What is collagen and what is it good for?
Author: Michelle Man
Collagen is an important protein that is naturally present in the skin and is part of our connective tissue. Collagen comes from the Greek word 'kolla', which means 'to bind together' or 'glue'. It keeps organs and tissues in place, including your bones and tendons, but also hair, nails and... skin!
In addition to 'gluing', collagen ensures that the skin remains firm and elastic. We see this in a radiant and 'full' skin without sagging and wrinkles.
Your skin produces collagen itself, but as you age, this production decreases. The reduced production of collagen plus the quality of collagen that deteriorates results in thin, dry skin and wrinkles. And we don't want to discourage you, but that skin aging process starts as early as 25 years old... Time to do something about it!
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep your collagen production up and running, which we'll share with you here:
Power supply
You will hear from us more often that nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are super important to realize your dream skin. The outside cannot be separated from the inside. With a balanced diet based on good fats and proteins, fibers, fruit and vegetables, you are good in terms of collagen. Specifically, you can think of white meat, quinoa, salmon, beans, lentils, nuts, leafy vegetables, berries and citrus fruits.
Sugary foods, soda and alcohol actually break down your collagen levels. So try to limit your intake of these foods as much as possible!
Supplements
Furthermore, taking a collagen supplement is a great support for skin and body. When you consider using supplements (we advise from 25+ years), go for quality. What to look for when making the right choice:
1. Go for fish collagen
Collagen is extracted from beef, fish or algae. Our advice is to avoid beef as much as possible, because it can promote inflammation. Fish collagen is most identical to human collagen, but note that the product is hydrolyzed fish collagen. This variant is best absorbed by the human body. Are you vegan? Then choose a high-quality algae oil.
2. Choose the right quantities
Collagen supplements are often offered in powder form. That is a good sign, because fewer additives have been added than in a capsule or pill. You can study the table of ingredients on the back of the product to find out what you are actually taking. And believe us : reading labels is a skill in itself!
For reducing wrinkles, the recommended daily amount for adults is 2.5 to 5 grams per day. In addition to collagen, vitamin C is (among other things) very important to promote the absorption of collagen.
Did you know?
… Madesalon recently started offering supplements? We believe in an approach from both inside and outside to solve skin problems. For example, our ' Cell Elixer ' consists of hydrolyzed fish collagen and a blend of no less than 27 powerful ingredients including antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and the most important vitamins and minerals, so that your skin and body get the best out of themselves every day.
We are happy to help you choose the right supplements that suit the specific needs of your skin!
Collagen smear
If you decide to buy a jar of collagen cream after reading this article, pay attention! Collagen creams usually contain collagen peptides ('components of...'). The effect is certainly achievable, but in a weakened form. As an alternative or addition to this, you can therefore use skincare products with ingredients that accelerate cell division, such as retinol (vitamin A) or vitamin C. But here too, the following applies: always seek advice from a specialist to see what suits you best.
The best anti-aging cream is a good SPF sunscreen, because the sun is primarily responsible for the breakdown of collagen in the skin.
Treatments
With certain skin-improving treatments we are able to increase collagen production by stimulating or 'waking up' your natural processes. At Madesalon we offer, for example, the connective tissue massage and the collagen boost treatment . Or choose our microneedling hydrating antioxidant booster with which antioxidants and hyaluronic acid are absorbed deep into the skin.
Conclusion
We can say that collagen is an essential component of the skin. It is the building block for the skin and provides volume and firmness.
Collagen production decreases simply because we get older. But external factors such as the sun, facial expressions and nutrition also form wrinkles and sagging skin. To slow down this process, it is good to expand your skincare routine with powerful ingredients, take a closer look at your diet, perhaps add collagen supplements and occasionally give your skin a boost such as a connective tissue massage treatment!
Until next time!
-xoxo-
Michelle