How to promote natural collagen production to combat wrinkles and fine lines, loss of firmness, cellulite, etc.
Collagen is one of the main factors responsible for the appearance of signs of aging on our faces. Or rather the effects of time on its structure, quality, and production.
If our collagen ages, we age too. This is an unavoidable process, but its manifestations can be delayed and mitigated.
Collagen production can be promoted naturally to delay skin aging and stay in shape for longer. This can be done by moving your collagen fibers, adopting a healthy lifestyle, having the right nutrients in your diet and cosmetics, and having a protective skin care routine.
Read on to discover the habits, care and cosmetic routine to naturally stimulate your collagen.
Table of Contents
How to promote natural collagen production: Introduction
Collagen is the body’s youthful ally and a fibrous protein produced by dedicated cells, the fibroblasts.
Collagen and elastin constitute the essential fibers of our connective tissues such as the cartilages of our joints, tendons, muscle fibers, epidermis, mucous membranes, the ocular cornea, etc.
The role of collagen is to provide strength and flexibility, the ability to stretch without breaking.
On a daily basis, our collagen fibers are attacked, stiffened or destroyed but also replaced.
Except that our aging fibroblasts are less and less numerous and efficient with the years since the production of new fibers is of lower quantity and quality.
Of course, collagen is not the only one responsible for skin aging, the appearance of wrinkles, and the sagging of our features.
Our stock of elastin also dries up, which ensures the skin’s elasticity, our level of hyaluronic acid, and our sebum production.
The aging of the skin is inevitable
Cell renewal and blood microcirculation become less efficient. Our skin is less resistant to external aggressions and a vicious circle sets in.
Our fibroblasts and collagen in particular are exposed to these aggressions. Particularly to the free radicals by which we are surrounded.
So much so that our organism ends up not being able to counter them anymore, oxidative stress wins and deteriorates our cells. The main victims are lipids and proteins, including our collagen.
Our whole skin ends up feeling it. Deep down, the structure of our dermis deteriorates and a dermis that lacks collagen is visible on the surface.
We see wrinkles, sagging features, a more blurred oval on the face, more visible cellulite, more frequent stretch marks on the body, and skin fibers that are less resistant to stretching.
Protecting and stimulating collagen naturally is possible
Skin aging is inevitable. So what’s the point of fighting?
First of all, taking care of your collagen means keeping your skin healthy for longer.
Above all, the degradation of our collagen fibers impacts our body well beyond a few wrinkles and less dynamic features.
The connective tissues, mainly composed of collagen, constitute the majority of the tissues of our body, playing a role of protection, connection, support, cohesion, etc.
The risks associated with collagen degradation include:
- Less toned arteries
- Cataract
- Loss of flexibility of tendons and ligaments
- Less resistant bones
- Osteoarthritis and joint pain
In short, taking care of your collagen is not just a matter of appearance.
And while it is wishful thinking to stop time when we’re 25 years old, it is possible to naturally protect and stimulate collagen.
5 keys to naturally stimulate your collagen
Of course, there are the radical solutions of aesthetic medicine such as a facelift to tighten the skin, filler injections, botox, etc.
But these come at a high cost for a short-term lifting effect, are not always very natural, and have potentially serious side effects.
There are many better ways to naturally take care of your collagen…
Take care of yourself (to take care of your collagen)
When it comes to skin care, relying solely on your cosmetics, no matter how effective, is an illusion. A poor lifestyle can ruin all your efforts!
The main enemies of collagen? Free radical sources and cortisol boosters:
- Caffeine disrupts sleep and boosts our cortisol as well as stress and fatigue. Adequate, quality sleep is essential. It is at night that cell renewal is most active, so relax!
- Alcohol and tobacco destroy fibroblasts and vitamin C, which is essential for collagen synthesis.
- UV rays are the primary source of free radicals that stiffen and alter your collagen fibers. You need to protect your skin from the sun and stay reasonable on sun exposure.
Move your collagen fibers
Take advantage of the application of your care products to boost your microcirculation and your fibroblasts with light but prolonged upward circular massages.
It’s even better to take it to the next level with real facials.
No need for accessories, your hands are enough with ideally a few drops of firming oil. Three to four minutes of small massages and larger movements, tapping, palpating and rolling daily.
