The Best Neck Creams That’ll Fight Sagging Skin, According to Dermatologists
Updated: Aug. 08, 2023
These best neck creams give your neck and décolleté a more youthful appearance.
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Most people don’t typically moisturize the neck area as often as they moisturize their face. But if you’re looking for the best neck cream then you want an anti-wrinkle contouring cream that lifts, tightens and firms the skin on the jawline, neck and décolleté—the area of the upper chest that is visible when wearing clothes with a low neckline.
“Often in dermatology, we say you can tell someone’s age best by their neck, chest and hands. Most people often forget to apply sunscreen and skincare products to these areas while focusing mostly on the face,” says Dr. Jamie Glick, a board-certified dermatologist and professor. “The neck is particularly tricky because the skin is very sensitive and thin. We have to be very careful what we apply to the neck.”
“Neck creams containing retinol or bakuchiol can be effective as they can build collagen,” Glick adds. “The retinol concentration should be low, and if using a facial product on the neck, it may be best to use it every other day. Usually, it takes several weeks or even months to see results, so be consistent.”
Here are some of the best neck creams to consider using in your skincare routine for a healthier and younger look.
The best neck creams
- Best overall: SimplyVital Anti-Aging & Recovery Cream
- Best budget: Remedial Pax Anti-Aging Firming Cream
- Best splurge: StriVectin Tighten & Lift Advanced Neck Cream Plus
- Best for quick improvement: RoC Multi Correxion Chest, Neck & Face Cream
- Best for softening skin: Activscience Triple Firming Neck Cream
- Best vegan: Kleem Organics Neck & Décolleté Firming Cream
Best overall
SimplyVital Anti-Aging & Recovery Cream
If looking younger and minimizing a sagging neckline are your goals, this anti-aging cream is one of the best neck creams to buy. In an independent test, participants reported their skin felt more hydrated, noticed less visible fine lines and wrinkles and described an enhanced skin glow.
The main ingredients in the SimplyVital recovery cream include collagen, retinol 35 and hyaluronic acid to smooth wrinkles and plump up the skin. The result is a more youthful look.
“I’ve been using this product for a month, and my face has tightened and the lines on my neck and upper lip have softened,” says Tonya N.C., a verified Amazon purchaser. “It’s giving me a bit of a glow which I haven’t had before—I have a second bottle coming. I’m excited to see what another month will bring.”
Pros
- Helps improve collagen production
- It is anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, renewing and hydrating
- Unscented
- Over 3,700 Amazon ratings and a 4.4-star average
- Affordably-priced
Cons
- Retinol may cause redness or irritation in the beginning as the skin adjusts
Best budget
Remedial Pax Anti-Aging Firming Cream
This Remedial Pax firming cream tightens under the chin’s saggy skin, reduces wrinkles and rejuvenates the skin. The major ingredients in the cream are hyaluronic acid and retinol 2,5. It also contains several other ingredients for fine lines and wrinkles.
Plus, ingredients such as vitamin E, coconut oil, jojoba seed oil, aloe vera gel, hydrolyzed marine collagen, avocado oil and chamomile flower extract provide moisture.
Five-star reviewer Meri remains impressed with how well it works. “I am 86 years old. Although I don’t have as many lines as many my age, I was really happy to see the difference. It absorbs quickly and my face not only felt so soft (I have very dry skin) but the lines disappeared leaving only the deepest ones visible. I am totally impressed. I use it night and day now to keep my dry skin soft and much younger looking. This is certainly a product I recommend.”
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Hydrating
- Works well on sensitive skin
- Paraben and gluten-free
Cons
- Packaging misleading on the amount of cream in the jar
Best splurge
StriVectin Tighten & Lift Advanced Neck Cream Plus
What sets the StriVectin neck cream apart is that it’s one of the few and best neck creams to contain lactic acid. Using lactic acid helps firm and thicken the skin, giving it a smooth appearance with fewer lines and wrinkles. Key ingredients for this cream include peptides, hyaluronic acid, a ceramide blend and a brightening complex.
After four weeks of continuous use, users found their neck and décolletage were less crepey, appeared more youthful and healthier and looked firmer and more toned. Although expensive, Dr. Constance M. Chen, a board-certified plastic surgeon, recommends this skincare brand and says it works well.
Pros
- High level of satisfaction with the product
- It contains lactic acid, which firms and thickens skin
- Brightens skin tone
- Decreases the look of wrinkles
- Nearly 4,000 five-star ratings on Amazon
Cons
- Expensive
Best for quick improvement
RoC Multi Correxion Chest, Neck & Face Cream
Many people see results in just four weeks with this dermatologist-tested RoC moisturizer cream. Furthermore, it reduces the appearance of discoloration, dryness, dull tone and wrinkles. Its Hexyl-R Complex Technology improves signs of aging, including loss of even skin tone and radiance. Additionally, it’s also an SPF 30 sunscreen, which is perfect for those extra sunny days.
“RoC Multi Correxion 5 in 1 Moisturizer Cream is also a good one that is available at drugstores,” Chen adds.
“I am 74 years old with dry, sensitive skin that needs a heavy cream,” says five-star reviewer Stella Moye. “I am a big fan of all RoC products and am very happy with the way this moisturizer keeps my skin looking hydrated for several hours during a busy day.”
