How to Keep Your Neck & Chest Looking Young

5 min read

Bryan BarronApril 21, 2026

In this article:
Do I really need a neck cream?
What is décolletage and where is it?
How to make your neck and chest look younger
Can you get rid of neck and throat lines with skin care?

Signs of ageing such as crepey skin, uneven skin tone and sagging show up sooner on parts of the body that haven’t been shielded from the sun. This is especially true for the neck and chest because we tend to neglect applying (or reapplying) sunscreen to those areas (1).

The question many people ask is do they need a special firming décolletage (chest) or neck cream? The answer is absolutely not! Keep reading to learn what you can do to keep your neck and chest looking as young as possible for as long as possible.

Do I really need a neck cream?

No; the truth is that buying a separate product for your neck or chest is unnecessary and often a waste of money. Surprisingly these products rarely contain ingredients that can help improve the signs of ageing or they come in jars (which repeatedly exposes delicate antioxidants to light and air, decreasing their effectiveness), and appallingly they almost never contain sunscreen (2). In fact, there’s absolutely no research showing the neck or chest needs special ingredients.

Perhaps the biggest reason such creams are unnecessary is that the well-formulated products you use for your face will work beautifully on your neck and chest, too (3). Skin anywhere on your body, but especially on sun-exposed areas requires the same types of beneficial ingredients as your face—skin-replenishing ingredients, antioxidants, soothing agents, skin-restoring ingredients, and sunscreen during the day to delay the appearance of ageing skin.

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman notes, “however, due to the decrease in the number of oil glands on the neck and chest compared to the face, some of these active ingredients that are so beneficial can cause irritation when used on the chest and neck. For that reason, I recommend using the same products, but perhaps going slowly with the application, such as apply 2-3 times per week.”

What is décolletage and where is it?

Creams, moisturisers and lotions marketed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on the ‘décolletage’ are simply neck and chest creams. When used in the cosmetics industry, the décolletage refers to the neck and chest. Therefore, if you see anything marketed with this word, just know it’s another way of calling out that area.

How to make your neck and chest look younger

Here’s what you can do that will keep your neck and chest appearing younger and healthier.

Consistently use the exact same anti-ageing skin care products you use for your face on your neck and chest too. The only time you ever need to use separate products for those areas is if you’re addressing different skin concerns such as blemishes or very dry skin.
Clothing often exposes the neck and chest to the sun, making these areas especially vulnerable. Always protect your exposed neck and chest with daily application of broad-spectrum sunscreen. This is the single best step you can take to keep this area of your skin looking youthful and smooth for years to come. Moreover, if used as directed with other sun protection measures, wearing sunscreen decreases the risk of skin cancer.
If you notice patches of uneven skin tone, address it with a skin-brightening product— again, it can be the same one you use on your face. You can also consider targeted body care products with 5% niacinamide to even tone, tackle discolourations and signs of ageing on your neck and chest.
Consider adding an anti-ageing booster to your skin care routine. The best skin boosters are formulated with potent anti-ageing ingredients for dramatic results. Each one has a beautiful lightweight texture. These can be applied directly to skin or mixed in with your moisturiser or serum.
You may want to add a plumping peptide moisturiser featuring a complex of skin-communicating peptides that support healthy levels of collagen, elastin and protein within skin for a more youthful, bouncy appearance.
Consider a vitamin c serum with 23% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and 2% ascorbyl glucoside (both forms of vitamin C) + glutathione for increased skin radiance, improved firmness and defense against environmental aggressors.

Can you get rid of neck and throat lines with skin care?

What’s frustrating about the neck is that its lack of underlying support compared to facial skin means the neck tends to sag faster than other parts of the face. It’s also because the neck is affected by the pull of gravity sooner than other parts of your body and face. Last, many people tend to neglect caring for the skin on your neck until they see a problem.

As much as it pains us to say, there’s a point of no return where age-related sagging can only be addressed with advanced procedures discussed with your physician—not skin care, no matter how tempting the claims are (4). Dr. Hartman notes that “radiofrequency microneedling and high intensity ultrasound treatments can dramatically improve the skin in this area, but for severe cases surgery is still the best option.”

That doesn’t mean you should ignore your neck, just the opposite—but you need to be realistic and stop hunting for a special product with miraculous claims that will never work. Help the skin on your neck (and chest!) by extending your entire skin care routine there, too. Dr. Hartman advises, “and always remember to apply sunscreen on the neck and chest every day as well”.

Learn more about anti-ageing & wrinkles.

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