Alchemy Forever Neck Firming Gel Review

If I could go back in time, I’d say two things to my 20-year-old self: don’t over-pluck your eyebrows (that’s a Y2K beauty trend that should be firmly stuck in the past) and don’t forget to moisturize your neck and chest . Thanks to my hyper-vigilant skincare routine — which includes a generous layer of SPF 50+, daily gentle cleansing, and a mix of my favorite anti-aging serums and moisturizers — my face looks almost a decade younger than I am at 47. My neck and chest? Not so much, thanks to years of year-round outdoor running in crew-neck tops and, well, gravity.

I would have spent the rest of my days in ignorance if a recent facial hadn’t roused me from my neck neglect. After praising my dewy and youthful face, the matter-of-fact esthetician pointed out the slightly sagging, crepey skin under my chin and said sternly, “You need to moisturize that more.” Then she slathered me with a liberal amount of Alchimie Forever’s Firming Gel for Neck and Bust ($49), a cream specially formulated to smooth and tighten delicate cleavage.

While I was initially skeptical about adding another cream to my growing daily rotation, turns out you really do need a special product for your neck. Not only is its skin thinner and more delicate than that of the rest of its face, but its neck also doesn’t produce as much collagen and elastin, making it more prone to wrinkling — especially as you age. Add to that my very bad habit of working on my laptop while lounging in awkward positions on the sofa, which hurts my posture and can cause *more* lines and wrinkles with Tech Neck.

Shamed enough, I bought the $49, 8-ounce bottle of Alchimie Forever Gel and noticed a significant change in the texture and appearance of my skin after just one week. Formulated by dermatologists, the cream is made with green tea and rosemary, natural antioxidants that help reduce the appearance of those noticeable fine lines while plumping and firming delicate skin on the neck, chest and even upper arms. Although the texture is opaque and thicker than a face or even body cream, it absorbs quickly and helps even out my skin tone, perfect for masking those small spots of hyperpigmentation that appear after being outdoors or during allergy season. It’s also super calming – almost like an aloe – and I like to apply it after a hot bath before bed because the smell is so pleasant and soothing. And it’s vegan and cruelty-free, so I can use it without feeling guilty about using something that’s tested on animals or loaded with toxins.

An 8-ounce bottle lasts several weeks, and I even started applying it to the backs of my hands, elbows, and other spots that might give away my real age. If Nora Ephron was right and “our faces are our lies and our necks are the truth,” I hope with the help of Alchemy Forever I can atone for past neglect and perpetuate the deception a little longer.