FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

IS COLLAGEN IN SERUMS AND SMOOTHIES THE ANSWER TO WARDING OFF WRINKLES? JULIETTE WINTER INVESTIGATES THE BEAUTY BENEFITS OF THIS ESSENTIAL PROTEIN.

Eat it, apply it — is collagen a miracle ingredient for wrinkles and beauty?

YOU CAN HAVE it in your coffee, knock it back via a clay shot, sip it in a smoothie, or just slather it straight on your skin. Whatever your delivery method of choice, collagen is currently marketed in countless pills, powders, liquids and topical lotions as the end to our wrinkle-battling woes. So … is it?

“It would be fabulous if it were as easy as downing a smoothie or capsule to plump up our sagging skin, or to prevent it getting that way in the first place,” says Dr Katherine Armour, dermatologist and co-founder of Bespoke Skin Technology. Dr Armour says that both internal and external factors contribute to collagen loss — ageing, pollution, cigarette smoke, diet and inflammation levels all chew up collagen in your body.

The premise behind swallowing collagen supplements and slathering on creams seems solid enough: collagen is an important building block in your skin. It makes up around a third of the protein in skin and is structurally vital but, like most things, we make less of it as we get older. “Loss of collagen leads to loss of plumpness and sagging of the skin and, ultimately, wrinkles. So, if we can increase the levels of collagen in our skin, we may delay the onset of dreaded wrinkles,” says Dr Armour.

Collagen loss starts earlier than you might think. “We lose one per cent of our dermal collagen each year from the age of 20,” says Dr Armour, who adds that the real damage is done around menopause. “Studies show that at least 30 per cent of the skin’s collagen is lost in the first five years post menopause.”

So, how can you replace lost collagen? As far as topical creams are concerned, experts suggest choosing a moisturiser with active ingredients that stimulate your body to produce its own collagen. “Collagen is too large a molecule to penetrate through the skin, and in particular through to the dermis, where it needs to be,” says Dr Armour. “However, there is abundant scientific evidence that topically applied retinoids, glycolic acid and polyhydroxy acids, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and niacinamide (vitamin B3) all stimulate increased production of dermal collagen in the skin.”

The large molecular size of collagen also makes it problematic for the body to efficiently absorb internally.

“Because collagen is a large molecule and can’t be absorbed in its whole form, it has to be broken down into peptides of 2-3 amino acids, which increases its bioavailability,” says Jessica Hoskins, clinical nutritionist and herbalist at Sage and Folk. “I certainly recommend collagen for a range of issues including gut health, joint health as well as skin.”

Be aware, though, that precisely which of these issues taking collagen might improve will be determined by factors beyond your control. There’s no guarantee that any collagen you consume will make a difference to your skin — everything from daily diet to your general digestive health will affect how much of it is absorbed and where it is put to work. “The human body is clever and efficient in prioritising its own needs … you may require the collagen elsewhere in the body, like for wound healing,” says Jessica. Which means it won’t go to plumping up your skin.

If collagen loss is a concern, both experts recommend addressing your diet first. “Your body can do the job just fine,” says Dr Armour. “If you eat meat, you’ll definitely be getting enough collagen. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, your body can make its own collagen.”

Ensuring your diet is rich in vitamin C is also essential as there is evidence to suggest that this can also boost production of collagen. “Some evidence even suggests that regular kiwi fruit consumption can double collagen synthesis, probably due to its vitamin C content,” says Jessica, who recommends kiwi fruit, guava, red capsicum, oranges, strawberries, and broccoli as good sources of vitamin C. “Just note that vitamin C is very sensitive to heat, so to preserve its skin-loving effects, eat them raw or cook very lightly. ”

As well as a healthy diet, there are two important extrinsic factors that will help to decrease the breakdown of collagen and to stimulate more collagen production in the skin’s fibroblasts. “The most important thing to protect your skin’s precious collagen is to sun protect every day with a broad spectrum UVA and UVB blocking sunscreen,” says Dr Armour.

In terms of skincare, she recommends using evidence-based ingredients, namely vitamin A (retinol), vitamin B3 and vitamin C. “As the Jackson Five so famously said, it’s as easy as A-B-C.”

“The human body is clever and efficient in prioritising its own needs.”