Your fibroblasts will express their satisfaction by producing more collagen.
Add also some physical exercise, also for your face! There are tons of facial exercises to tone the muscles of the face and act directly on the fibroblasts and their production of collagen. Choose 2 to 3 to be done regularly.
On the body side, gentle and regular activity is necessary to benefit from many other positive effects such as muscle tone, oxygenation, etc. However, don’t overdo it because, in excess, it increases the cortisol that destroys collagen.
To protect and stimulate your collagen, you need the right nutrients in your diet and your cosmetics.
The must-haves
- Active ingredients that stimulate fibroblasts: vitamin C, retinoids derived from vitamin A, natural plant hyaluronic acid, calcium from coralline algae, etc.
- Good essential fatty acids that protect collagen
- Active antioxidants
Essential oils
Some essential oils help boost collagen production such as Cistus, Immortelle, Damask Rose, Petitgrain, etc.
Other plant extracts that help collagen production include Gingko Biloba, Spirulina, Mimosa tenuiflora, Lilies, Centella asiatica, etc.
Feed your skin as you feed yourself, because your skin also needs a balanced and diversified diet. Look for the abovementioned active ingredients in natural, healthy, plant-based skincare products.
Of course, you can find them in many anti-aging, anti-wrinkle and anti-spot skincare lines and many protective and repairing stretch mark treatments.
Vegetable oils
- Jojoba, Green Tea and Argan are rich in antioxidants.
- Baobab is rich in vitamin C.
- The Rosehip or the Sacha Inchi are rich in retinoids.
- Avocado is a powerful collagen booster.
- Borage also has an anti-UV protective effect, as does Evening Primrose, which is even capable of restructuring collagen fibers.
A protective and stimulating care routine for your collagen
Adopting a rigorous and regular routine is important:
- Anti-aging care. It’s never too early to get started. The process is already well advanced when the first signs of weakness in your collagen fibers are visible. Depending on your lifestyle and heredity, enrich your routine sooner or later:
- A few drops of firmness booster serum in your usual moisturizer to start.
- Then an anti-aging night cream.
- Add a few drops of a lifting oil before/after. You can start with occasional treatments when your skin seems to be losing its tone and then adopt it as a daily anti-aging routine.
- Don’t forget the eye area!
- Moisturize, morning and night, with a moisturizer adapted to your skin rich in antioxidants.
- Gentle but thorough cleansing and removal of impurities and pollution particles from your skin, which are sources of oxidation. Do not forgo this in the evening, even if it’s late.
A pro-collagen diet
Your first instinct should be to look at your plate for the cause of any skin problem. This is especially true for your collagen.
Try to get rid of bad eating habits that destroy collagen fibers:
- Certain alcoholic beverages, overcooked, grilled or fried foods, and overheated milk.
- Excess sugar is responsible for the phenomenon of glycation that stiffens collagen fibers and produces free radicals. We are talking about sugar in the broadest sense, such as cakes and sweets, sugar in your coffee, but also refined cereals and flours, white flour bread, industrial fruit juices, etc.
Foods that provide collagen are rare (egg yolk, bone broth, gelatin).
Apart from possible health problems, it is useless to take food supplements (often hydrolyzed collagen of animal origin (bovine or fish skin) and to be handled with caution).
Instead, focus on foods containing many nutrients that stimulate collagen production:
- Our skin’s best friends are always fresh, colorful, seasonal, and organic fruits and vegetables and seafood, legumes, whole grains, seeds, and offal.
- For these pro-collagen nutrients to circulate and be well assimilated, good lipids such as vegetable oils, oilseeds and fatty fish are needed on the menu. Cod liver oil or calf liver even helps restore collagen fibers.
- Also very important are the amino acids, vitamin A, sulfur, copper, zinc, silicon that boost fibroblasts, antioxidants (vitamin E, beta-carotene, polyphenols, lycopene, selenium…) that protect against free radicals and vitamin C that acts on these two levers.
How to promote natural collagen production: Conclusion
Of course, these great habits won’t make you any younger.
But with your collagen in top form, you are certain to age better with skin and joints that will remain in shape for longer.
Tip: You may also be interested in learning how to care for your skin during each stage of the menstrual cycle in our other article How hormones affect your skin before, during & after your period