Generally, you may have heard the reference to collagen in terms of skin. However, this protein is also found in the bones and muscles of your body. They help strengthen your muscles and bones and improve your skin's elasticity. The skin that lacks collagen experiences ageing symptoms like wrinkles and fine lines.

Keep reading to learn more about collagen, its types, and its functions.

What is collagen?

From healing wounds to maintaining skin elasticity, collagen is a protein that multitasks in your body. It is present in connecting tissues of your body, which are found in muscles and skin. This protein is also found in blood vessels and the digestive system. The body naturally produces collagen. However, the level of production decreases with age. In such instances, collagen supplements and creams help boost this protein in your skin.

Have you noticed how plump and smooth a child's skin is? Elastin and collagen are responsible for it. These proteins work in tandem to deliver the plump and bouncy appearance that adds youthfulness to your skin. While your body produces collagen throughout your lifetime, its production level decreases with age. Similarly, the level of elastin production also decreases as you grow. Ultimately, your skin loses its ability to stretch and take its shape back, making it feel older.

Benefits of collagen

As you may have understood from the previous section, collagen is essential for maintaining the firmness and elasticity of your skin. Consuming the best collagen supplement or applying its cream may have the following benefits.

• Increased skin hydration

• Reduced dark spots

• Reduced effects of ageing

• Improved blood flow

• Reduced visibility of stretch marks

• Prevention and reduction of scar marks

• Protection from free radicals that break the existing collagen in the skin

Side effects of collagen

Despite the several benefits, there are some downsides to consuming collagen tablets. You must check with your doctor before starting supplements or creams to boost collagen production in your skin.

The collagen form of protein can be derived from products like eggs, shellfish, and fish. If you are allergic to these food items, consuming or applying products sourced from them will cause allergies. Apart from this, collagen products are generally considered safe for consumption or application.

How to protect the skin's natural collagen?

Before understanding how to protect the naturally generated collagen in your skin, you must know the reasons that cause the loss of collagen. By preventing these actions, you will be able to save your natural elasticity without having to walk the extra mile.

Three main reasons for the loss of collagen are ageing, certain health conditions, and poor diet. The most common reason is ageing. Approximately near the age of 25, your skin starts to decrease the natural production of collagen. This leads to the generation of subtle fine lines that deepen with age.

However, if ageing isn't the reason for the decrease in collagen production in your body, you can relax because other reasons can be controlled. Smoking, consuming unhealthy meals, exposure to the sun's UV rays, consumption of alcohol above the recommended quantities, or having a poor diet are the other manageable reasons that can be altered to regulate collagen production.

Which products boost collagen in the skin?

Another way of boosting collagen production is through the right skin care products. Listed below are the most effective products to help you in your skin improvement journey.

• Face gel: Face gel is a product that works like a moisturiser. It penetrates the deeper layers of your skin to create an even tone. A gel with collagen helps in tightening pores and reducing their visibility. The gel formulation of the product helps hydrate your skin without leaving an oily appearance.

   

  DermDoc Skin Tightening Face Gel with Hydrolysed Collagen is a moisturiser-cum-face gel. It helps protect the skin's natural collagen while boosting the production of new proteins. The ingredients of this item make it perfect for all skin types. The lightweight formulation feels like second skin throughout the day. It provides the benefit of skin and pore tightening for women of all ages.

   

• Sheet mask: Just like the Dermdoc Collagen Cream in the previous section, the work of a collagen sheet mask is similar. The job of a sheet mask is to tighten your skin effectively by supplying the required nutrients through a mask-shaped product. You can use such face masks about once every week to see the desired result.

   

  DermDoc Age Defying Collagen Sheet Mask is a collagen-based mask that provides maximum benefits for aged skin. It helps treat fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone easily. The super lush microfibers in the face mask feel soft on the skin and stay put without causing any uneasiness. Compared with other masks' fabric, this one stays firm like your second skin and provides 100% nutrients as desired.

How long do products with collagen take to show their effect?

According to a study, a product with collagen takes about eight weeks to show its effect. The best collagen for the skin will not generate instant results. It will penetrate your skin and take its time to show the desired result. The supplement or cream will increase the turnover of collagen in the skin according to the inherent cycle of collagen generation in your skin. However, the result also depends on the chemistry of your skin. For some people, it may provide faster results, while for others, the visibility of results may take time.

Conclusion

While collagen generation is a natural process that takes place in your skin, you can use supplements and creams to boost its production. By regularly applying a moisturiser or consuming collagen supplements, you will start noticing changes in your skin texture within two months of use. To learn more about collagen products, you can check out Dermdoc by Purplle.