Collagen is a protein found abundantly in the body. It is the protein responsible for holding your muscles together and making your skin look firm and healthy. It is an essential building block responsible for skin elasticity, smooth texture and suppleness.
But you’re probably wondering… what is collagen? What does collagen do for the skin? Do I really need it? What is it good for? Hang in there. We’re going to tell you all about the benefits of collagen for skin and different types of collagen found in your body.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein found in tendons, skin, ligaments and other parts of the body that helps maintain the skin’s soft, firm and healthy appearance. Having optimal collagen levels in the body provides strength to the skin, protects against damage, and helps slow down the ageing process.
What Are The Benefits Of Collagen In Your Skin?
Collagen gives your skin structure, strength and support. Here’s more to the benefits of collagen for skin:
1. Enhances Skin Elasticity and Firmness
Collagen is the building block of the skin’s structure which is made of connective tissues to form the dermal layers. Collagen fibres play an essential role to shed dead skin cells, promoting cell regeneration, and increasing epidermal thickness to improve skin elasticity and firmness. It provides optimal hydration and strengthens the epidermis to diminish the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles.
2. Promotes Wound Healing
Collagen protein aids in the process of cell turnover which helps replace the damaged skin tissues with a new epidermal layer. This quality of collagen makes it the key component to repair scars, rebuild damaged skin texture and stimulate wound healing.
3. Reduced Stretch Marks
Collagen and elastin fibres are nature’s builders to forming skin’s dermal layers. An increase in collagen synthesis helps slough off damaged dead skin, produces new skin cells and hence reduces visible stretch marks. It also helps even out patchy skin and improves its resilience to prevent the occurrence of stretch marks.
4. Improves Skin Texture
The presence of amino acids in collagen transforms the rough and bumpy skin into smooth texture. It deeply moisturises and conditions your skin giving you a healthy, soft and supple appearance.
5. Lightens Scars & Dark Spots
Collagen plays a vital role in tissue formation and improves blood flow to replace damaged skin cells with new cells. Basically, it acts as an antioxidant to minimise the appearance of dark spots and scars while leaving you with a flawless complexion.
What Causes Loss Of Collagen In Skin?
The primary reason for collagen loss is UV radiation. When your skin is exposed to the sun, UVA and UVB rays penetrate into the dermal layers causing collagen breakdown. It further results in degradation of collagen and elastin.
Besides sun damage, age is the driving factor for collagen loss. As you turn 25, the ability of your body shows a natural decrease in collagen synthesis resulting in fine lines & wrinkles. Some of the other contributing factors are lifestyle habits like smoking, alcohol, poor diet, and intake of processed or sugary foods.
What Are The Types Of Collagen In The Skin?
There are 28 types of collagen in the human body. Out of them, there are five main types of collagen, based on their molecular arrangement and where they are situated in the different parts of the body. Give below are the 5 most common types of collagen you need to know:
- Type I: This is the fibrillar type of collagen that is densely packed and makes up to 90% of the skin making your bones, tendons and ligaments.
- Type II: This type of collagen makes up to 50% of all protein in cartilages which helps in giving tensile strength and elasticity to provide joint support.
- Type III: This type of collagen contains 3 alpha chains, found in hollow organs like the uterus and blood vessels.
- Type IV: This type of collagen forms the membrane, forming the dermal layers of the skin.
- Type V: This type of collagen contributes to the building tissues found in skin, hair and placenta.
How To Prevent Collagen Loss and Different Ways To Boost Collagen
As you age, a decrease in collagen production is inevitable. However, there are ways to nurture the collagen production process in the body and delay the natural ageing process. Here are the ways to preserve collagen in the body and increase collagen levels.
- Keep yourself hydrated to fortify the natural moisture barrier function and increase the skin’s absorption capacity.
- Maintain a diet rich in protein, amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamin C to protect your skin against free radicals damage and restore collagen levels.
- Wear sunscreen even if you’re indoors. It acts as a protective barrier to reflect UV rays and prevent collagen breakdown.
- Get your beauty sleep. During the night your skin goes through the natural repair process to rebuild collagen and promote cell regeneration.
- Apply topical skincare products including vitamin C serum, hyaluronic acid, and moisturising creams which stimulate collagen production in the skin.
