Collagen is fundamental to smooth, healthy-looking skin.
The fibrous protein firms and strengthens your skin, enhances elasticity, encourages cell renewal and even increases moisture levels.
So the more collagen you have, the firmer and smoother your skin will look.
But collagen production decreases as we age, so understanding how to boost your collagen levels is key to keeping your skin glowing and youthful.
Read on for everything you need to know about collagen (and what you can do to boost it).
The more collagen you have, the firmer and smoother your skin will look
Collagen is one of the main proteins in the body.
It provides structural support to skin, connective tissue, bones, and cartilage. Playing an important role in:
- tissue repair
- immune response
- cellular regeneration.
Why is collagen so important for your skin?
Collagen is the protein responsible for giving your skin structure - It’s essentially the building block of your skin.
It does this in several ways...
But…
Collagen production decreases as we age and as it breaks down it leads to less firmness, more wrinkles and sagging skin.
The good news is that men have more of it.
Men's skin has about 20-30% more collagen than a woman’s, giving it much more structural support.
The bad news…
These collagen levels drop rapidly after about the age of 40 leading to skin losing its elasticity and firmness. Wrinkles start to form more quickly, becoming deeper and more noticeable.
Your skin becomes dehydrated and uneven. There’s a loss of firmness and your complexion can start to look dull.
What causes collagen levels to go down?
As we age, our bodies naturally make less collagen. And the collagen in the deep skin layers deteriorates, changing from a structured network of fibers to a disorganized jumble.
But lifestyle and dietary factors can cause collagen production to drop more quickly as well. Too much sun exposure, smoking, excess alcohol, and lack of sleep and exercise can all damage collagen fibers reducing their thickness and strength, leading to sagging skin and wrinkles.
Collagen is also broken down by eating a high sugar diet, so you need to keep an eye on that too.
How can you boost collagen levels?
Unfortunately you can’t apply collagen directly to the skin to get all these benefits. The molecules are too big and can’t be directly absorbed from the skin’s surface.
Instead, you need to use skincare that encourages collagen production and protects the collagen you have.
And lifestyle plays a part too.
ENCOURAGE WITH THE RIGHT SKINCARE
Firstly, you need to protect your skin from the sun.
Excessive sun exposure degrades collagen, so take care to wear sufficient sunscreen every day - even on cloudy days. Look for one that’s SPF 30 or higher with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection.
Secondly, use skincare that incorporates peptides.
These support the skin’s ability to produce collagen.
Using a moisturizer that includes peptides will help your skin to boost collagen production back to healthy levels.
Not only does this combat the signs of aging that have already begun to appear but also helps keep future damage at bay.
It’s never too young to start, but it’s never too late either.
It is possible to rebuild your collagen levels. This doesn’t happen overnight, but you will definitely see results with continued use of a peptide-based moisturizer.
Use skincare that encourages collagen production and protects the collagen you have
Matrixyl® – the collagen-boosting peptide in our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer
Matrixyl® (or to be exact palmitoyl pentapeptide-4) is the peptide that we chose for our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer.
It has an advantage over other peptides used in skin care, because its results are proven to be long-lasting.
In independent clinical tests, our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer was found to have a significant moisturising effect on the skin not just when it was first applied, but also two and four hours after application.
There was an increase in the cutaneous hydration rate of 63% after 2 hours and 71% after 4 hours.
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is a synthesized chain protein created by linking five amino acid peptides.
This chain stimulates collagen synthesis, skin repair and production of healthy elastin making for a smoother skin surface.
It also boosts the skin’s production of Hyaluronic Acid which draws moisture into your skin.
So Matrixyl® helps diminish wrinkles and increases hydration levels.
Independent in vitro studies of Matrixyl® demonstrated an increase in production of Collagen I by 212% and Hyaluronic Acid by 267%.
Whilst another six month in vivo study showed mean wrinkle depth was reduced by 17%, skin surface area containing deep wrinkles was reduced by 68%, skin surface area containing moderate wrinkles was reduced by 51%.
And Matrixyl® achieves these impressive results without causing any irritation.
Firm, hydrate and regenerate your skin
Along with peptides, our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer also contains moisturising and skin-repairing ingredients and antioxidants.
So you can expect fantastic results against multiple signs of skin ageing.
It’s super lightweight and absorbs quickly - without creating shine!
And like all of our products Hydrating Daily Moisturizer is specially designed for a man's skin.
Along with Matrixyl®, we’ve included:
☑️ Hyaluronic Acid to smooth and hydrate your skin, further reducing fine lines and wrinkles
☑️ Vitamin E to even your skin tone and regenerate your skin
☑️ Jojoba Oil to moisturize deeply, without leaving any shine. (It has an oil-regulating action too, so it’s perfect if you are prone to oiliness or acne)
☑️ Aloe Vera to soothe, hydrate and condition your skin
Best Moisturizer for Smoother, Firmer Skin
MAKE LIFESTYLE IMPROVEMENTS TO BOOST COLLAGEN
The main thing is to stop all of the things that cause collagen to deplete.
So avoid the following:
- Excessive sun exposure (and always wear sunscreen)
- Smoking
- Excess alcohol
And try to get enough sleep and exercise. These two will improve your life and your health in so many ways – but will definitely help with encouraging collagen production.
And when it comes to your diet try to steer clear of foods that are high in added sugars. Along with over-processed foods, these can contribute to a process called glycation. This disrupts collagen production and negatively interferes with the way collagen interacts with other proteins, leading to signs of premature aging.
Can including collagen in your diet improve your skin?
There’s some controversy over whether eating collagen can directly benefit your skin. Collagen gets broken down into amino acids in the stomach, which are then distributed wherever the body most needs protein, which could be your skin.
Nevertheless, many of the foods that support collagen production are also good for your health so worth including in a healthy eating plan.
Foods like:
- Bone Broth
- Red meat
- Fish
- Nuts (especially walnuts)
- Egg Whites
- Berries
- Leafy Green Vegetables – Spinach, Kale, Broccoli
Collagen production also requires:
What about collagen supplements?
Collagen supplements work by stimulating your body to produce collagen on its own and may promote the production of other proteins, like elastin, that help the structure of your skin.
Most collagen supplements are hydrolized, which means the collagen is more easily assimilated into the bloodstream leading to renewed elasticity of the skin.
However, research is still in the early stages.
The Takeaway
Ramping up collagen levels will keep your skin looking firm, smooth and healthy - and reduces fine lines and wrinkles too.
It improves elasticity so that your skin bounces back and remains plump.
And peptides in skin care – like in our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer – also boosts skin’s production of Hyaluronic Acid.
So Hydrating Daily Moisturizer helps diminish wrinkles, increases hydration levels – and gives you smoother, firmer skin.
Check out the rest of our High-Performance Skincare Routine for Men below.
SHOP THE ROUTINE.
All you need to stay looking handsome.
PRESTIGE SKINCARE FOR MEN.
MADE IN FRANCE.
