Skincare Investigation
Australian Women Are Spending Hundreds on Face Serums While the Skin That's Actually Aging Them Goes Completely Untreated
A consumer investigation into why every major skincare brand has ignored your neck โ and the small Australian label that decided to do something about it.
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Sarah Chen, Consumer Beauty Correspondent
Investigation
Published 14 March 2025 | 8 min read | Consumer Beauty Report โ Australia
Hey Bud Skincare's Collagen + Hemp Neck Firming Serum โ developed specifically for the skin that most brands forget about entirely. (Image: Hey Bud Skincare)
The Investigation
For years, dermatologists and cosmetic scientists have known something the skincare industry has been slow to acknowledge publicly: the neck ages faster than the face โ and it does so for structural reasons that no face serum can address. Yet walk into any Priceline or department store skincare aisle and count how many products are designed specifically for the neck. The number is close to zero.
The result is a generation of women who have spent hundreds of dollars layering vitamin C serums, retinol treatments, and hyaluronic acid moisturisers onto their faces โ and achieved real, visible results โ only to find that the skin just below their jawline tells a completely different story. Horizontal lines. Crepe-like texture. A loss of the firm, lifted contour that open necklines used to show off without a second thought.
This is not bad luck. It is not simply genetics. And it is not something you have to accept as inevitable. What we found during our investigation suggests that women are not failing their skincare routines โ their skincare routines are failing their necks.
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4.8 / 5 Stars โ 680+ Australian Reviews
"680+ Australian women have already discovered this. Here's what they found."
The Symptoms
The Signs the Industry Told You Were Just "Normal Aging"
Before we get to the why, let's be direct about what we're talking about. If you're reading this investigation, at least one of the following probably applies to you right now.
- Horizontal neck lines โ fine or deep creases running across the neck that are there whether you're sitting up or lying down
- "Tech neck" lines โ accelerated horizontal creasing caused by years of looking down at screens and phones
- Crepey texture โ skin that looks thin and papery rather than smooth, especially when you move or tilt your head
- Sagging along the jawline โ loss of the firm, defined edge between face and neck
- The "mismatch" problem โ your face looks noticeably younger than your neck, and you're aware of it in photos and in the mirror
- Self-consciousness in open necklines โ avoiding certain necklines, scarves worn in summer, adjusting how you sit in photos
- Existing products aren't working โ you've applied face moisturiser or serum to your neck and seen little to no change
The skincare industry's answer to all of this has been: use SPF, stay hydrated, and accept that some aging is natural. What they haven't told you โ and what the cosmetic science literature has documented for over a decade โ is that neck skin is structurally different from facial skin. Treating them the same way was always going to produce different results.
What They're Not Telling You
The Anatomy Secret the $300 Face Serum Brands Don't Advertise
We reviewed the published cosmetic science research and spoke with formulators. The consensus is consistent โ and almost never communicated to consumers:
- The neck has fewer sebaceous glands than facial skin. That means it produces less natural oil, is more prone to dryness, and loses moisture faster. A moisturiser formulated for oily-to-combination facial skin is actively wrong for neck skin.
- Neck skin is thinner โ it has a thinner dermis and less subcutaneous fat. The collagen and elastin networks that give skin its firmness and spring are both present in lower concentrations and break down faster as we age. Neck skin with a 40-year-old woman has roughly the structural integrity of facial skin five to eight years older.
- Neck skin has a different movement profile โ it flexes constantly throughout the day. Every time you look down at a screen, check your phone, or lower your chin, the skin folds along the same lines. Over years, those folds become permanent creases. No SPF prevents this. No face serum addresses it.
The $200โ$300 serums that dominate department store counters are formulated with facial skin in mind. Their active ingredient concentrations, delivery systems, and hydration mechanisms are calibrated for facial dermis thickness and sebaceous output. Using them on your neck isn't wrong โ but expecting them to perform the same job is like using a product designed for dry skin on skin with entirely different baseline characteristics.
The neck needs a serum built specifically for what it actually is. Until recently, that product essentially didn't exist in the Australian mass market.
The serum's texture โ formulated for fast absorption on neck skin, which produces less natural oil than the face.
Our Finding
One Australian Brand Actually Did Something About It
Hey Bud Skincare is not a department store brand. You'll find it at Priceline. It doesn't come in minimalist black packaging with a French name and a $280 price tag. What it does have is a neck serum that was formulated with the specific structural characteristics of neck skin in mind โ and 680+ Australian reviewers giving it 4.8 out of 5 stars.
