Why Collagen Is So Important For Healthy Skin
No doubt you’ve heard of collagen and it’s vital role in the health of your skin. But if that’s where your knowledge ends, read on for some important facts about collagen which promise to help you maximize the look and feel of your complexion.
Collagen is everything when it comes to healthy skin. We could pretty much end this blog post right there but we know that, as skincare connoisseurs, you like to understand more about how your skin functions and what you can do to help it age beautifully. So let’s delve a little deeper into this essential protein, shall we?
As the most abundant component within the connective tissues of the skin, collagen accounts for somewhere between 70 and 80 percent of the skin’s dry weight. It has a dense, fiber-like structure that forms a chain of proteins and, together with its cousin, elastin, it fortifies the entire structure of your skin. Think of it as a kind of internal scaffolding system that gives your skin strength, elasticity and a plump, youthful appearance.
There are many different types of collagen, but over 90 percent of that found in the human body fits into five types. Of those five, type one is the star of the show and found packed into the skin’s dermis where it provides structure and form. The others work alongside it to aid strength, growth, healing and repair, while elastin gives the skin stretch and bouncebackability (don’t you just love that word?).
Together, these important proteins provide the absolute foundation for healthy skin, ensuring that it functions well, and looks and feels awesome.
The Benefits of Collagen In The Skin
Improves cell turnover
Maintains firmness
Plumps and volumizes
Visibly minimizes fine lines and wrinkles
Supports elasticity
Strengthens pores
So What’s The Catch?
The kicker is that after the age of around 25 (give or take) your skin starts to lose between 1 and 1.5 percent of collagen every year. Collagen loss is an entirely natural part of the intrinsic aging process and the reason everybody’s skin eventually becomes thinner, weaker, lax, more wrinkled and less plump as it gets older. Women will especially start to notice the difference in their skin as they go through menopause because it's during this time that the rate of collagen loss really amps up.
Of course, there’s nothing you can do about Father Time, but there are many other factors at play here that are within your control. Poor sleep, chronic stress, environmental pollution and a high-sugar diet all contribute significantly to collagen degradation. And then there’s the obvious culprit: the sun.
We’ve mentioned this before, and we’ll mention it again, UV radiation is the biggest cause of external skin aging. And that’s mainly down to the way in which it messes with your collagen supplies thanks to the damaging free radicals the sun creates in the dermis of the skin. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, photoaging is responsible for a whopping 90 percent of visible changes to the skin and those changes (none of which are particularly good!) are a direct result of cumulative sun damage. Ouch.
So what can you do to maintain decent levels of collagen in your skin, even when time is very much against you? Of course, a balanced diet, quality sleep and low levels of stress are super-important. As is a collagen-strengthening skincare routine. And that’s where we can help…
5 Of The Best Products For Your Collagen
1. Firming Collagen Day Lotion
Dry skin is no good for the aging process which is why daily moisturizer is an absolute must – no matter your skin type. Packed with vegan collagen peptides along with skin-loving ceramides, green algae and botanical superfruits, this lightweight lotion is a great way to help protect your collagen by fortifying the skin and shielding it from all those environmental bad boys we know and love/hate. It's an absolute must for anyone looking to protect the building blocks of their skin so they don’t age up lightning fast.
Because aging is great. A privilege, in fact. But it’s still nice to keep the visible signs of aging to a minimum, right?
The gold standard for stimulating collagen production is retinol. It’s been tested and proven time and again for having almost unbeatable skills at stimulating collagen synthesis. Not only that but it also provides antioxidant qualities which help to neutralize free radicals before they get a chance to break collagen down. It takes a while to reap the benefits of a retinol skincare formulation, but once you do, you will never look back.
Our fan-favorite retinol serum also contains hyaluronic acid, green tea and vitamin E to hydrate the skin and further nix those pesky free radicals. Because, yes, we think of everything.
Peptides are another great way to get your collagen supplies going. This is because, just like collagen (a protein, remember?), peptides are made up of strings of amino acids. Studies show that due to their similarities, peptides encourage your skin to produce more collagen – as well as elastin and keratin for that matter!
