If you're someone who's always on the lookout for the latest and greatest in skincare products, then you've probably heard of collagen. Collagen has been touted as a miracle ingredient for achieving youthful, radiant skin. But what exactly is collagen, and how can it benefit your skincare routine and more importantly how can you get the most out of incorporating collagen into your skincare routine?
In this blog post, we'll delve into the world of collagen and explore its potential benefits for your skin. From reducing wrinkles to improving elasticity, collagen may just be the secret weapon your skincare routine has been missing.
Which Type of Collagen Should I Use to Improve My Skin?
For healthy skin marine collagen which is predominantly type I is the most preferred type. Marine collagen is water-soluble so easier to use in products and safe because it is free of the risks of zoonotic diseases. Marine collagen has better chemical and physical durability and is thought to be more metabolically compatible to human collagen with little risk of zoonotic disease transfer. Studies have found that marine collagen has the ability to heal skin in the same way that the body would heal naturally when it has an abundance of collagen, by invoking keratinocyte and fibroblast migration, and proliferation as well as vascularization of the skin – this all leading to healthy, radiant skin.
When an oral food collagen and supporting vitamin supplement is consumed. The collagen is broken down into it constituent peptides, that is the blocks of amino acids that go on to make the collagen fibrils. These small molecules are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream and with skin cells signalling that they require these nutrients they can be delivered by the blood stream to where they are needed.
What Are Collagen Peptides?
Oral collagen supplements come generally are available in the form of pills, powders or liquids. They usually contain smaller molecules of collagen called collagen peptides and will be listed on the ingredients as collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen.
Collagen peptides are small pieces of animal collagen that can be absorbed through your gastrointestinal tract whereas collagen can’t be absorbed in a whole form as it is too large.
Vegetarian alternatives are becoming more readily available and REMY endeavours to source suitable alternatives but at the moment we used a trusted, sustainable source that we know provides high quality hydrolysed collagen. We will update our products and blogs when an effective alternative is sourced.
Collagen In Your Diet
To consume collagen in your diet you could follow the trend to make your own bone broth, with beef bones providing the best source. These would need stewing for several hours and if you’re like me I have neither the time nor inclination to do this plus I don’t want the beef broth aroma lingering around. Consuming the skin and cartilage of chicken would also work, as the bones and ligaments of animals are made of collagen so provide a good source. For skincare, type I collagen is preferred as this is the type that skin is mainly comprised of and for this the best source is marine collagen.
Marine collagen is the most easily absorbed in the human body as it resembles our bodies collagen the most in terms of size and structure so including fish in your meal plans is a great way to boost collagen intake, although the meaty part of fish contains less collagen than other parts such as the eyeballs, scales, and head – making a fish bone broth again would be the best option.
If stewing bones isn’t really for you or you want to make certain that collagen is included in your diet even though you feel you eat healthily most days; including a collagen containing dietary supplement is the easy route that may help in ensure a continuous supply of collagen from within. As well as consuming collagen we need to provide our bodies with a balance of nutrients to support and enhance collagen synthesis ensuring it is able to be produced and not just replaced.
Never overlook the importance of your own diet, social media is awash with recipes to provide great sources of nutritional meals to promote great looking skin - unfortunately for me they aren’t usually family friendly meals and we tend to eat the same meal as a family rather than cooking separate meals for adults and children and so these recipes full of super foods tend not to feature in our weekly menus or if they do its certainly not every day.
As a family we do eat a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, but it does tend to be the same ones of sweetcorn, peas and carrots, although our children are dabbling with a bit of kale now.
Children’s dietary needs are different to adults and creating different meal plans is not going to happen in our house therefore to ensure I am receiving the correct nutrients for my life stage I use REMYs menopausal assistance food supplement, containing a balance of nutrients that my body needs during this phase of my life, this way I know that even on a day where I haven’t whipped up an amazing superfood stir fry or bone broth soup (yeah -still not going to happen) for lunch whilst children are at school and snacked healthy on almonds before we share a pasta bake for dinner; I can ease my mind, knowing that the nutrients for healthy, radiant skin will be available to my perimenopausal aging skin.
Vitamins & Minerals to Support Collagen Synthesis
For collagen to be produced in the body it needs the help of other nutrients too, Vitamin C (calcium ascorbate) is a great antioxidant and free radical scavenger and supports fibroblast proliferation which become the feeder cells for epithelial skin cells and maintains the stability of collagen production. Certain B vitamins also have great antioxidant properties essential for healthy radiant skin and minerals such as zinc help slow down the rate of collagen depletion.
