You see it on labels in every single place. Within the magnificence division. Within the dietary complement aisle. Possibly even on a brand new stylish beverage within the mini-fridge whilst you’re ready to take a look at.
However what is collagen precisely? The place does it come from? And the way does it assist your pores and skin? We’re answering your entire questions on this ubiquitous ingredient that’s additionally discovered naturally in your pores and skin.
Let’s get began.
What’s collagen?
Collagen is essentially the most considerable protein within the physique, accounting for 25% of our total protein content material.1 As a fiber-like construction that connects tissues, it’s a serious element of bone, cartilage, muscle tissue, tendons, and naturally, pores and skin. And there are literally over 28 forms of collagen inside every of us.
In the case of my pores and skin, what’s collagen good for?
Thick collagen fibers assist make your pores and skin resilient, including to the agency, supple look of wholesome pores and skin. If we consider our pores and skin like a mattress, collagen fibers are the springs. These fibers assist make our pores and skin agency and bouncy.
If we consider our pores and skin like a mattress, collagen fibers are the springs.
The place does collagen come from?
Your physique naturally makes its personal collagen by turning protein from the meals you eat into amino acids. These amino acids construct various kinds of obligatory proteins, together with all forms of collagen.
So, the place can you discover the collagen inside your pores and skin? It’s primarily positioned in our center pores and skin layer: the dermis. It makes up a part of what’s known as the extracellular matrix, containing collagen fibers, elastin fibers, and proteoglycans.
However what in regards to the powders and capsules we see on the cabinets? Most collagen dietary supplements come from animal sources. In the meantime, vegan collagen dietary supplements are sometimes made up of the constructing blocks or amino acids your physique must naturally generate collagen.
Components that have an effect on our pores and skin’s pure collagen ranges
Life-style elements
Life-style elements can harm collagen fibers by lowering their thickness and energy, even inflicting the looks of wrinkles. However what sort of elements are we speaking about? Collagen manufacturing drops most shortly as a result of extra solar publicity. Air pollution, smoking, weight loss program, and lack of sleep, AKA elements of the pores and skin exposome, also can harm collagen’s construction.
Age
Our our bodies steadily make much less collagen as we become older. With age, the pores and skin cells answerable for making collagen begin to slack off on manufacturing. The outcome? Diminished firmness and thickness of the dermis. A standard instance — thinning lips. Most quantity loss in lips truly comes from collagen breakdown over time.
Hormonal elements
For many people, hormone modifications imply pores and skin modifications. Puberty, menopause, and andropause can all have an effect on your pores and skin’s pure collagen manufacturing. For instance, low estrogen ranges widespread to post-menopause could cause a lack of pure collagen.
How does collagen breakdown occur?
Now we all know that collagen ranges don’t keep the identical all through our lives. However how does our collagen break down within our pores and skin naturally?
As we talked about, the impact of solar publicity on the pores and skin, or photoaging, is the most important wrongdoer of collagen breakdown. Research have proven that decreased collagen manufacturing is instantly associated to solar harm, in addition to ageing.
One other think about collagen breakdown? Oxidative stress.2 If our physique’s combating off a lot of free radicals from air pollution and the like, a course of known as oxidative stress will be triggered. This produces a rise in enzymes that break down collagen.
Lastly, let’s speak about glycation. Glycation is attributable to the presence of extra glucose, or sugar, in pores and skin fibers.3 This extra triggers an inner response through which sugar molecules adhere to collagen and elastin proteins.
Often, these proteins work collectively to assist hold pores and skin agency and supple. Nonetheless, throughout glycation, these sugars sticking to the proteins kind one thing known as superior glycation end-products (AGEs). Over time, these end-products make collagen stiff and inflexible as a substitute of bouncy and resilient. And finally, that contributes to pores and skin that’s much less agency, much less taut, and has seen wrinkles.
Collagen for pores and skin: what’s reality and what’s fiction?
“Skincare merchandise may also help my pores and skin preserve its pure collagen ranges.”
