What Is Collagen Loss?

If you know a thing or two about skin care, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the term Collagen. Even if you’re familiar with collagen by name, you may be wondering what exactly collagen is and why it’s so important. We’ve got all the facts you need to know, and more importantly, how to help maintain collagen and keep your skin looking youthful. Acting as a major component of the skin, collagen is a structural protein that plays an essential role in maintaining firmness in the skin. As women age, natural collagen levels decrease—typically falling by nearly 30% by menopause! This leads to the most visible signs of ageing, wrinkles, loss of firmness and sagging. How can we help to prevent this? By making a few lifestyle changes and using collagen-enhanced skin care products, you can help boost your skin’s collagen levels and rock a visibly firmer appearance. Let’s get started!

LOAD UP ON SUNSCREEN AND ANTIOXIDANTS

If you’re curious to know what causes collagen depletion in our skin, the most common causes include:
Smoking
Pollution
UV rays

Let’s focus on that last one. One of the best parts about living in Australia is the beautiful, sunny beach weather. Before you grab your bag and head out to get a tan, take a minute to practice safe sun protection measures. Our bodies require about two hours of sunlight over the span of two days which actually also activates collagen-degrading enzymes. Over-exposure from the sun’s harsh UV rays can hurt collagen production, so don’t forget to apply (and re-apply!) broad-spectrum sunscreen, seek shade in the peak UV hours of the day, wear a hat and sunnies. 

For normal daily and infrequent UV exposure, find a daily moisturiser that contains SPF, and apply it each morning as part of your daily skin care routine.

Now let’s cover off antioxidants. Your skin requires antioxidants to neutralise damaging free radicals (like pollution, dust and daily grime). Products that contain both Vitamin C and antioxidants can also help to stimulate collagen production. Antioxidants can be naturally found in green tea, cinnamon, blueberries, pomegranate extract, and basil, oregano and thyme essential oils.

LOOK OUT FOR THESE COLLAGEN-BOOSTING INGREDIENTS

Whilst switching up your diet and practising sun safety can prevent collagen loss, keep an eye out for products containing these collagen-building, anti-ageing ingredients to further nourish your skin.

VITAMIN A 

Skin care products that include Vitamin A derivatives, such as Retinoic Acid and Retinol, help to increase levels of procollagen—the precursor to collagen—and stimulate the body’s cells that aid collagen production. If you have sensitive skin and plan to use a product containing retinol, slowly introduce your skin to the ingredient and follow the directions for use.

VITAMIN C 

Arguably one of the most important skincare ingredients, Vitamin C is naturally found in fruits and leafy greens, such as broccoli, strawberries, papaya, spinach, kale and citrus fruits. Our bodies don’t produce Vitamin C on their own, so load up through your diet, an oral supplement or enriched skin cream.

HYALURONIC ACID 

We’re a bit partial to this one—Hyaluronic Acid hydrates the skin, which reduces the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles with a plumping effect. When the skin is protected and hydrated, increased cell production can take place as the skin cells are not busy fighting for hydration. This leads to smooth, dewy skin. It’s available as a supplement, but it can also be found in amino acid-rich foods like soy, beans and root veggies. Might we also recommend trying the Revitalift Filler 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum?

FIND THE RIGHT SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

Now that you know which ingredients to look out for, make sure to begin adding them to your daily skin care routine. Look for creams, moisturisers and serums that contain these collagen-stimulating ingredients, as these will dive into the skin’s deeper layers and help to maintain collagen levels.

If you’re after a day cream that hydrates and fights the signs of ageing, look no further than the Age Perfect Classic Day Cream. This cream is designed to fight age spots and sagging in mature skin. It contains soya bean extract and melanin-block to maintain the skin’s fibres and reduce the appearance of existing age spots leaving you with firmer, more even looking skin.

When it’s time for bed, reach for an anti-ageing night cream that is specially formulated for mature skin. The Age Perfect Classic Collagen Night Cream fights sagging and reduces the appearance of age spots overnight, leaving you with re-nourished, radiant skin in the morning.

Extend your skincare regime beyond day and night creams with an eye cream. The Classic Collagen Eye Cream is formulated with Collagen Amino Acid Fractions to visibly reduce sagging skin in the eye contour and help the eyes appear more lifted. 

OPT FOR PROFESSIONAL SKIN TREATMENTS

It’s great to know how to increase collagen using at-home products, but there are also a number of professional-grade skin care treatments that can help maintain collagen levels.

Red light therapy (or low-level laser light therapy) safely boosts your skin’s collagen production, whilst improving wrinkles and skin elasticity with minimal side effects. Laser resurfacing can activate collagen-producing cells and hyaluronic acid fillers. Microdermabrasion and chemical peels are also professional treatments that you can look into.

Always have a chat with your dermatologist or skin care specialist before seeking a tailored treatment plan. Do your research and take the time to understand any risks and benefits.
Now that you know both how to help maintain collagen levels and boost collagen, let’s take a step back and revisit the topic of Retinol—one of the most powerful anti-ageing ingredients. Head on over to our article What is Retinol & What Does Retinol Do? to learn more!