One of the most neglected areas of skin is your décolletage – AKA the skin on your neck and chest. While we are lathering our faces with gentle cleansers and anti-aging face creams, often our chests and necks are not getting the same level of attention.
The skin of the décolletage is thin and delicate and is one of the first areas of your body to show signs of aging, so it is important to care for it.
As we age, the building blocks of our skin, collagen and elastin, begin to break down. These proteins are what keep your skin firm, so when they start to break down, your skin begins to sag inward, resulting in creases that eventually become wrinkles.
If you’ve noticed a change in skin texture or appearance on your décolletage – acne, dryness or a crepey feel, just to name a few – then your routine could benefit from an upgrade. Here a handful of tips for keeping your chest and neck happy, hydrated and looking refreshed! Read on to find out how to recharge your décolletage.
The Best Skin-Care Tips for Your Décolletage
Tip #1: Moisturize “Take it to the Déc!”
The décolletage is often one of the first places to show signs of aging, so it’s critical to ensuring you extend your your daily routine and keep the area hydrated remember “Take it to the Déc!”. Help rejuvenate creping, dry skin, by making sure your moisturizer goes all the way to your cleavage; this is essential to keep your décolletage looking its best.
Tip #2: Apply Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen
One of the biggest factors of an aging décolletage is sun damage. Similar to the face, sun exposure speeds up the aging process, this is because ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun cause collagen and elastin to break down faster than they would on their own. At the same time, this UV radiation can damage your skin cells, which makes it harder for them to repair themselves, leading to dehydration and unwanted pigmentation.
We recommend wearing sunscreen with a broad-spectrum SPF 50 or more on your face, neck and décolletage to help protect your skin from sun damage and take other sun protection measures. It’s also important to apply sunscreen to your chest and neck even if aging isn’t something you’re worried about, as the majority of sun damage occurs between your childhood and early adult years. To help keep sun damage at bay, try the Manola Sunshield, it’s fast-absorbing formula leaves a velvety texture and is gentle enough for all skin types. Then take your sun protection to the next level by wearing protective clothing, seeking shade and avoiding peak sun hours.
Tip #3: Be Gentle
The skin on your décolletage is so delicate, you need to be extra gentle with it. Rubbing, stretching or pulling the décolletage can cause damage and lead to more wrinkles and creases. Gently lather on cleansers when you’re in the shower and always be gentle when applying sunscreen, moisturizers or serums on your neck and chest.
Tip #4: Use a Treatment Serum
If you’ve noticed that your décolletage is very dry, we recommend trying a hydrating serum like our Sothys Hydra 3. Some skin treatments are formulated specifically for hydrating purposes and contain nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid to keep your skin moisturized and looking plump. One of our favourites is the Sothys Perfect Shape Youth Serum which is formulated with collagen boosting peptides to help lift, plump and smooth, stressed skin and promote hydration.
Tip #5: Watch Your Posture
Making sure your posture is on point can help minimize wrinkling on your décolletage. In this day we’re all constantly staring down at our smartphones, tablets and laptops, which is horrible for your décolletage and neck. When you slump your shoulders or sit with your back hunched, the skin on your décolletage becomes folded and creased. This can lead to damage and wrinkles over time.
Tip #6: Cleanse Your Skin
Just like the rest of your body, your décolletage needs to be cleansed daily in order to have a healthy and clean look. Select a gentle cleanser that retains moisture to help purify your chest and neck.
Tip #7: Exfoliate Your Skin
Exfoliating your neck and chest helps remove any build-up of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface, which can make your décolletage look more radiant. The skin on your chest and neck is more delicate than the rest of your body, because of this we recommend using a gentle exfoliator on your décolletage, like the Sothys Desquacrem Forte Microderm, it polishes your skin for a brighter and more even-looking tone.
Tip #8: Sleep on Your Back
Do you tend to sleep on your side or stomach? Kick that bad sleeping habit to the curb, especially if you’re worrying about wrinkles. YES ‘sleep wrinkles’ are a thing and can show on your chest! Sleeping on your side can also speed up chest wrinkles and a sagging effect. Re-adjusting your sleeping position and sleeping on your back can decrease the risk of forming sleep wrinkles.
Tip #9: Use a Hydrating Mask
We all love a good face mask, but why should we stop at just our faces? A hydrating mask can help replenish the moisture lost from your décolletage too. The Sothys Hydra Smoothing Mask can give your décolletage a hydration boost, as well as soothe, plump and restore skin to blur the look of wrinkles and uneven tone.
Tip #10: Target Blemishes
If you’re suffering from chest acne, you can easily use a spot treatment to help reduce its appearance. When we see a pimple pop up we like to use the Sothys 2 Clay Mask as a spot treatment.
BONUS Tip #11: Ask About In-Salon Treatments
If all else fails or you are looking for some specific advice for your unique skin solution, visit any of our Wax It Wellness & Rejuvenation Skin Specialists today. Each and everyone of our team are super friendly and amazingly helpful! They have huge exposure to our wide range of guests and skin types, plus the support of our in-salon treatments and wide range of products to help with your specific décolletage needs.
From Sothys Facials targeting the neck and décolletage to our IPL and Radio Frequency Treatments, we can design a program specifically to your skin needs.