Pros
- Clinically proven to reduce some signs of aging in four weeks
- Contains sunscreen
- Dermatologist tested
- Contains Hexyl-R Complex Technology to reduce additional signs of aging
- 5,000 Amazon ratings with a 4.5-star average
Cons
- Some buyers note although they love the product, they don’t like the smell
Best for softening skin
Activscience Triple Firming Neck Cream
As one of the best neck creams, Activscience face moisturizer works for all skin types. It helps to moisturize and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Moreover, it boosts skin elasticity, increases skin firmness and improves the appearance of a double chin. The main ingredients are retinol, collagen and hyaluronic acid. It also has coconut oil, Jojoba seed oil, aloe vera gel, hydrolyzed marine collagen and avocado oil.
“I used this for my neck, chest and decollete area but the most significant improvement was my neck,” says verified purchaser Karen R. “That ‘bird neck’ is almost gone. I also have this on subscription as I do not want to run out.”
Pros
- Softens skin
- Smooths appearance of neck wrinkles
- Improves the appearance of double chin
- Has powerful antioxidants
- Paraben and cruelty-free
- Over 14,000 Amazon ratings with a 4.1-star average
Cons
- Some reviewers find the pump difficult to use
Best vegan
Kleem Organics Neck & Décolleté Firming Cream
“The best neck creams contain peptides, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to address lines, firmness and hyperpigmentation,” says Chen. Those are many of the ingredients in the Kleem Organics firming cream, which tightens skin, reduces wrinkles, minimizes sagging and encourages natural collagen production.
Five-star reviewer Dana H. saw near-immediate results. “I have a ‘turkey’ neck. My neck skin had no elasticity or firmness. I noticed an improvement in my saggy neck skin within 48 hours of using this product. The more I use the cream, the more my neck skin loses the sag and wrinkles. I highly recommend this product. It’s affordable and works quickly. I also appreciate the direct and personal consultation Kleem provides.”
Pros
- Paraben and cruelty-free, organic and vegan-friendly
- Free from GMOs, artificial colors and fragrances
- Created with the assistance of leading American dermatologists
- Hypoallergenic and safe for all skin types
- Collagen helps to reduce neck wrinkles and firms flabby neck skin
- Over 1,500 Amazon ratings with a 4.3-star average
Cons
- Some users may not like the citrusy scent
What to consider when buying the best neck cream
When shopping for the best neck cream, knowing where to start is hard. There are many different creams and even more ingredients. What works? We spoke with Dr. Michele Green and asked what ingredients people should consider when deciding on a neck cream. The essential ingredients are:
- Retinols are a vitamin A derivative that neutralizes free radicals in the body, facilitating collagen production and cell turnover. This results in smoothing fine lines and wrinkles and improved tone and texture. Retinol has become the gold standard for anti-aging ingredients.
- Peptides are proteins that stimulate collagen production, new cell growth and cell turnover. Collagen promotes skin firmness and suppleness.
- Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that promotes collagen production, brightens the skin and reduces discoloration. It also softens fine lines and wrinkles.
- Hyaluronic acid excels at retaining moisture in dehydrated skin and restoring pH balance, leaving skin dewy and rejuvenated.
Neck creams have additional ingredients, such as oils for moisturizing, “It’s important to make sure the ingredients are safe and that you are not allergic to any,” says Dr. Alexander Zuriarrain. “When reading the label of any neck or face cream, make sure you look at all of the ingredients. Also consider avoiding parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, fragrances/perfumes, aluminum, coal tar, polyethylene glycol, among others.”
Some ingredients, Zuriarrain added, include aloe leaf juice, sunflower seed oil, carrot oil, willow bark extract, and chia seed oil. Typically, people should start seeing results from the best neck creams in two to six weeks.
Types of neck creams
Most of the best neck creams contain the basic ingredients of retinol, collagen and hyaluronic acids. These all help firm the skin and reduce wrinkles; additional ingredients target different issues:
- Reducing crepe skin
- Extra moisturizers
- Improving skin strength
- Correcting uneven skin tone
- Age defense
Choosing the best dermatologist-approved neck creams
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—product ingredients, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
FAQ
What is the best treatment for neck tightening?
Treatments for neck tightening range from serums and creams to surgery. However, surgery continues to be the best treatment for sagging skin. But a less invasive way of treating sagging neck muscles is to have a consistent skincare routine that focuses on the neck, jawline and décolleté.
How do you tighten a saggy neck naturally?
There are instructions for several exercises to tighten your chin muscles and remove a turkey neck. However, there have not been any reputable studies that back up this claim. Chin creams temporarily help. Once you have a turkey neck, short of surgery, there isn’t a natural way to permanently remove or tighten excess skin.
What factors can cause neck sagging?
There are several causes of sagging in the chin and neck. These include aging, weight gain, weak neck muscles, poor diet, genetics, smoking, some medications and sun damage.
About the Experts
- Dr. Michele Green: Dr. Green is a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital. A graduate of Yale University, with a medical degree from Mount Sinai Medical School in NYC, Dr. Green treats issues ranging from premature skin aging to hyperpigmentation, rosacea, acne and skin cancer.
- Jamie Glick, MD: Dr. Glick is a board-certified Dermatology and Clinical Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine. She treats patients of all ages—including pediatric and adolescents—with a specialty in acne, rosacea and cosmetic dermatology.
- Dr. Alexander Zuriarrain: Dr. Zuriarrain is a quadruple board-certified plastic surgeon with Zuri Plastic Surgery having performed over 8,000 surgical procedures. His state-of-the-art, boutique practice is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF).
- Dr. Constance M. Chen: Dr. Chen is a board-certified plastic surgeon with special expertise in the use of innovative natural techniques to optimize medical and cosmetic outcomes for women undergoing breast reconstruction.
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