The thing to remember about peptides is they generally work best as a team and some are more effective than others. We believe firmly in the powers of matrixyl 3000 and palmitoyl tripeptides-1 and -5 which is why they’re carefully crafted into our Peptide Eye Gel. After all, collagen degradation is serious business when it comes to the thin, delicate skin around the eyes.
4. Collagen Boosting Skin Supplement
The truth is, great skincare doesn’t only happen on the outside. You also have to feed it from the inside with a balanced diet and perhaps a carefully crafted skin supplement.
Collagen supplements are fabulous for improving skin hydration and elasticity but many well-known brands use fish scales or animal bones/skin as their source of collagen. Now we don’t know about you, but we’re not really down with that. This is why ours are made with vegetarian collagen, combined with collagen-boosting superfoods, vitamins C and E plus biotin, a form of vitamin B that’s thought to help promote cell growth and repair. All you have to do is take two tablets each morning, with breakfast, to reap the benefits of this skin brightening and strengthening supplement.
5. SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Facial Serum
More impactful than arguably any other skincare formulation, a broad-spectrum sunscreen is simply non-negotiable. Not least because it will seriously help to preserve the collagen you are trying so desperately not to lose by keeping UV rays from penetrating the skin’s surface and thus stopping them from doing a number on all the good stuff in the dermis.
Hate the feeling of daily sunscreen on your skin? Then try our fantastic SPF serum which is so lightweight you’ll never know you’re wearing it. More good news: it also contains sodium ascorbyl phosphate, a gentle derivative of vitamin C which is essential for collagen synthesis.
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![Your Ticket To Bouncier Skin Is Right Here]()
No matter what you do, skin will naturally lose firmness and elasticity as you age. But all is not lost because there are many ways to dial that bouncy skin right back up again.
When it comes to the look and feel of your skin, life has a tendency to come up and bite you on the booty. You blink and suddenly that hydrated, bouncy skin you took for granted in your 20s is suddenly no more. Where’s the fairness in that?
Skin ages because time does not stand still. But the good news? It’s the same for everyone. Sure, some people like to use Botox and fillers to keep their skin looking as young as possible – and if that’s your jam, good on you – but everyone’s skin will intrinsically age, no matter what. Over time, it will naturally lose collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides and, well, basically all the good stuff that keeps it looking young, springy, soft and firm. That’s life.
But it’s not just time that ages up the skin. In fact, there are tons of lifestyle factors that affect the rate at which your skin ages. Your diet, levels of emotional stress, your sleep patterns and of course, environmental factors like pollution and UV radiation all play their part. Some more than others (*cough, sunlight).
Thankfully, unlike that ticking clock, these are the things you can control. So read on for some important ways to do just that.
What Is The Definition Of ‘Plump Skin’?
Let’s get one thing straight: plump skin isn’t something only the under-20s get to enjoy. In fact, your skin can be plump at any age – fine lines, wrinkles and all. All it means is that your skin is fully hydrated, full of life and imparts a healthy glow. When you touch it, it feels soft, moisturized and springs back to life. And when you look at it, it looks dewy and radiant.
Sounds perfectly doable, right? That’s because it’s well within your reach. You just need to make a few lifestyle changes…
Bouncy Skin Lesson #1: Think About What You Eat
Diet plays an important role in how much (or little!) collagen your skin produces. Pack your diet with sugar-laden treats and fried or highly processed foods and quality collagen you will not get! This is because an excess of sugar in your system encourages the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the skin. AGEs are harmful compounds that attack your skin cells and cause collagen and elastin to stiffen and weaken. Bad news.
Salt is another one-way ticket to dehydrated, puffy (and not in a good way!) skin so that’s another thing to cut down on.
So, what about the good stuff? Foods that help stimulate collagen production or help your skin stay moisturized? Well, superfoods that are chock full of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids are your true friends here. These include dark leafy greens, berries, eggs, oily fish, nuts, seeds, watermelon and avocados.
