Ways to build daily collagen-boosting habits for your body

Supplementing with collagen isn't the only solution. From skin care ingredients to lifestyle changes, here's how to boost collagen at home.

 

Collagen is what keeps our skin looking youthful and supple. However, collagen levels start to decline in our 20s and become more pronounced in our 30s, even during menopause, when hormonal changes can affect collagen levels. As collagen is lost, skin becomes thinner and less firm and elastic, making wrinkles and fine lines more noticeable and sagging skin worse.

That's why there are so many collagen supplements, collagen powders, and skin care products on the market that promise to rejuvenate you. Collagen creams seem like an obvious solution, but they don't work as advertised.

Although not all collagen products are as effective as expected, you can absolutely supplement collagen for your skin at home.

 

Use sunscreen

Regularly wearing sunscreen is the most effective way to prevent collagen loss. The earlier you start, the better. Sun damage causes inflammation in the skin and triggers an inflammatory response in the cells that produce collagen building blocks (fibroblasts), damaging them. As a result, they produce less collagen precursors and also start to break down collagen.

Use retinol

Retinol is an anti-aging wonder drug, including when it comes to collagen. It's a well-researched skin care ingredient known for its ability to increase collagen production and improve the overall appearance of skin.

They work in multiple ways: stimulating fibroblasts to produce new collagen, inhibiting collagen-degrading enzymes and accelerating epidermal cell turnover, helping to maintain the thickness of the dermis and promoting collagen growth.

Apply peptide serum

Peptides are short-chain amino acids that help build proteins like collagen. Therefore, they can stimulate the skin to produce more collagen by acting as messengers.

Peptides can work in a variety of ways to boost and protect collagen from breakdown, such as signaling skin cells, transporting and delivering ingredients, and blocking/inhibiting collagen-degrading enzymes.

 

Lifestyle adjustments

Small changes can make a big difference. Maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, and managing stress can all help maintain and support collagen production. Additionally, limiting alcohol and avoiding smoking can also be important lifestyle changes that can impact overall skin health.

Add antioxidants to your skin care routine

Antioxidants like vitamin C help protect the skin from free radical damage and can stimulate the production of new collagen. Research shows that vitamin C is essential for collagen production, and since our bodies cannot produce vitamin C on their own, we need to supplement it by eating foods rich in it and applying it topically through skin care products to treat skin problems.

Vitamin C supports enzymes that strengthen and bind collagen fibers, thereby indirectly improving the structural stability of collagen. Additionally, it acts as a powerful antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals and reducing inflammation, both of which can break down and weaken collagen.

Pay attention to your diet

Although there are many different types of collagen, types I, II, and III are the most common in the human body. All collagen is made up of amino acids, including glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. However, collagen lacks tryptophan, one of the nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce and must be obtained through food.

Foods like bone broth, chicken (with skin), fish (with skin and bones!), tough meats like beef stew or sirloin, and gelatin are all rich in collagen.

Similar to how vitamin C in skin care can help support collagen, vitamin C is also essential for collagen production in the body, making it an important nutrient for healthy skin.