What is Collagen and Why is it Important for Skin Health?

3 mins to read

Boost collagen for smoother skin. Learn how diet, UV protection, & skincare tips can help reduce wrinkles & improve elasticity for good skin health.

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Collagen has become a significant buzzword in the skin and beauty world in the last decade, alongside the increasing research to show the benefits this protein can have for cultivating youthful and plump-looking skin.

What is collagen?

Collagen is a protein naturally produced in our body and found in our skin, muscles, bones, tendons, and cartilage. It helps to maintain the structure, strength and elasticity of these connective tissues.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, collagen is the most abundant protein, accounting for 30% of your body’s protein. The primary amino acids that make collagen are proline, glycine and hydroxyproline.

The amino acids that make up the protein are arranged in a triple helix-type structure, which gives it strength.

With over 28 different types of collagen in the body, Type 1 is the most abundant and most important in skin health. Type IV is also found in the layers of skin.

However, collagen production decreases as we age. Sun exposure, smoking, pollution and a poor diet of too much sugar and refined carbohydrates can also increase collagen breakdown in the skin.

When this happens, the structure underneath the skin becomes weaker, which is what can lead to sagging skin.

Collagen’s relationship to skin health

In the skin, collagen is found and produced in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin. Collagen in the form of food or topical treatment can benefit the skin in a multitude of ways:

Addressing wrinkles and fine lines

As we age, the dermis becomes thinner with decreased collagen levels, resulting in the progression of skin wrinkles.

Promotes skin elasticity and firmness

As a protein that helps maintain structural support to the skin, collagen helps maintain skin firmness and elasticity.

How to support collagen productio

Protection from UV rays

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun breaks down collagen, so wearing sunscreen each day or seeking shade when possible to protect from this breakdown, especially when UV rays are high.

Diet

Collagen is made of protein. The body can’t absorb collagen in its whole form. Instead, according to Cleveland Clinic, it’s broken down into amino acids. In this way, consuming collagen doesn’t lead to an increase in collagen, as the MD Andersen Cancer Center reports. However, consuming protein-rich foods can help stimulate collagen production.

As Harvard describes, when digested in the stomach, collagen is broken down into amino acids, for distribution to where in the body most needs protein.

Foods rich in collagen include bone broth, meat, and fish, especially the bones and skin. Collagen is only found in animals.

Harvard University explains that a bone broth can be made by simmering animal bones in water, with a small amount of vinegar for several hours to dissolve the bone and release collagen and minerals.

According to Cleveland Clinic, including enough vitamin C, zinc, copper, and manganese can aid in the production of its strengthening triple helix structure.

Cedars Sinai Medical Medical Center reports that foods high in antioxidants can also defend against free radicals that can degrade collagen.

Topical collagen

Topical creams containing collagen may make your skin look and feel smoother, with fewer lines. However, this is only on the surface and not directly due to an increased level of collagen. This is because collagen molecules are too large to penetrate through the top epidermis layer of the skin into the dermis.

Some topical formulations contain hydrolysed collagen, which is collagen broken down into smaller peptides. The skin absorbs these peptides more easily, so choosing products that contain collagen peptides might be ideal. A study in the Nutrients Journal highlights how hydrolysed collagen in topical formulations can improve skin barrier function and hydration (Campos et al., 2019).

Combining collagen with other ingredients that promote collagen, such as vitamin C, may be helpful. Meanwhile, according to the Cleveland Clinic, retinol, a form of vitamin A, slows the breakdown of collagen, increases collagen production and increases elasticity.

Collagen supplements

Collagen can be broken down in the gut. What they’re discussing is hydrolyzed collagen, which may be better absorbed.

As the University of Colorado recently reported, there is limited evidence for the long term benefits of collagen supplementation for skin. It recommends sunscreen, exercise and avoiding smoking for looking after your skin.

However, as vitamin C may aid in the formation of collagen, this could be a supplement to consider for extra support to improve the skin appearance.

Any supplements you are considering should be in consultation with your healthcare provider.