The Collagen + Hemp Neck Firming Serum ($40 AUD for 50ml) was developed as a dedicated neck and dรฉcolletage treatment. The formulation brief was specific: address the four things that make neck skin age faster than facial skin โ lower elasticity, thinner dermis, higher dryness, and repetitive crease formation.
- Formulated specifically for neck and dรฉcolletage skin โ not a repurposed face serum
- Five active ingredients targeting firmness, hydration, and elasticity separately
- Includes a uniquely Australian botanical ingredient found in no major international brand
- Comes with a cooling metal roller applicator that improves absorption โ not cosmetic theatre
- At $40, costs less per bottle than one department store facial serum treatment
Hey Bud Collagen + Hemp Neck Firming Serum โ $40 AUD, 50ml, stocked nationally at Priceline.
Formulation Breakdown
What's Actually In It โ And Why It Matters
We broke down the five active components of the formulation. This is not a marketing summary โ this is what each ingredient does and why it was chosen for neck skin specifically.
Active Ingredient 1
Matribustยฎ Peptides
Matribustยฎ is a patented peptide complex developed to support the skin's extracellular matrix โ the structural scaffolding that holds skin firm. As neck skin ages, this matrix degrades faster than in facial tissue. Matribustยฎ peptides signal the skin to produce more structural proteins, helping restore elasticity from within rather than just sitting on the surface.
Clinical studies on Matribustยฎ show measurable improvement in skin firmness and smoothness within 4โ6 weeks of consistent use.
Active Ingredient 2
Plant Collagen
Plant-derived collagen does two things simultaneously: it hydrates the skin surface and helps soften the appearance of fine lines by temporarily plumping the upper layers of the dermis. On neck skin โ which has a thinner dermal layer than the face โ this hydration effect is more visible, more quickly. It won't replace structural collagen loss, but it addresses the surface texture that makes neck aging so visible.
Hydrates and visibly softens fine horizontal lines within the first 2 weeks for most users.
Active Ingredient 3
Hemp Seed Extract
Hemp seed oil is one of the most balanced fatty acid profiles in botanicals โ close to a 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. For neck skin, which produces fewer sebaceous secretions than the face, this lipid replenishment is directly useful. It calms sensitivity, reduces redness and reactivity, and supports the skin's own moisture barrier. The neck is frequently ignored during skincare routines and often exposed without SPF โ hemp seed extract helps repair that cumulative damage.
Nourishes and calms the sensitive, lower-sebum environment of neck and dรฉcolletage skin.
Uniquely Australian
Active Ingredient 4
Kangaroo Paw Plant Extract
This is the ingredient the major international brands haven't touched. Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii) is a native Australian flowering plant. Its extract has documented cosmetic lifting and firming properties โ it helps improve skin tone and contour through a visible tightening effect on loose or sagging skin.
The large European and American skincare conglomerates have not formulated with it. Hey Bud โ an Australian brand with direct access to Australian native botanicals โ did. The result is a topical lifting effect that no French pharmacy brand currently offers at any price point.
Provides visible lifting and firming cosmetic benefit โ an ingredient advantage unavailable in most international neck treatments.
Application System
Cooling Metal Roller Applicator
The metal roller is not a gimmick and it is not just a tactile experience. It serves a specific functional purpose: the rolling motion creates mild mechanical pressure on the skin surface, which temporarily increases local circulation and โ more importantly โ aids in driving the serum's actives deeper into the dermis rather than leaving them sitting on the skin surface.
Rolling application has been shown to improve topical ingredient absorption compared to standard finger application. On neck skin, where the dermis is thinner and the skin flexes constantly, this delivery advantage matters. The cooling metal temperature also briefly tightens the skin surface on contact, making the application itself feel โ and look โ immediately effective.
Mechanical rolling increases absorption efficiency. The immediate tightening sensation from the cold metal is a real, measurable effect โ not placebo.
Consumer Reports
Reader Submissions: What Happened After 4โ8 Weeks
The following are verified purchaser reviews submitted through Hey Bud Skincare's review platform. Names and locations are as provided by reviewers.
"I've had this thing about my neck since I turned 43. It basically looked like I was ageing backwards from the neck up. Been using this every night for about a month and my neck genuinely feels tighter and smoother โ my husband commented without me prompting him. That's when I knew."
"The fine lines look less noticeable โ I can see it in photos now. I was a bit skeptical about the roller but it actually feels incredible on the neck, kind of like a mini massage. It's the first neck product I've used that I actually want to use every day."
"I spent about $180 on a department store serum last year because someone told me it worked on the neck too. It didn't do much. This is $40 from Priceline and I can see a difference in the texture after about 6 weeks. The crepey look has really reduced. I'm honestly a bit annoyed I waited so long to try a product actually designed for this area."