Relies upon. Topical collagen may also help to moisturize pores and skin, however collagen molecules are literally too large to penetrate the pores and skin. That implies that any skincare formulated with collagen can’t declare to have an effect on collagen manufacturing or resilience.
Then again, what science-backed skincare merchandise can do is assist assist pure collagen ranges and fight glycation. Sure skincare elements can act as highly effective anti-glycation brokers. However, how do they do it? By way of a sneaky distraction. The glucose molecules answerable for pores and skin rigidity stick with the ingredient as a substitute of to your valuable collagen, lowering the glycation course of.
“Taking collagen dietary supplements will make my pores and skin look higher.”
Possibly. It looks as if influencers in every single place are touting the advantages of ingesting collagen. However, analysis exhibits that it truly may be higher to take amino acid dietary supplements. Why? These constructing blocks may assist your physique naturally generate collagen.
One of the best ways to care to your pores and skin? All the time use a broad spectrum sunscreen! This together with main a wholesome life-style is one of the best ways to assist your pores and skin. You’ll be able to support pure collagen manufacturing by consuming a balanced weight loss program of protein, entire grains, fruits, and greens. Spherical out your skincare routine with merchandise that may assist collagen to get you nearer to your total objective.
And keep in mind these life-style danger elements we talked about, like smoking and stressing out? Slicing again will seemingly assist out your pure collagen ranges greater than any complement.
The ultimate phrase on collagen
Collagen is an important protein that our physique makes by itself. As an all-around pores and skin hero, it helps a agency, plump look whereas offering energy and construction. However with regards to utilizing it as an ingredient in skincare or dietary supplements, it is best to know the information first.
Deal with consuming a nutritious diet, limiting solar publicity, and maintaining along with your skincare routine to maintain your pure collagen ranges pleased. Try our progressive formulation to assist hold your pores and skin wanting ageless.
References:
SHUSTER, S., BLACK, M.M. and McVITIE, E. (1975), The affect of age and intercourse on pores and skin thickness, pores and skin collagen and density. British Journal of Dermatology, 93: 639-643. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1975.tb05113.x Tobin DJ. Introduction to pores and skin ageing. J Tissue Viability. 2017 Feb;26(1):37-46. doi: 10.1016/j.jtv.2016.03.002. Epub 2016 Mar 14. PMID: 27020864. Danby FW. Diet and ageing pores and skin: sugar and glycation. Clin Dermatol. 2010 Jul-Aug;28(4):409-11. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2010.03.018. PMID: 20620757. Jin Ho Chung, Jin Younger Search engine marketing, Hai Ryung Choi, Mi Kyung Lee, Choon Shik Youn, Gi-eun Rhie, Kwang Hyun Cho, Kyu Han Kim, Kyung Chan Park, Hee Chul Eun, Modulation of Pores and skin Collagen Metabolism in Aged and Photoaged Human Pores and skin In Vivo, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Quantity 117, Challenge 5, 2001, Pages 1218-1224, ISSN 0022-202X, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0022-202x.2001.01544.x. Griffiths, C., Al., E., Unit, A. A. F. the D., Others, J. S. and, Others, L. L. H. and, Others, S. F. and, S. A. Madhi and Others, Cypess, A. M., & A. Maqsood and L. R. Imel. (1993, December 30). Restoration of collagen formation in photodamaged human pores and skin by tretinoin (retinoic acid): Nejm. New England Journal of Drugs. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199308193290803 Reilly DM, Lozano J. Pores and skin collagen by means of the lifestages: significance for pores and skin well being and sweetness. Plast Aesthet Res 2021;8:2. http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2020.153 Collagen. The Diet Supply. (2022, March 2). Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/collagen/ L. R. (1970, January 1). Laure Rittié. Chilly Spring Harbor Views in Drugs. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from http://perspectivesinmedicine.cshlp.org/content material/5/1/a015370.lengthy Morita A, Torii Okay, Maeda A, Yamaguchi Y. Molecular foundation of tobacco smoke-induced untimely pores and skin ageing. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2009 Aug;14(1):53-5. doi: 10.1038/jidsymp.2009.13. PMID: 19675554
