Collagen: What It Is and How It Helps Skin
(Photo : Vecteezy / Kitsanaphong Burarat)

Observing shops left and right, you will see collagen highlighted as an ingredient in many beauty products. Experts say this type of protein can do your skin wonders.

What is collagen?

Collagen is a protein found abundantly in your body, making up about 30% of your total protein. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the structure, strength, and elasticity of your skin, muscles, bones, and connective tissues. 

As you age, your body's natural collagen production decreases, leading to signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin. Collagen in beauty products is believed to give you the boost your skin needs.

How collagen can help your skin

Collagen-based beauty products claim to improve skin health and elasticity, and reduce wrinkles, among other benefits.

1. Improves skin elasticity and firmness

Collagen, as an ingredient in beauty products, is essential for maintaining skin elasticity and firmness, keeping it from sagging or becoming loose. It helps the skin maintain its bounce, contributing to a youthful appearance. 

Experts believe that collagen supplementation can significantly improve skin elasticity. This protein plays a crucial role in providing structure, strength, and elasticity to your skin, ensuring it remains plump and youthful-looking.

2. Anti-aging

Anti-aging is another reason why you should consider using collagen-based products. Collagen plays a vital role in reducing and preventing visible fine lines and wrinkles by strengthening the skin's connective tissue. 

This strength helps to keep the skin hydrated and less likely to develop wrinkles. As collagen maintains the thickness and hydration of the dermal layer, it also prevents the skin from becoming fragile and less flexible, which are key factors in wrinkle formation. 

Choosing collagen sources, such as marine or bovine collagen, can be particularly effective in combating wrinkles.

3. Protects fragile skin from cracking

If you have thin and fragile skin, collagen can help by maintaining its thickness and preventing it from becoming dry, prone to splitting, and slow to heal. As collagen holds the dermis together, studies have shown increased density in both the dermis and epidermis after oral supplementation, reducing the likelihood of cracked and splitting skin.

4. Hydrating

Collagen gives you a glow by contributing to skin hydration, leading to healthier and more radiant-looking skin. Its hydrating properties help maintain skin moisture levels, promoting a youthful appearance. 

Experts recommend oral collagen peptides, which can significantly increase skin moisture, making your skin look more radiant and improving its ability to flush away toxins, carry nutrients to skin cells, and protect against pollutants and germs.