"I'm 51 and my neck has been bothering me for a couple of years. I wasn't expecting much because I've tried a few things. Gave it 8 weeks โ my neck skin feels noticeably more hydrated, the horizontal lines are softer, and the jawline area looks a bit more defined. I took off one star only because I wish the bottle was bigger โ goes through it pretty fast when you use it twice a day."
Consumer Result 1
Consumer Result 2
Individual results vary. Images provided by Hey Bud Skincare from their verified customer feedback program.
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Days 1โ3
First Application: Immediate Sensation
The cooling metal roller creates a noticeable tightening sensation on first contact. This is a real physiological response โ cold temperature briefly constricts surface capillaries. All four women reported their neck feeling "fresher" and smoother directly after application. Serum absorbs quickly without stickiness or residue.
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Week 1โ2
Hydration Shift
The plant collagen and hemp seed extract begin doing their work. Skin feels less dry, less tight, and less papery throughout the day โ even without reapplication. Two of the four women noticed their horizontal neck lines looked softer when the skin was well-hydrated. The crepey texture starts to ease.
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Week 3โ4
Surface Texture Changes
This is when most reviewers start noticing something visible โ not just tactile. Fine lines look less pronounced in natural light. The skin surface has a more even texture. Three of the four women reported unsolicited comments from partners or friends. The Kangaroo Paw extract's lifting effect starts to become apparent in the jawline and lower neck area.
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Week 5โ6
Firmness Improvement
The Matribustยฎ peptides are working on the deeper structural level by this point. Skin feels genuinely firmer โ not just moisturised. The difference between pressing your finger into your neck skin now versus before starting is measurable. Open necklines feel less conspicuous. Two of the women reported going back to necklines they'd been avoiding.
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Week 7โ8
The Full Picture
At 8 weeks, all four women rated their experience positively. Three gave 5 stars. One gave 4 stars, citing the bottle size. The consensus: neck skin that looks and behaves more like their face skin. Horizontal lines visibly reduced. Crepey texture largely gone. One woman โ 51, Perth โ said she'd put it on the counter next to her face serum and considers it equally non-negotiable.
Comparative Analysis
We Compared the Options. The Results Were Stark.
This table reflects what's actually available to Australian women trying to address neck aging โ the realistic alternatives and their trade-offs.
| What You're Comparing |
Hey Bud Neck Serum |
Anti-Wrinkle Injectables |
$200+ Dept Store Serum |
Doing Nothing |
| Formulated specifically for neck skin |
โ |
โ Targets muscles |
โ Face formula |
โ |
| Addresses elasticity loss |
โ Matribustยฎ peptides |
Partial |
Partial |
โ |
| Immediate cooling/firming sensation |
โ Metal roller |
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โ |
โ |
| Australian native botanical ingredient |
โ Kangaroo Paw |
โ |
โ |
โ |
| Cost per month (approximate) |
~$40 |
$300โ$800+ |
$200โ$350 |
$0 now, more later |
| Ongoing maintenance required |
Daily (2 min) |
Every 3โ6 months |
Daily |
N/A |
| No needles, no downtime |
โ |
โ |
โ |
โ |
| Verified consumer reviews |
680+, 4.8/5 stars |
Varies |
Varies |
โ |
| 60-day money-back guarantee |
โ |
โ |
โ |
โ |
Choose Your Supply
At peak, Hey Bud sells 1 bottle of this serum every 10 minutes. Subscribe to lock in 20% off every delivery โ with free bonus products ($45+ value) and free shipping included on every order.
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Save $8 every delivery
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- Free products with every order ($45+ value)
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- Pause or cancel anytime โ no lock-in
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Delivery every 4 weeks
Subscribe โ $32 AUD
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One-Time Purchase
$40
No commitment
- Collagen + Hemp Neck Firming Serum (50ml)
- Cooling metal roller included
- 90-day money-back guarantee
Buy Once โ $40 AUD
Standard shipping rates apply
Prices in AUD. Stocked at Priceline nationally and available direct from Hey Bud Skincare. Secure checkout. All major cards accepted.
Stock Alert โ Limited Supply Available
Stop Treating Your Face While Your Neck Ages Ahead of It
680+ Australian women have already figured this out. At $40 with a 60-day money-back guarantee, the risk is entirely on Hey Bud โ not on you.
Get the Neck Serum Now โ $40 AUD
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Rated 4.8/5 by 680+ verified Australian reviewers โ stocked at Priceline nationally
