Can You use Retinol Serum on Your Neck?

If ageing is something that is concerning you, or perhaps something you want to keep at bay, chances are you’ve searched high and wide for effective formulas enriched in ingredients that can target even the smallest sign of ageing. During your search you would have undoubtably discovered retinol.

This potent form of vitamin A delivers the most impressive results and is favoured and praised by experts and skincare fans as being the holy grail of all skincare ingredients. If you are wanting to know more about retinol and how it works on the skin, check out our dedicated blog post about it over on The Beauty Insiders.

Now, let’s draw our attention to the question in today’s blog post which is ‘Can you use retinol serum on your neck?’ This is a common concern for many of us. Whilst we focus on using an array of effective anti-ageing ingredients on the face, it is a common mistake for us to forget about taking these formulas down onto the neck.

So, let’s dive right in and investigate how to use retinol serums on your neck to combat any signs of ageing and loss of elasticity.

Is it okay to apply retinol on neck?

The short answer is yes, but with caution. This is because the skin on your neck and chest are thinner than the skin found on the face. You’ll also find that these areas are exposed to more UV rays leading to sun damage often becoming more apparent and requires stronger formulas to repair.

This is when retinol can step in and help, with the traits of retinol increasing the speed of the natural skin cell turnover cycle which pushes new skin cells to the surface quickly. This helps reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation leaving you with a glowing and healthy-looking skin.

When using retinol on the neck start by only applying it once a week in the evening to help build the skin’s tolerance to the potent powerhouse. You should also opt for a formula containing a lower concentrate of the ingredient, such as 0.5% and team your retinol product with another serum or moisturiser that contains a hydrating ingredient, such as hyaluronic acid.

Is retinol good for saggy neck?

Absolutely, retinol is without a doubt the most effective ingredient to use when wanting to target loss of firmness in the skin, including signs of sagging on the neck.

Retinol can penetrate the lower layers on the skin and provides an increase in the production of collagen. It is known that collagen production begins to slow down rapidly once we have passed the age of 25 years old. By introducing a small amount and lower concentrate of retinol onto the neck and using it consistently you will find a visible improvement in the look and firmness of the neck in 4 to 6 weeks.

Can I use retinol serum on my body?

Yes, you can, but ensure you are using a retinol product that has been specifically designed to use on the body. Signs of ageing, blemishes, and lack lustre skin isn’t something that can cause concern for the face, the funny thing is we are all guilty of forgetting to look after our body and focus our main efforts on the skin on our face.

Once you have found a body product that contains retinol follow the instructions on the packaging to get the best result and avoid overusing the formula as this can cause flaky patches of skin, irritation, and causing just general discomfort.

How can I make my neck look younger?

There are a number of ways to help make you neck look younger, here are some examples of the most used and effective. 

• Introduce a collagen supplement into your routine

Collagen is something naturally occurring in the skin, but once we reach the age of 25 its production begins to slow down. Introducing a collagen supplement into your daily routine, such as a powder that can be dissolved into your morning coffee, will help strengthen the skin on the body, including the neck. Maintaining this habit of taking a collagen supplement every day will benefit for your skin and health of your joints for a sustainable amount of time.

• Use serums enriched in vitamin C

Vitamin C is packed with antioxidants that have the ability to protect the skin from exposure to damage caused by free radicals, these are pollution, UV rays, central heating, and other environmental aggressors. By applying a vitamin C serum to the neck, you combat signs of ageing as well as repairing signs of hyperpigmentation and dark spots. 

• Apply low concentrates of retinol

As I have already explained, applying retinol to the neck will counteract signs of ageing, such as lines and wrinkles as well as give the collagen production a boost.

• Eat more fatty foods

By this I don’t mean a juicy burger, but other types that are rich in omega-3 and 6, such as oily fish, avocados, and nuts. All of which help the body to produce more collagen including on the neck helping it appear plumped, and firmer.

• Apply a daily SPF

This is something that needs to happen every day, even on days that look overcast and gloomy. This is because the UVA rays found in sunlight are constantly present and can penetrate through water, glass, and clouds. UVA is also known as the sun ray that causing skin ageing, compared to UVB which is the skin burning ray. By protecting the skin with a daily SPF of 30 and above, you’ll keep the skin barrier protected and at its healthiest state.

There you have some of the most popular ways to combat any ageing concerns you have for the neck. By using all these tips mentioned together you’ll find the neck will look notably younger, with less lines and damage to the skin.

Why is my neck ageing so fast?

There are several reasons why the neck ages so quickly, here are some of the most common causes.

• Sun exposure

With many of us forgetting to apply daily SPF to our necks, sun exposure is one of the main causes of neck ageing. You can help combat this by using a sunscreen every day to keep your skin protected and natural barrier strengthened.

• Genetics

Believe it or not, if wrinkles on the neck is a common family concern, chances are you are more prone to developing them over time.

• Lifestyle

This could vary from habits such as smoking, to the skin becoming dehydrated on a regular basis. Common everyday habits such looking down at your phone or working with on a computer can also be the cause of neck wrinkles.

• Ageing

As the skin naturally ages, there is loss of collagen and elasticity resulting in the neck losing firmness and appearing saggy with noticeably wrinkles.

There you have a little more information about using retinol serum on the neck, I hope I have answered most of your questions, but if you have any more, come and find me over on Procoal’s Instagram.