What Do Collagen Supplements Do for Your Skin?
Collagen has been a staple in the world of health and beauty for many years, and right now, it’s hotter than ever. It’s not hard to see why. Collagen plays a vital role in many of the body’s systems, making up all kinds of tissues. From the smallest blood vessels to the tissues that make up your joints and ligaments, collagen is vital. It’s especially crucial for your skin, making up three-quarters of the skin’s total protein. A loss of collagen is one of the main reasons for the visible signs of aging.
What does collagen do for your skin?
Collagen is one of the essential building blocks of the skin. This tough, springy substance is what gives your skin its structure. When you’re young, the amount of collagen your body can produce is quite high. This gives you skin that’s soft, supple and plump, with few wrinkles. As time moves on, unfortunately, that all-important collagen production declines. After the age of around 25, collagen production may decline by about 1% per year. After menopause, collagen production can plummet. This loss of collagen is what’s chiefly responsible for many signs of aging: sagging jowls, eye bags, wrinkles, and loose skin elsewhere on the body.
Topical collagen products such as creams and serums can superficially tighten the skin. The effect of these products tends to be short-lived, however. They can’t be absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin. A good-quality collagen cream can give your skin a visible boost, but the effects will only be temporary and will wear off quickly. Topicals are the “band-aids” of beauty.
Oral collagen supplements can help your skin more effectively. Collagen that you consume isn’t magically transported into your skin — your body will break it down like any other protein. Once broken down, though, the amino acids that make up the collagen can be used by your body to create new collagen. Although aging has no cure, collagen can significantly improve the appearance of your skin. Because it’s incorporated into the skin’s structure, the effects of collagen are long-term and won’t fade after a few hours. Results obtained through a quality collagen supplement can be experienced very fast when combined with a moderate diet.
What is the best collagen supplement for sagging skin?
There are many collagen supplements on the market. It’s a good idea to choose a quality product that lists all of its ingredients and is transparent about the source of the collagen, this is one of the first steps we took at Body Kitchen when we formulated out products. Many cheaper collagen tablets and capsules contain inactive fillers to save money, meaning that you get less actual collagen than you might expect. A good quality oral supplement will tell you what collagen dose is present. We also need to consider the importance of taking Vitamin C along with collagen. Vitamin C plays an important role not only in collagen formation but also moisture retention within skin cells, so adding a clean Vitamin C such as Body Kitchen’s Vitamin C Shield can support in speeding up the skin-repair process.
Tablets and capsules are convenient, but powders can be more versatile and fun. At Body Kitchen we went a step further and created a line of collagen that you can use by itself or you can add it to your favorite healthy recipes. To get some tasty ideas you can check out @lindsay.lives.well on Instagram.
Collagen Benefits for skin
There are plenty of studies that support the use of collagen for the skin. Various studies have looked at the effect of oral collagen supplements on skin aging. Researchers looked at factors such as wrinkle depth and skin elasticity, as well as participants’ own evaluations of their skin’s appearance. Improved-measurable results have been demonstrated. But why not innovate even further? Body Kitchen’s collagen uses an advanced collagen peptide patent that’s much more efficient. In simple terms, we were able to concentrate 2 of the amino-acids found in collagen protein. The end result is a refined collagen powder that is 30X more effective than conventional collagen.
Check out some of our most popular formulas:
For everyday recipes and collagen maintenance
For advanced anti-aging and beauty benefits
For an extra skin hydration-boost
As with any supplement, it’s a good idea to mention to your doctor or another medical professional that you are planning to begin taking collagen. Your doctor may be able to advise you on other lifestyle factors that can affect aging and help you to make positive changes.