-healthy diet of
mostly whole foods,
antioxidant-rich vegetables,
vitamin-rich fruits that are lower in sugar,
lean protein foods like chicken, fish, eggs and lean cuts of red meat,
healthy fats, especially omegas found in fish, as well as in some seeds and nuts, and
limited sugar and alcohol;
Stay hydrated; and finally
Ask your doctor if you should take a daily multivitamin.
What the Best Neck Creams Should Contain
The best neck creams have ingredients that moisturize. Look for emollients to protect the skin barrier and prevent water loss plus humectants to draw water into the skin.
The best neck creams have a good cocktail of antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals that get past your sunscreen or are generated by pollution and the body’s own internal process of turning food into energy. A cocktail of antioxidants is important because antioxidants work in different ways and in different areas of the cells.
For age-reversing action, we also want a cell communicating ingredient cocktail for the same reason that an antioxidant cocktail is important.
The purpose of each “cocktail” is to combine ingredients that work in different ways. So we want multiple antioxidants and multiple cell communicating ingredients.
Examples of cell communicating ingredients are:
Retinoids, which are Vitamin A derivatives that normalize the skin;
Filling peptides to replace lost collagen and plump wrinkles from within;
Lifting peptides to reverse glycation damage and loss of elasticity;
Peptides to inhibit collagen breakdown;
Pro-sirtuin peptides to extend a cell’s lifespan;
Botox-mimicking peptides to inhibit muscle contractions, which form deep wrinkles; and
Peptides to stimulate synthesis of anti-aging compounds such as proteoglycans (which decrease with age).
An anti-aging cream doesn’t have to be labeled “neck cream” to meet all the criteria. In fact, many of the neck creams I reviewed for this list were quite lacking in one way or another. My guess is that’s because the universe of anti-aging neck creams is smaller than that of anti-aging facial creams. That is, if the label declares, “this is a neck cream,” less direct competition means a better chance of attracting customers.
So don’t let the term “neck cream” on the label steer you away from other options. Always check the ingredients!
Best Neck Creams Pick #1: Paula’s Choice Intensive Repair Cream
Paula’s Choice Resist Intensive Repair Cream may be the best value in anti-aging skincare on the market today. In fact in my opinion, the entire Resist line raises the bar for all anti-aging skin care product lines.
Resist Intensive Repair costs $32 for 1.7 ounces or about $19 an ounce. Talk about value!
The formula is packed with proven cell communicating and antioxidant ingredients, plus everything else in my criteria. Just as importantly, Resist Intensive Repair is properly packaged and contains no known skin irritants.
I suggest using this rich emollient repair cream on face, neck and chest. It has all the ingredients that the more delicate areas of your skin need. Plus the price means you don’t need to be stingy when you use it.
Here is my full review of Paula’s Choice Intensive Repair Cream.
Best Neck Creams Pick #2: StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream
StriVectin TL Advanced Neck Cream has been the #1 selling neck cream in America within the prestige beauty category since its launch in August 2011 to March 2016 as measured by The NPD Group (consumer market research).
StriVectin TL Advanced Neck Cream costs $89 for 1.7 ounces or about $52 an ounce.
I had fabulous results with the previous version of TL Neck. So I took a look at TL Advanced with skepticism. You know, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
I was duly impressed with the new version. Cell communicating Myristyl Nicotinate is still the predominant active ingredient. That’s a big plus and there are several more.
The only negatives I see are jar packaging and a small amount of fragrance.
Here is my Review of StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream
Best Neck Creams Pick #3: Replenix Neckletage by Topix Pharmaceuticals
Replenix Neckletage costs $75 for 1.7 ounces or about $44 an ounce.
Neckletage’s touted active ingredient is Leontopodium Alpinum (Edelweiss) Callus Culture Extract. There are impressive before and after photos from the ingredient manufacture. Edelweiss Extract is much more than a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It also inhibits the action of enzymes that break down the skin’s support structure.
In addition, Neckletage contains an extensive list of other potent antioxidants.
Replenix Neckletage has a high concentration of cell communicating Niacinamide plus collagen-stimulating Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12 and Botox-mimicking Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 (also known as Matrixyl).
On the other hand, Neckletage is jar-packaged and contains some potential skin irritants in fairly high concentration.
Here is my review of Replenix Neckletage by Topix Pharmaceuticals.
Best Neck Creams Special Mention:
Peter Thomas Roth Neuroliquid Volufill Youth Serum is not a thick moisturizing neck cream but this serum helped restore my neck and facial contours after a massive inflammation that lasted four months. So I’m giving it a special mention in this list of products that reduce the visible signs of aging in delicate neck and chest skin.
Neuroliquid Volufill boasts
96% VoluFill™ Complex: 19 amino acids to help support natural collagen to improve suppleness and smooth the look of wrinkles; five potent peptides to help improve the look of skin thickness; three collagens, hyaluronic acid, and performance enhancers to help improve skin and retain moisture, leaving skin visibly fuller and younger looking. Skin appears rejuvenated with restored fullness and luminosity.”
It really worked for me! See before and after photos and read my review.
You might also be interested in Neck and Chest Skin Care Tips.
Here are more Skin Care articles.
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