Chat with Abigail James: Does collagen really wok in skinscare?
Over on our Instagram channel, we've been having fascinating chats with skincare experts on a range of intriguing topics! This week our Brand Director, Custodio D'Avo sat down with Abigail James to talk all about collagen in skincare to answer the question: does it really work?
5 TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR CHAT WITH ABIGAIL JAMES:
Collagen is an amazing skincare ingredient, but it's important to understand its limitations and how to best harness the skin-like ingredient in products.
1. WHAT COLLAGEN IS AND WHAT COLLAGEN CAN DO:
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. The first 'half-life' of collagen gives strength and connection to our tissues (skin, organs, etc). The second 'life' of collagen is the signaling of repair and regeneration. As collagen breaks down into smaller and smaller parts (peptides and amino acids), the role of the broken pieces in the skin is to 'tell' deeper layers of the skin to produce more collagen.
The breaking down doesn’t mean collagen doesn’t serve a purpose, everything is used and transformed and becomes a precursor for something else. This is the lead we should take to understand collagen in skincare.- Custodio D'Avo
2. IS THERE A BENEFIT TO USING TOPICAL COLLAGEN IN SKINCARE?
As Custodio mentioned, topical collagen will not be absorbed by the dermis, but it will be absorbed by the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin. As a protein in our connective tissues, collagen will always be a great superficial water capturer, which replenishes the skin and reduces the appearance of lines.
3. COLLAGEN IS ALWAYS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN
Effective collagen is always derived from animal sources. Soluble collagen (bovine, marine collagen) is a by-product of the food industry which means at Swissline, no animal has been killed for the purpose of obtaining the ingredient.
4. THE RIGHT AGE TO START WITH COLLAGEN
From 25 years old on, your collagen metabolism starts changing and your lifestyle can aggravate things and can break down collagen faster. Here are things to keep in mind:
*Sun exposure UVA is the rocket that penetrates and ruins collagen. SPF is a non-negotiable for protecting your collagen!
*Sugar in our diets isn't doing our skin any factors! Sugar in processed foods attaches to proteins so the more sugar you have in your diet the faster the breakdown of collagen.
*To boost your own collagen synthesis, retinol is a fantastic skincare option! As a small molecule, retinol penetrates deep into the skin and triggers collagen production.
5. WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH COLLAGEN FOOD SUPPLEMENTS?
If you’re curious about taking collagen supplements, hydrolyzed collagen peptides are the preferred choice. These peptides can cross the digestive tract more easily and in turn, help signal repair. Don't just grab any collagen supplements you can find though; the quality of the protein source is important. We recommend finding grass-fed pasture-raised bovine protein sources.
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