Skin care for the collarbone and neck
Neck and collarbone care comes down to three habits: moisturize on damp skin after you wash, wear sunscreen in the daytime, and be gentle with anything that tugs at the skin. It takes less than two minutes and it covers an area that people see and smell up close.
This part of your body gets less attention than your face and hands, yet it is exactly where a hug, a collar or a necklace rests. Here is a calm routine for it.
What does a simple neck and collarbone care routine look like?
Keep it short enough that you will actually do it.
- Wash with water that is warm, not hot.
- Pat dry so you are still a little damp.
- Warm a small amount of body butter in your palms and smooth it over the neck, collarbone and the top of the chest.
- Use gentle strokes. There is no need to pull or press hard.
- In the morning, finish with sunscreen on any skin that will be uncovered.
At night, skip the sunscreen and repeat the butter if the skin feels dry. That is the whole thing.
Be patient with changes. It can take a couple of weeks of steady care before you notice this area feeling softer, and that is a normal pace.
If you do only one step, make it the butter after the shower. Everything else is a bonus, and a routine you keep beats a perfect one you drop in week two.
Why does the collarbone area need its own attention?
Because it shows. The neckline of a shirt, a bare shoulder or an evening dress puts your collarbone in plain view, and it picks up friction from collars, bag straps and jewelry. It is also an area many people forget when they put on moisturizer, so it can feel dry while the rest of the body is soft.
A rich butter suits it well. The shea and cocoa butter base of obsessed moisturizes and leaves skin soft, and it absorbs in about a minute with no shine, so you can dress without a mark on your neckline.
Daytime protection is the other half. The neck and chest catch the sun, and sunscreen is the usual advice for any skin that is uncovered. It is a general skin habit and it applies here as much as anywhere.
Is it okay to wear scent on your neck and collarbone?
Yes, and it is the best place for it. The neck, collarbone, chest and wrists are the spots where scent is meant to be noticed up close. Warm skin helps a fragrance open, and these are also the places someone is nearest to in a hug.
That is the idea behind obsessed. It is a pheromone-infused body butter for the moments when someone is close enough to notice, the hug at the door, the lean in across a table. You do not need much. One scoop across the neck, collarbone and chest is plenty for the day.
If your skin is sensitive, test a small area first. Our article on how to patch test a fragranced product shows how.
What should you avoid on the neck?
A few easy things.
- Scalding water, which can leave skin feeling tight.
- Rubbing hard with a towel. Pat instead.
- Layering several heavily scented products on one spot. You end up with a blur instead of a clear scent.
- Putting on butter and then pulling on a tight, rough collar straight away. Give it a minute to settle.
If a particular product irritates the skin, stop using it and check with a pharmacist or your doctor if it persists.
How does this fit with the rest of your body routine?
Treat it as the finishing touch. Do the arms, legs and shoulders first, then finish with the neck and chest so you still have warm butter on your hands. The routine sits comfortably inside the one described in why you should moisturize on damp skin. If you are working out how to reach your upper back, see how to moisturize your back and shoulders.
Quick answers
Can I use body butter on my neck?
Yes. Obsessed is made for the neck, collarbone, chest and wrists. Keep it off your face.
Should I put sunscreen on my neck and collarbone?
If that skin is uncovered in daylight, sunscreen is the usual advice, and it goes on after moisturizer.
How often should I moisturize my neck?
Once a day after washing is a good start. Add a second layer at night if the skin feels dry.
Does perfume last longer on the collarbone?
Warm areas such as the neck and chest hold scent well, and body butter gives it something to cling to.
For a scent made to be worn on exactly these spots, look at Velvet Lavender, a soft floral with lavender, orange blossom and vanilla.
