Let's talk some of the most sought after ingredients in skin care! Collagen has become a huge trending topic over the last decade and more so recently! Almost any beauty or health related business will sell or recommend collagen to their clients. Not only is it profitable for any business, it's also proven to give drastic results ( let's be honest, we all want results that's why we're here)! This being said, I recently noticed most of my clients weren't even aware of it's benefits or use so let's dive into what it is and how it works.
What is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, found mostly in tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin and bone. It’s the main component of the various connective tissues in the body—in other words, the substance that holds the body together.
It’s responsible for giving your skin that lovely firmness of youth, but collagen production declines with age.
After the age of 20, you produce around 1% less collagen in your skin each following year. This means your skin becomes thinner and is more likely to develop wrinkles.
Besides possible wrinkles you lose that overall youthful glow which is what most women spend thousands of dollars yearly to obtain.
There is growing medical evidence that collagen may help fight the appearance of wrinkles. A study published in the journal Clinical Interventions in Aging in 2014 found 15% of those taking a liquid collagen beauty supplement with added vitamins and minerals had fewer facial lines and wrinkles after 60 days.
The study also revealed that 32% experienced improvements in photo-ageing – ageing caused by sun exposure – and for 39%, skin dryness decreased too.
German researchers found a ‘statistically significant’ improvement in skin
elasticity, and a positive influence in skin moisture and hydration levels, in those who took hydrolysed collagen supplements.
Another study in the journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology found a 20% reduction in eye wrinkles after eight weeks of taking collagen supplements. There are various different types of Collagen in our bodies, with different functions for different parts of our bodies. Type I is in the skin, tendons, and bones. Type II is in cartilage. Type III is in the skin and muscles.
How does Collagen work?
The exact biological mechanisms aren’t yet known, but scientists say collagen’s wrinkle-fighting abilities could be due to the fragmenting of collagen into small chains of amino acids and peptides.
When your body breaks down collagen in the digestive system, the fragments of amino acids and peptides are absorbed into the bloodstream. This then triggers the body’s natural production of collagen within the skin.
Benefits of Collagen
There are numerous benefits of taking collagen supplements, the most popular way is hydrolysed (powder form). Listed below are top 6 benefits:
Improves hair, skin and nails! Skin being the most common reason people take it
Boost metabolism which helps aid in weight loss
Helps maintain healthy digestion
Helps alleviate joint pain as well as strengthen joints/ligaments (numerous clinical research has been done on this!)
Strengthens bones avoiding osteoporosis ( A condition where the bones become weak & brittle)
Reduces cellulite and stretch marks
Peptides
What are peptides? Peptides are small amino acids that are the building blocks to collagen. Like grapes are to wine, peptides are to collagen! Peptides have lots of different functions in the skin; they signal collagen production, relax muscles and are carrier proteins. This is essential in collagen production and fits into our daily skincare routine.
The key ingredient to look for when shopping for skin care products is : pentapeptide. This is an active ingredient which is able to penetrate the skin on a deeper level and signals to collagen to make more of it self. Serums and Creams are the best way to add this ingredient to your daily regimen; moreover, the night time is the best time to use peptides.
At night our skin cells regenerate themselves and work over time to repair itself, what we put on our skin at night time is in my opinion the most important step of our skin care regimen. Have you ever had an amazing nights to wake up the following morning to rejuvenated dewy skin? Yes this is a result of a good diet, good skin care regimen AND your cells regenerating themselves all while you snoozed!
In conclusion; if you learned anything from this post let it be this: Collagen Peptides are your best friends after you hit 30! Using collagen orally and peptides topically can help keep you looking and feeling your best in addition to a good diet, healthy active lifestyle as well as a using quality skin care products! If you are a client at Skin Palace & Wellness, you have the option of purchasing 'Skinade', a medical grade liquid collagen, per visit in addition to your scheduled treatment for optimal results. We also have a membership program which entails a 30 day supply delivered to your door steps monthly.
