Collagen is an ingredient getting a lot of press these days. It is a protein found almost everywhere in the body, including your muscles, bones and skin. It literally holds everything together in your skin, giving it strength , elasticity, and radiance. When you are young you have large amounts of it, and as you age, production declines and weakening of the skin’s structure begins. This occurs in the deeper layer of the skin called the dermis. When you boost your collagen through the various ways I will list, you also help your hair, nails, joints, metabolism and energy ! So now you can care more about collagen, yes?
Today we will talk about some ways that we can give our bodies a boost in creating more of this wonderful protein.
You may have been hearing about Bone broth. It is made exactly as it sounds, and can now be found in stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods. This can be made from the bones of free-range chicken, grass-fed cows, or wild-caught fish, and contains many cell-regenerating nutrients, minerals, and collagen. Of course you can make your own (recipes are available online) and even store them as ice cubes to zip up your water or use as cooking broth.
- Dietary sources-You will be amazed at the difference this makes! A balanced diet can do wonders for the quality and tone of your skin. Vitamin C enriched fruits and veggies contain the essential amino acids necessary for good collagen formation. Those that have been reading my articles may remember my suggestion to drink fresh-squeezed lemon juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach? I said this was for liver-cleansing , but now you know it will create better skin! You may also want to include oranges, grapefruits, mangoes, and strawberries for their vitamin C. Eating red fruits and veggies have high levels of antioxidants, such as sweet potatoes, tomatoes and carrots. A fun fact that I read recently is that these antioxidants build up under the skin and actually create a natural sun protection factor of 4 on your skin(natural sunscreen and wrinkle fighters)! Since amino acids are such a building block of collagen as well, eggs are also an excellent choice. For all the above mentioned reasons , you want to eat your dark green vegetables. Of particular benefit are spinach, kale, collards, and asparagus to utilize protein and strengthen the manufacture of collagen. Avocado oil is great for helping skin glow, is deeply hydrating and compatible with your skin’s natural oils. It may be subbed out for olive oil in food prep and frying.
- Supplementation– I have also mentioned a great collagen powder that I buy at Sprouts called Derma Matrix by Neocell. I mix it in my morning lemon water as it best utilized on an empty stomach. It also contains vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid ( so amazing for cellular hydration and joints). This has great ability to increase your skin’s hydration and give firmer, softer skin.
- Topical treatments and products-Yes , shameless plug for what I can offer at Sleekskin Aesthetics in this arena! As I noted, Vitamin C has a major role in creating new and better collagen. My Brilliance Antioxidant Serum contains Kakadu Plum, the highest containing fruit for vitamin C, found in Australia and getting very famous in the skin care world! It also contains another up and coming antioxidant superstar ingredient, Astaxanthin (this is what gives salmon their orange color), to deliver intensive levels of collagen synthesizing ingredients. If you wish to read more on Brilliance Antioxidant Serum just go to the products tab on this site. I also do LED light therapy to stimulate the fibroblast cells that reside in the dermal layer to create more collagen. This is a 10 or 20 minute addition to any facial with a new FDA approved device and has no downtime. Clients are so happy with the glowing and firming results! The facial massage that I incorporate in treatments boosts blood circulation and collagen production. Do you need any more justification to “relax your way to better skin?”
- I have covered many of the Do’s of boosting collagen, but I must mention a couple of Don’ts : Smoking kills off collagen by eating many proteins and restricting blood flow. Excessive sugar consumption has the same effect. When collagen is weighed down by glucose, it becomes rigid and results in dull, dry, and aged skin.
Paying attention to the collagen boosting nutrients , topical treatments and products really can have you “turning back the clock”! I have included a wonderful article and recipe here for you to try as well. Vow to improve your collagen in 2017!
Yours in Beauty,
Debbie Davis 480-315-1364
Interested in learning more about Collagen? Check out THIS article for more info!