For centuries, we’ve been searching for the “Fountain of Youth,” with bizarre beauty trends to keep our skin looking healthy and young. In some cultures, woman have gone as far as eating foods like pig’s feet, shark fins, and donkey skin, in hopes of smoothing skin and preserving their aging joints. Today, we have lotions, supplements and other skincare that is easier (and much more appetizing) to get our collagen in.
Collagen is a huge BUZZWORD in skincare, but most don’t actually know why. Yes, we all know it helps with wrinkles, but it’s actually much bigger than that!
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It’s found in your skin, bones, muscles, and tendons. In fact, collagen makes up around 30% of the entire protein in your body! Along with youthful skin, it’s known to stop bleeding, recruit new skin cells, and stimulate blood vessels, making it a powerful wound healer too.
Collagen works with elastin, another protein found in connective tissues, to give your skin it’s shape and firmness. Collagen provides structure and strength – you can think of it as the “glue” in your body (in fact, the word comes from the Greek word “kólla,” meaning to glue or bond). Elastin allows your skin to stretch, but return to its original shape. Together, they have EVERYTHING to do with wrinkles and skin sagging.
What we’re about to tell you next might blow your mind. Experts used to say collagen began decreasing in your body at the age of 30….but now we know that we lose approximately 1% of collagen production after maturity, around the age of 20-21!
Another mind-blowing fact? Collagen products are pretty controversial in our industry. Many of the cosmetic lotions and supplements claim to “increase” collagen levels. However, collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed through the skin and there’s little evidence that ingested collagen makes its way through your digestion system, blood stream, and then to your skin. Any benefit of these products are actually due to the moisturizing effects of these products – they do NOT directly increase your collagen.
But know that there are some great ways to boost collagen. It’s just not the easy “fountain of youth in a bottle” that we were all hoping for. Collagen production requires 3 main amino acids: proline, lysine, and glycine.
Here are some ingredients to look for you in your products or to add to your diet to naturally boost your collagen:
- Protein-rich foods, like beef, chicken, fish, beans, eggs, soy and dairy products.
- Vitamin C: citrus fruits, strawberries, peppers, broccoli and greens.
- Zinc and Copper: Shellfish, nuts, red meat, whole grains and beans.
- Anthocyanidins: Berries and cherries.
- Vitamin A: Spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, mango, papaya and apricots.
We also have some favorite products here that increase vitamins and moisture in your skin, to give it the youthful glow we’re all looking for:
- Truth Treatment Systems C SERUM 5ML
- Refine USA ONTOGENY C FACIAL SERUM
- Laurel HYDRATING ELIXIR 1 PHYTONUTRIENT REPLENISH
- Josh Rosebrook HYDRATION BOOST CONCENTRATE 30ML
- Blissoma AURA PHYTO BRIGHTENING SERUM