Collagen

It's impossible to talk about anti-aging skincare without certain ingredients coming up in the conversation, one of which being collagen. The reason for that? Among other roles, collagen is the most important structural protein in our skin and is responsible for giving us plump, youthful-looking skin. But thanks (or rather, no thanks) to aging and other outside factors, our collagen breaks down over time. In an effort to restore that collagen, we turn to whatever we can get our hands on the fastest, be it collagen creams, collagen-stimulating ingredients, collagen supplements—the list goes on.

TYPE OF INGREDIENT: Protein.

MAIN BENEFITS: Moisturizes the skin.

WHO SHOULD USE IT: Graf says in general, anyone interested in moisturization and anti-aging can use collagen skincare.

HOW OFTEN CAN YOU USE IT: Graf says topical collagen, as well as oral collagen, can be used on a daily basis. When applied to the skin, collagen can be used be morning or night or both as it's not sun-sensitizing.

WORKS WELL WITH: If your ultimate goal of using collagen skincare is to stimulate collagen production, Hayag recommends adding to your routine a retinoid or retinol (which she calls the gold standard for boosting collagen) or peptides and growth factors as a less irritating option that can help by acting as “messengers” to signal cells to create collagen. Hayag also recommends vitamin C (another collagen producer) and sunscreen with UVA protection to prevent your collagen from breaking down further.

DON'T USE WITH: In general, collagen is safe to use with most ingredients and topical products. "When you apply hydrolyzed collagen, it gets right into the skin and penetrates rapidly," Graf explains, and for that reason, she says it shouldn't interfere with any other product or ingredient.

What Is Collagen?

Collagen is often referred to as the body’s scaffolding, and the reason for that is because, as we mentioned above, it's the most important structural protein in your skin. Not only is collagen made in our bodies, but it can also be derived from plants and animals. It's available in topical and ingestible forms, and in the past, it was also a popular injectable (we'll dive deeper into the different forms a little later on). As far as topicals, collagen is found most commonly in creams (aka collagen creams), but depending on your intended goal, your collagen skincare products might not be as effective as you would think or hope.

Hayag says not only do we naturally produce less collagen starting in our 20’s, but we also lose collagen with age and other factors, like sun exposure, smoking, or sugar. In other words, as we age, we lose more collagen than we make. So what's the fix? One idea is to apply collagen to the skin with collagen skincare in an attempt to replenish it, but here's why Graf says that doesn't quite work: simply put, the entire collagen molecule is very, very large, and way too big to penetrate the epidermis of the skin. 

However, as Graf explains it, hydrolyzed collagen is enzymatically broken down into fragments that have a delivery of getting into the dermis, and therefore, it's actually able to get into the position of where collagen would be. Even still, Hayag says not enough clinical testing has been done to support the idea that this would lead to making collagen.

Benefits of Collagen for Skin

According to Graf, putting collagen into your skin isn't going to stimulate other collagen, sadly enough. However, collagen is known for having great moisturizing benefits when applied topically, so if your nightly routine consists of applying a collagen cream, it's not a total loss. As Hayag puts it, topical collagen creams are said to improve fine lines and wrinkles by replacing the lost collagen, but in reality, the collagen mostly moisturizes it. Hayag says this can make the skin can feel softer and smoother, but as far as actually building collagen? 

Not so much.

Side Effects of Collagen

Despite the fact that your collagen cream, sadly, will not turn back time, Hayag says there's no harm in using one if you like the way it feels and the results you get. However, Graf points out that it's possible to be allergic to any molecule or any chemical in any skincare product, so if you have a reaction to it, stop using it. And the same goes for supplements. "I would probably recommend finding out where the collagen is derived from," Graf adds. "If someone is allergic to cows milk, then they probably should avoid collagen that comes from a cow."

How to Use It

Whether it's an ingestible or topical form of collagen skincare, Graf says you can use it any time of the day, morning or night. As a moisturizer, collagen cream can be applied either once or twice a day, according to Graf. For either form, it's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions.