Face It: Skin Care Shouldn’t Stop At The Top Of The Neck

If beauty is skin deep, then why do we devote all of our love and attention to just the face, and all but ignore the rest of ourselves? Skin is the largest organ of the body, and its main job is protection. Skin protects our body from bacteria, chemicals, pollution and temperature. It also stores water, fat, and vitamin D. It’s important, and needs more love.

Think of your facial routine. It likely starts with cleansing, then moves to various treatments, and finally ends with protection. Most women have at least a dozen products in their beauty arsenal including a handful of moisturizers and serums targeting dry skin, lines, and sun damage.

Sure, our face is our calling card, so we want to preserve it as best we can. But good skincare shouldn’t stop at the jawline. Some of the most troublesome complaints associated with aging are crepeypness on the neck, sun spots on the hands, and overall loss of collagen on areas like your chest, arms, and legs. Any good skin care for the body needs to include the neck.

If you pour time and money into proper facial hygiene then you can make an effort for your chest, neck, hands and arms. Heck, I even know women who get treatments on their knees! So, now I bet you’re checking to see if your knees look saggy. (BTW If you’re over forty, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’!)

Skin care for the neck is the same as the face

First, show your neck some love by spreading your facial moisturizer downward to include your décolletage. That’s a fancy term for territory below the chin that includes the neck and chest. The décolletage is prone to sun exposure and becomes a frequent spot for skin cancers. Aestheticians recommend a hyaluronic acid, which both plumps and hydrates — great for reversing those deep wrinkles we get from looking down at our digital screens.

Next, exfoliating at least twice a week combats dullness and encourages the skin to recycle itself, bringing fresh skin to the surface. A good all-over buff will leave you feeling invigorated. I would focus on the back, legs, feet and don’t forget the back of your arms. Many people battle dry skin there along with tiny bumps or rough patches. (Insider tip: Selsun Blue shampoo works as a great DIY for those bumps).

While we’re in treatment mode: vitamin C creams and serums are also great for sunspots. Anywhere an unsightly spot appears, hit is with some vitamin C. Truth is, I use Retin A on tiny sun spots for faster results.

And finally, don’t be stingy with the sunscreen! Protecting from UV damage is the best thing you can do for your skin. It’s not hard to remember if you make it a habit: after showering and moisturizing, apply an appropriate SPF to any body part that might catch some rays. Preventing sun damage is a whole lot easier than trying to correct problems later.

Cheers to your youthful glow — all over the body!