Organic Harvest Recommended Products To Increase Collagen in Skin
Are you looking for skincare products to increase collagen production in the skin? Look no further. Organic Harvest brings a curated list of face care products which help you stimulate collagen for skin elasticity and builds smooth texture.
1. Age Reversal Cream
Organic Harvest Age Reversal Cream contains the benefits of vitamin c and collagen. It helps promote skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and ageing spots. Applying it every day in your anti-ageing skincare routine preserves the natural process of collagen production in the skin, reduces dryness, and improves texture. This organic cream-based moisturiser is great to boost collagen and prevent premature skin ageing.
Price: 545 INR
Buy Link: Age Reversal Cream
2. OH Kumkumadi Radiance Face Cream: Saffron, Oat Milk & Sandalwood
Organic Harvest OH Kumkumadi Radiance Face Cream is infused with the richness of saffron, oat milk and sandalwood. It is a sun protection cream providing intense nourishment. It’s a great addition to your daily skincare routine to protect your skin against UV damage, promote collagen production, and add a luminous glow to your face. The presence of saffron for skin helps replenish dull & damaged texture while giving you a soft, clear and gorgeous skin appearance.
Price: 699 INR
Buy Link: Kumkumadi Radiance Face Cream
3. Neem Face Wash
Organic Harvest Neem Face wash is made with a combination of neem extracts and other organic ingredients. This face wash has antibacterial qualities to effectively cleanse your skin without disrupting the natural moisture barrier. It also helps restore moisture, improve skin elasticity, and stimulate collagen production with every use.
Price: 295 INR
Buy Link: Neem Face Wash
4. Brightening Night Cream: Kakadu Plum, Acai Berry, & Rice Water
Organic Harvest Brightening Night Cream is enriched with rice water, kakadu plum, and acai berry extracts. This is an intense hydrating night cream which promotes collagen production to stimulate the skin’s restorative process and heal imperfections. It also helps fight impurities and keeps it hydrated for long hours. Using it in your daily PM skincare routine works best to smoothen skin texture and lighten pigmentation.
Price: 995 INR
Buy Link: Brightening Night Cream
Brightening Face Cream: Kakadu Plum, Acai Berry & Rice Water
Organic Harvest Brightening Face Cream is enriched with a great combination of kakadu plum, acai berry and rice water. It is an everyday brightening day cream which provides required hydration and fights damage due to pollutants, preventing the risk of future breakouts. The benefits of acai berry for skin helps protect your skin against UV damage, boost collagen production, and minimise the appearance of dark spots and sunburns.
Price: 399 INR
Buy Link: Brightening Face Cream: Kakadu Plum, Acai Berry & Rice Water
Brightening Day Cream: Kakadu Plum, Acai Berry & Rice Water
Organic Harvest Brightening Day Cream is infused with the exotic ingredients like kakadu plum, acai berry and rice water. The benefits of kakadu plum for skin has excellent skin-soothing and healing abilities to intensely hydrate your skin, repair damaged texture and heals skin imperfections. This skin-lightening face cream is a one-stop solution to fight acne, target pigmentation and UV damage while maintaining collagen level in the skin.
Price: 695 INR
Buy Link: Brightening Day Cream: Kakadu Plum, Acai Berry & Rice Water
FAQs
Does collagen really help skin?
Yes, collagen is a key component to building skin structure which compliments the skin’s elasticity, texture, firmness and smoothness. The higher levels of collagen mean a slower process of skin ageing.
How long does it take for collagen to improve skin?
Once you opt for natural ways to increase collagen production in the skin, it takes at least 6-8 weeks to show desired results.
Should you take collagen every day?
One should consume anywhere between 3 to 10 grams of collagen per day to maintain youthful and healthy-looking skin for years.
Who should not take collagen?
There are no collagen side effects on the skin. But one must consult a doctor before taking collagen supplements as it might have certain allergens which wouldn’t be suitable for people on a vegan diet.
What foods are high in collagen?
Foods rich in collagen are oranges, kiwi, strawberries, spinach, broccoli, beetroot, salmon fish, and eggs work great to improve collagen production in the skin.
Conclusion
There are oodles of benefits of collagen for the skin. Basically, it is responsible to improve hydration, increase blood flow, and maintain skin elasticity. If you want to promote collagen production in your body, ensure to opt for natural ways rather than collagen supplements unless prescribed by your doctor.
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