Bouncy Skin Lesson #2: Figure Out Ways To Manage Stress
When you’re stressed your brain releases cortisol into the bloodstream. Cortisol, aka the ‘stress hormone’ is great for boosting your energy first thing in the morning or keeping you on your toes during a job interview, but when you’re constantly stressed, your levels of cortisol go up… and they stay there. This not only disrupts your sleep (more on that in a minute), but it compromises collagen and elastin production, increases inflammation and screws up your skin’s barrier function. None of which will help your retain plump, bouncy skin.
There are many ways to help stay on top of emotional stress including meditation, yoga, reading and breathing exercises. Some of these practices might work for you, but others won’t, and that’s OK. Simply find the thing that makes you happy and that you actually enjoy doing. Otherwise you’ll get stressed trying to fit it into your daily routine and, well, that completely defeats the purpose.
Bouncy Skin Lesson #3: Get More Quality Sleep
A good night’s sleep is literally one of the best things you can do for the health of your skin. Period. This important time is when you skin restores itself: blood flow increases, collagen production amps up, antioxidants kick in and cellular turnover accelerates. If you miss out on the recommended seven to nine hours of quality shut-eye, you reduce the time in which your skin gets to regenerate and renew itself. Not only that but a lack of sleep also impacts hormone production and weakens the immune system which sends your skin all out of whack.
To help you sleep better, get into a rhythm of going to bed and waking up at similar times each night and morning. Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet and at a comfortable temperature, and avoid heavy foods, caffeine and screen time for a good few hours before hitting the sack.
Bouncy Skin Lesson #4: Plump & Protect Your Skin
It goes without saying that what you put on your skin plays a massive part in how bouncy it will look and feel. So what should a bouncy skin routine look like? Well, it’s all about caring for and maintaining your collagen while concentrating on hydration, protection and radiance.
Feast your eyes on these dream products for getting the job done…
5 Of The Best Skin Plumpers
If there’s one thing your skin absolutely needs in order to look plump and bouncy it’s hydration. And one of the finest ingredients for crushing this is hyaluronic acid. A powerful humectant, hyaluronic acid draws water to the surface of the skin, visibly plumping it up and adding a real pep to its step. Our uber-hydrating serum combines a plant-based botanical hyaluronic acid with other moisture-boosting ingredients like cica and aloe vera. It’s like an instant wake-up call for tired skin.
Retinol is the queen of collagen rejuvenation. Ask any skin expert and 99 percent of them would agree. And the other 1 percent? Well they’d just be wrong ;)
You see, retinol has a very clever way of ‘communicating’ with your skin at a deep, cellular level, boosting the skin’s natural renewal process and simultaneously encouraging collagen synthesis. By doing all this it helps to strengthen the skin while improving tone, texture, firmness and reducing the visible signs of aging. Hello plump, youthful-looking skin! Try our Retinol Moisturizer to get your fix.
Sun exposure is your skin’s arch enemy, causing sunburn, hyperpigmentation, skin cancer, wrinkles, you name it. It’s also a killer on your collagen supplies, accelerating the formation of free radicals which like to do a real number on the structural proteins in the skin if you let them.
So don’t.
Of course, holing yourself away in cave isn’t realistic, but you can wear protective clothing, stay in the shade whenever possible, and shield your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays with a high-quality, broad spectrum sunscreen. And we’ve just the guy for the job: NEW SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Facial Serum which is so lightweight and silky smooth that it slots seamlessly into your morning skincare routine with zero effort. Obsessed? Us? Hells yeah.
While we’re at it, why not feed your skin from the inside with our fabulous Collagen Supplements? Formulated with clinically studied vegetarian collagen, combined with skincare favorites like brightening vitamin C and soothing vitamin E, it helps to promote healthy collagen and elastin production while protecting the skin from environmental damage. Simply take two capsules each morning with your breakfast. It’s as easy as that.
Exfoliating once a week – more if your skin prefers it – encourages your skin to shed dead cells which can otherwise outstay their welcome and leave your complexion looking flat, tired and lackluster. Nobody wants that so grab our Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub and show those dead skin cells (as well as other built-up debris) the door. The great thing about this scrub is that it won’t over-stimulate your skin or cause irritation. It just calmly goes about its business giving you the plump, glowing skin you rightly deserve.
Can we have a group hug for that?
Your Ticket To Bouncier Skin Is Right Here
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