Vitamins & minerals that support collagen synthesis include:
Zinc
Zinc contributes to the maintenance of healthy cell membranes and its barrier function; it is required for the healthy division and growth of the main skin cells called epidermal keratinocytes and may help slow down the rate of collagen breakdown.
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2 is also known as riboflavin, vitamin B2 is a key component in the maintenance and repair of skin cells and tissue it can help heal wounds and reduce skin inflammation so great for conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. Vitamin B2 helps to maintain collagen levels, which are known to decrease during the menopause and so helping to prevent fine lines and wrinkles.
Vitamins B9 and B12
Vitamin B9 generally known as folic acid and Vitamin B12 are not produced by the body and need to be consumed via food sources; leafy green vegetables are a great source. The body becomes less effective at absorbing these vitamins particularly, vitamin B12 as we age which in relation to the skin can lead to breakouts of acne, eczema and psoriasis. To account for the body being less effective at absorbing these vitamins it is a good idea to increase the consumption of food sources that contain them, such as supplementing a healthy diet with a nutrient capsule so that there are more opportunities for the body to encounter and absorb the vitamins.
Both vitamin B9 and B12 have a central role in your body’s cellular metabolism. They support the process of methylation which then allows your body to complete its processes such as cell replication, DNA synthesis and repair. The repair of cellular DNA in the skin that may have been damaged over time by UV light or pollutants can help reduce the signs of aging by reducing the appearance of wrinkles, improving skin elasticity by assisting collagen production, and decreasing roughness.
Vitamin A
Dietary Vitamin A can help prevent cell damage and skin aging by protecting the skin from adverse environmental factors like pollution and UV radiation. Vitamin A also improves the moisture content and elasticity of the skin by increasing collagen production leading to a more youthful appearance.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an important antioxidant shown to have photoprotective properties meaning the antioxidant activity protects against UV induced (usually sun exposure) damage caused by free radicals. As a result of vitamin C’s ability to as a reducing agent and to scavenge free radicals it prevents excessive cell damage and oxidative stress; coupled with its involvement in the production of collagen it leads to vitamin C being able to decrease the appearance of wrinkles and age-related skin dryness to keep skin smooth and supple.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E acts as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. It is most effective when coupled with the consumption of vitamin C to help scavenge free radicals and keep the skin safe from sun damage which is a main cause of the appearance of wrinkles.
Synergistic Bio-availability of Nutrients to Support Collagen Synthesis
When there are effective bio-available quantities of the right vitamins, minerals and other skin loving nutrients they can work synergistically together to promote healthy radiant skin from the inside and out.
At the very least ensure your beauty supplement has Vitamin E and C so they can work synergistically together to assist collagen production. You're onto a winner if your beauty supplement also contains B vitamins & Vitamin A that work to increase collagen production; add in zinc to help slow the rate of collagen breakdown and your skin will be thanking you!
Rebalance Your Menopausal Skin
All of the collagen enhancing nutrients and more - packed into 1 daily food supplement
REMY’s food supplement: Rebalance My Skin offers menopausal assistance for skin and part of this assistance is to help support collagen synthesis. Rebalance My Skin contains a premium quality vitamin, minerals and marine collagen, the type I collagen that your skin needs to be healthy and radiant as well as select nutrients that support collagen synthesis, repair, and function. All ingredients are included at the quantity determined by the scientific community to be the most effective, any less and their bio-availability may be hindered and any more has been shown to not affect collagen production of skin health in any greater way.
Summary
When it comes to choosing a reliable source for collagen supplementation in skincare routines, marine collagen stands out as an excellent option. Its metabolic compatibility with human collagen coupled with minimal risk of zoonotic disease transfer make it both safe and effective. Moreover, its ability to heal and rejuvenate the skin makes it a preferred choice for those seeking to maintain a youthful and vibrant complexion.Supplements will list collagen in their ingredients as collagen peptides or hydrolysed collagen as these are smaller molecules that can be easily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. You can consume collagen in your diet or supplements can be used in addition to a healthy diet.
Whichever way you consume collagen be sure to also consume the nutrients that support collagen synthesis such as Vitamin C, E, A and B vitamins, in the optimum quantities.
Other nutrients that support skin health and growth can also be added to your diet or consumed in a supplement to ensure optimum bio-availability and give your skin the best chance possible of flourishing and emerging as healthy radiant skin cells on the outside.
