Are you cleansing your neck correctly?
We pay a lot of attention to our face, but many of us pretty much ignore the area of skin just south of our head, and our necks often show the neglect. While the skin on our faces is glowing, cleansed and moisturized, the skin on our necks can often look dull and skin that is darker (read: not exfoliated). If you feel like your neck could use a little TLC (and most necks could) we’ve made a list of ways you can take care of this delicate region.
Skin Care for Your Neck
1. Cleanse
If you don’t really cleanse your neck, you’re not alone, as many people tend to just overlook it. Many people suffer from what’s called a “dark neck.” This is when dark patches or excess skin cells make the neck area look a shade or two darker than the face. Sun exposure and failure to exfoliate this area cause this coloration. Cleanse your neck with a cleansing milk or gentle cleanser a few times a week to make sure there is no skin or dirt build-up. Use a product formulated with antioxidants to cleanse thoroughly, brighten and protect your skin from free radicals. We like Garnier SkinActive’s Clean and Gentle Clarifying Cleansing Gel which is gentle yet thorough and cleanses with plant extracts leaving your skin soft and refreshed. It is also the best cleanser for sensitive skin if your skin tends to get irritated quickly.
2. Exfoliate
Exfoliate your neck once a week to remove old skin, dead skin from the surface. You can make things easy for yourself by just exfoliating your face and neck in the shower at the same time. An easy homemade scrub you can whip up in no time is brown sugar, a tiny splash of lemon and a teaspoon bit of honey. Gently massage into your skin to slough off any dead skin cells then rinse off thoroughly. Lemon has a naturally brightening effect which canhelp diminish the appearance of dark skin. For a non-DIY solution you can go for Garnier SkinActive’s Clean + Invigorating Daily Scrub, a gel scrub formulated with Jojoba beads that deeply cleanse and polish to refine pores. The formula infused with peppermint instantly energizes skin for a healthy look.
3. Moisturize
Necks can give away age in ways that faces often don’t. Make sure you are incorporating your neck into your anti-aging program so that you prolong the appearance of wrinkles and signs of aging on this delicate area. Use a moisturizer with SPF on your neck to protect it from the sun, which is the number one cause of skin aging. A formula with antioxidants will protect it from free radicals. Garnier SkinActive’s Clearly Brighter Brightening and Smoothing Daily Moisturizer contains SPF 15 and Vitamin C and E to protect you from the elements and will give you glowing skin.
