Can you use StriVectin neck cream on your face?

Does the word "neck" mean you cannot use it on your face?

Face and neck care use many of the same ingredients, so the word "neck" is not a border checkpoint. Both areas age in similar ways and are regularly exposed to sunlight. Neck skin can actually be thinner and more sensitive than facial skin. The useful question is whether the particular formula meets your facial needs, not whether the packaging names the right body part.1

What is StriVectin neck cream?

Check the full name on your container rather than treating every StriVectin neck product as interchangeable. Its sunscreen ingredients are avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene. It also contains fragrance. If your container has a different name or no SPF number, follow that product's own directions rather than borrowing the SPF 35 lotion's schedule.23

How should you try it on your face?

Test a new skincare product before adding it to your facial routine.

1. 1Choose a spot about the size of a quarter on the underside of your arm or in the bend of your elbow, where the product will not be rubbed or washed away.
2. 2Apply the normal amount and thickness twice daily for seven to 10 days. Leave a cream or lotion on for as long as you normally would.
3. 3If there is no redness, itching or swelling after the testing period, begin using the product, following the directions on your exact container.

For an ordinary moisturizer without SPF, applying after bathing helps retain water in the skin. How often you need moisturizer depends on dryness; slightly dry skin can need only a light moisturizer at night. Do not use that schedule for the SPF 35 lotion. Apply that generously 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapply at least every two hours. Use a water resistant sunscreen when swimming or sweating. Sunscreen belongs last in your morning skincare routine.1235

What should you expect?

Moisturizers add moisture, soften and smooth skin, reduce dryness and help maintain the skin's protective barrier. They can also disguise fine lines. Those are general moisturizing benefits, not a reason to expect a neck cream to lift your face. There is no established facial tightening timetable here. Paying more does not make skincare more potent or more likely to work, even when the product name sounds like a management position.15

Who should be careful, and when should you stop?

If you have a known fragrance allergy, avoid the SPF 35 lotion because it contains fragrance. Contact dermatitis, a skin reaction caused by irritation or allergy, can appear where a personal care product touches your face or neck. Symptoms include itching, burning, stinging, swelling and a rash. Eyelid skin is especially thin, so keep the product away from your eyes. Rich, moisture sealing products can also aggravate acne; tolerating a cream on your neck does not promise it will suit your facial routine.56

If a skin reaction develops, gently wash the product off and stop using it. A cool compress or petroleum jelly can help relieve the reaction. See a dermatologist if the reaction is severe and those measures do not help, or if you cannot identify the trigger. For the SPF 35 lotion, StriVectin specifically says not to apply it to damaged or broken skin, to rinse with water if it gets into your eyes, and to stop and ask a doctor if a rash occurs.234