According to Facialists and Plastic Surgeons, These 15 Creams Help Firm the Neck

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(Image credit: @monikh)

First things first: Skincare topicals—aka serums, creams, and the like—simply won't be able to deliver the same caliber of results as an in-office treatment when it comes to tightening and firming the neck area. That said, there are (literally) thousands of skincare formulas on the market touting miraculous Benjamin Button–esque perks for our necks, and after questioning a slew of skin specialists about the efficacy of said formulas, I discovered everyone from plastic surgeons and dermatologists to facialists and makeup artists agree these types of products can be an effective way to tone, lift, and tighten to a certain degree.

As Beverly Hills–based plastic surgeon Anita Patel, MD, FACS, explains to me, the best treatments to rejuvenate the neck in-office are Botox or Dysport injections, which can help prevent or minimize movement that creates wrinkles; filler, which smooths lines; absorbable threads, which stimulate collagen; laser or radiofrequency resurfacing treatments, which help smooth skin texture and erase lines; and radiofrequency treatments performed as a series, which tighten the skin. However, since these types of procedures are expensive, neck-firming creams can be a great alternative. 

How to Choose a Neck Cream

"Neck creams geared toward firming should provide moisturization (via ingredients like peptides, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid), antioxidants to prevent and treat fine lines and discoloration, and collagen-stimulating ingredients to provide lift and volume," Beverly Hills–based plastic surgeon Millicent Rovelo, MD, tells me. "They should be applied to the neck and décolletage area twice a day. In the morning, I would apply a separate layer of sunscreen on top of the moisturizer for added SPF protection."

Board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Facile Dermatology + Boutique Nancy Samolitis, MD, FAAD also weighs in. "I personally don't think you necessarily have to buy a cream labeled 'neck cream' to get the best results on the neck," she says. "I recommend using the same anti-aging ingredients that you normally would use on the face, but in a more cautious manner since the neck skin is delicate and can get irritated easily. I recommend a vitamin C/antioxidant serum like Facile's in the morning followed by sunblock with at least 30 SPF containing zinc oxide."

It also goes without saying that certain neck-firming creams will be far superior to others in terms of their ingredients and formulations, so I decided to ask an all-star grouping of experts to share the best formulas they actually deem effective and worth the investment. Keep scrolling for all of their picks and an explanation as to why they love and recommend them. 

Best Overall: Senté Neck Firming Cream

Best Drugstore: No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night Cream

The Plastic Surgeons' Picks

The Facialist's Picks

The Celebrity Makeup Artists' Picks

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.