Collagen is a popular beauty ingredient composed of proteins from connective tissues of animals and plants that is many of our skin care products. Manufacturers claim that it improves skin elasticity and glow to fighting wrinkles. However, the truth of what topical collagen contributes is not as cut and dry as their marketing efforts make it out to be. Therefore, let me clarify more about what this ingredient can really do for skin beauty and its limitations.
One thing that you will immediately notice is that collagen boosts moisture levels when applying it to the skin. Yet, it fails short of solving the wrinkle problem when this particular ingredient is used along in skin care products. The reason is that the size of its molecules is too large to penetrate through the layers of the skin. Instead, these collagen creams just remain on the surface instead of getting in there to help with anti-aging.
This shortcoming of topical collagen changes considerably once it is included with other anti-aging ingredients to keep the skin youthful, especially around the eye and lip areas. These ingredients that collagen best teams up with are ones such as retinol, vitamin C, vitamin E, DMAE, antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids, and peptides such as copper along with extra ingredients to lock in more hydration such as hyaluronic acid. Together, the skin is better equipped to reverse damage to keep it youthful and renew itself as well as guard against sun damage.
Interestingly enough, formulas of collagen skin care with that type of anti-aging ingredients have been studied to be especially effective in treating wrinkles around the eye and lip areas when used consistently for at least three months.
Something else that is important when reading beauty product labels for collagen as an ingredient to prevent aging is the type of collagen listed. Reading hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides that are usually in the supplemental form has the smallest molecule to do the skin most good.
To ultimately benefit for a more youthful appearance is to add some collagen peptides to your diet to work internally. This will boost that skin care routine to maximize beauty. Just be patient and remember that results do not happen overnight, but take time before noticing that beautiful change in your skin.
