The Best Ways to Boost Collagen Production

Sadly, a lifetime of exposing our skin to the elements (think UV rays from the sun, harsh winds, environmental pollutants and toxins) will have an effect on our skin. Add to that, the impact of stress on our skin plus all the other things that we put our skin through (not removing our makeup at night, partying too hard, dehydration, a poor diet etc etc). It all adds up to one thing - a change in the appearance of our skin.

Even if we’ve lived a pure life, free from cigarettes, alcohol and sugar and have never laid out in the sun, baking ourselves or walked down a busy, polluted road, we’re still going to age. It’s a normal fact of life that the skin we’re born with isn’t the skin we’ll inherit as we grow older.

But the good news is, there are things we can do to slow down the ravages of time and delay the ageing process. We’ll never get our plump baby skin back, but we can have beautiful skin and love the skin we’re in. And that’s all down to a natural skin protein called collagen. So let’s take a look at how to boost collagen…

What is Collagen?

We might have heard of collagen in terms of collagen fillers that promise to plump up the cheeks and make our lips fuller. But what some of us might not know is that collagen is naturally present in our bodies already.

In fact, it’s the most abundant protein in the human body - around a third of all the protein in our body is collagen. We need it for normal blood clotting and wound healing and it’s a major component of our skin, blood vessels, bones, teeth, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

The word ‘collagen’ comes from the Greek word, ‘kólla’, which means glue - which also means it literally lives up to its name, as it’s the ‘glue’ that holds all of our tissues together.

There are four different types of collagen in the human body:

Type I - densely packed collagen fibres found in the skin, bones, cartilage (found in ligaments and tendons) and teeth.

Type II - loosely packed collagen fibres found in the cartilage that cushions the joints.

Type III - found in the supportive tissues such as the muscles, blood vessels and organs.

Type IV - found in the layers of skin to a lesser extent than type I.

Around 90% of all the collagen in our body is type I collagen and for the purposes of this article, and the fact we’re a skincare company that’s passionate about skin, this is the one we’re interested in.

Why is Collagen Important in the Skin?

The skin is a complex organ (the largest organ in the human body) made up of multiple layers of skin cells interspersed with blood vessels, hair follicles and sebaceous glands (that produce sebum, the wax like oily substance produced by the skin to help to keep it hydrated and supple).

Underneath the skin lies a framework made of type I collagen fibres (plus some elastin, another important protein in the plumpness - or not - of our skin). If we imagine this framework as a sort of biological scaffold, it’s easier to see how wrinkles and sagging can happen...

The skin sits on top of this collagen scaffold, and when we’re young, it happily sits there staying plump and lifted.

However, as we age, we naturally begin to lose strength in this collagen scaffold. The collagen we do produce is less robust than the collagen we produced when we were younger, and we produce less of it.

If we now imagine this biological scaffold starting to lose a few of its cross bridges as the collagen weakens, we can also imagine that the skin is no longer as well supported. Where we’ve lost collagen, the lower layers of skin that are resting on the scaffold begin to drop down through the holes (remember this is all happening on a microscopic scale).

This then takes the upper layers of skin with it, and we start to notice fine lines appearing, which eventually turn into deeper wrinkles, and areas of the skin begin to sag and droop. So it makes sense then, to do all we can to boost collagen production. But how?

How to Boost Skin Collagen Levels

The process of losing collagen is a natural consequence of ageing and, as yet, there isn’t a way of completely stopping or reversing this process. (The closest we have is injecting our skin with skin plumping collagen fillers, which isn’t permanent nor for everyone).

How to boost skin collagen then, without the use of injectables? Read on…

How to Naturally Boost Collagen with Collagen Boosting Foods

We can help to naturally boost collagen levels. One of the most natural ways is to eat a diet rich in collagen boosting foods. Collagen requires vitamin C in order to be manufactured by the body. So filling up on plenty of citrus fruits, berries, kiwi fruits, broccoli, peppers and potatoes can boost vitamin C levels.

The body also requires two amino acids, the building blocks of protein, called proline and glycine in order to make collagen. Egg whites, dairy products, wholewheat bread, pasta and cereals, asparagus and mushrooms are all rich in proline whilst the edible skin of pork and chicken are rich in glycine.

If you don’t eat animal based foods, aim for ‘complete’ plant based proteins (that contain all of the essential amino acids) such as those found in quinoa, buckwheat and soya products such as tofu.

How to naturally boost collagen then, could be a simple case of changing our diet. This collagen boosting diet also has the added benefit of being a healthy, nutrient filled one too, which is beneficial for all aspects of physical and emotional health.

However, a collagen boosting diet can only do so much, so we can benefit from taking supplements that boost our levels of collagen.

