Youthful Skin: Is Drinking Collagen the Solution You’re Looking For?

Ah, the glow of youth! There are lots of things that differentiate older skin from youthful skin, but one of the “biggies” is collagen content. When we’re young, our skin produces lots of it. It’s what keeps our skin looking firm and taut. As we age, however, our collagen production begins to slow down. In fact, after the age of 20, our skin produces about 1 per cent less collagen with every passing year!

Fortunately, you don’t have to ride the fast track to Wrinkle City. There are lots of things you can do to preserve as well as boost your skin’s natural collagen content. These include being diligent about wearing sunscreen and refraining from smoking. You’ll also want to use skincare containing collagen-encouraging ingredients such as retinol, particular peptides and vitamin C. You could also consider in-office collagen-boosting treatments such as skin needling.

For the record, products that contain collagen aren’t going to have any effect on your skin’s collagen content. In this instance, they’ll only function as a moisturiser. But what about drinking collagen? Could this have a positive effect on your skin? As it turns out, yes!

Get That Youthful Skin Glow

Age-defying celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Kourtney Kardashian all swear by collagen supplements. While it’s not a magic bullet, there’s definitely something to be said for including collagen in your diet, provided it’s a very particular kind.

To explain, collagen, in its natural state, is a very large molecule that can’t be absorbed by your intestines. However, it can if it has undergone hydrolysis, a chemical process that breaks it down into smaller fragments, referred to as peptides. These tiny collagen particles are much easier for your body to utilise and can benefit you in numerous ways.

Just one example of a beneficial peptide is Peptan. Studies have shown that drinking it increases the density of collagen in your skin. It can also decrease collagen fragmentation and reverse its degradation, which occurs during the ageing process. Better yet, Peptan is proven to increase your body’s production of naturally hydrating hyaluronic acid. This is why we like Skin Renewal’s Marine Collagen, available in two flavours – Citrus and Rooibos & Apple. 

Get That Glow

Taking a proven collagen supplement is a great way to help improve the health of your skin. Still, it takes a village to look after it from the inside out. For this reason, also consider investing in a top-quality multivitamin supplement, such as Renewal Institute Multivitamin and Mineral. It includes a host of essential vitamins and minerals, many of which are antioxidants, essential for healthy skin.

Another great collagen-preserving supplement is Lamelle Ovelle D3. It contains pycnogenol, a pine bark extract that serves as a mega-antioxidant, and vitamin D3. The latter is essential for collagen synthesis and can also help improve the look of acne and hyperpigmentation.

In short, if you want to slow down the ageing process, using the right skincare products is essential. But don’t limit these to topicals. What you consume can be just as important as what you apply. So, bottoms up! Here’s to beautiful-looking skin!