Ways to Boost Collagen in Skin - Collagen boosting supplements

Collagen supplements are available as hydrolysed collagen or collagen peptides. Both are designed to be taken as drinks, powders or tablets to help top up declining collagen levels. (There’s even gin infused with collagen!)

They’re a great way to boost collagen in skin. However, this kind of collagen may not always be readily absorbed and used by the body, so we’ve gone one better with our Jump Start Silica Supplements. We’ve added silica to our skin supplements to help boost collagen production.

Silica is an oxide of silicon (we won’t go into a complex chemistry lesson, but if you want one, here’s more on the difference between silica and silicon). Also known as silicon oxide, silica is the form of silicon found in foods, especially cereals and cereal products.

Silicon cannot be well absorbed by the body, but when it reaches the low acidic pH of the stomach, it’s turned into silica, which is very easily absorbed by the body, or is more ‘bioavailable’.

But what does silica have to do with collagen and more importantly, the skin? Well, silica is important for the manufacture, strength and ‘stickiness’ of collagen and for the strength and elasticity of the skin.

The stronger and more elastic the skin, the more youthful it looks.

Silica does this by creating bonds between protein molecules in the skin. So if we think back to our protein scaffold made from collagen, if the bonds between the scaffolds are stronger, they’re less likely to break and we’re more likely to retain youthful looking skin.

This also allows the skin to retain more moisture, leading to better hydrated, and more youthful looking skin.

Finally, silica is a natural anti-inflammatory, which helps to reduce inflammation in the skin, an extra benefit if your skin is affected by conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

Dark, leafy, green vegetables such as leeks, green beans, asparagus, greens, cucumber and celery are all good food sources of silica (which are again all good foods to be eating) but as we age, yep, you’ve guessed it, we begin to lose our stores of silica. This equals the start of the loss of collagen.

So by supplementing with silica, we’re giving our skin the best chance of remaining youthful and free from the signs of collagen loss. So what are you waiting for?! Snap yours up here.

Extra Tips on a Collagen Boosting Lifestyle

Our collagen reserves might take a tumble as we begin to age (unbelievably, from around the age of 25) but that doesn’t mean we have to simply accept that. As we’ve suggested here, collagen boosting foods and collagen supplements can help.

There are also other lifestyle tips that can help to support healthy levels of skin collagen as we age.

Don’t Start Smoking (and Take Steps to Quit if you Do Smoke)

Smoking is a big no no for our overall health and the health of our cardiovascular system. But smoking is also detrimental to the health and the ageing process of our skin.

When we smoke, with each drag on a cigarette (or cigar or pipe - it’s not yet clear on vapes), we’re reducing the amount of oxygen that can reach the skin in the blood that travels in the tiny blood vessels called capillaries.

This reduced blood flow not only means reduced oxygen to the skin, it also means reduced nutrient flow. Reduced nutrients means fewer antioxidants that can go about their work neutralising damaging, ageing free radicals. Plus it means less support for collagen and elastin, which in turn leads to sagging, drooping and wrinkles.

It's clear then, that smoking speeds up the ageing process so seriously, don’t smoke and if you do, talk to your GP or pharmacist about help to give up.

Take Steps to Reduce Stress

Like smoking, stress takes its toll on the body as well as our emotional wellbeing and the appearance of our skin. When we’re stressed, we release the stress hormone, cortisol. Research suggests that stress and cortisol weakens our natural ability to heal and repair on a cellular level, which in turn speeds up the ageing process.

Destressing can be a case of switching off for a weekend, doing the things we enjoy and seeing the people we love. But it can also require much more than that. Mindfulness and regular yoga sessions can help, but if you’re under a lot of constant stress, speak to your GP about treatment options. These can include talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT.

Increase your Exercise Levels

Does exercise boost collagen levels? Not directly, but regular, moderate exercise can help to manage stress levels and keep the body healthy. Both of which will help to support healthy skin and collagen production.

The Right Skincare for Collagen Production

There are skincare treatments, such as alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) skin peels that can help to increase skin cell turnover and collagen production. These are best carried out in a skin salon by a professional who’s trained and experienced in the art of using skin peels.

You can also support healthy skin by using skincare products designed for skin that’s ageing, stressed out, oily or simply contrary. The Sönd skincare range has been developed with exactly that in mind, and will support, hydrate and nourish your skin from deep within the lower layers.

Healthy skin is happy skin and happy skin is more likely to produce more collagen. So give your skin a treat with Sönd!

Sources

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-best-way-you-can-get-more-collagen/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26926600/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29642579

This article is not meant to treat or diagnose. Please visit your doctor for advice about any health concerns you may have.

Dr Anna Brilli

About Anna

With more than 35 years of experience as a Medical Consultant and Holistic Nutritionist, Anna has developed her own alkaline-based approach for natural well-being. Annas holistic methodology helps slow down the ageing processes, cures problematic skin types and helps increase physical strength and mental clarity.

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