Something about Collagen

Did you know that about 80% of our skin is composed of collagen? Also, skin that is smooth and supple has a lot more collagen than saggy and wrinkly skin. Collagen, along with keratin & elastin, which are two other proteins found in skin and hair, all give the skin its firmness, strength and elasticity.

The body naturally produces collagen but this production can be disrupted due to a variety of factors including UV radiation from the sun’s rays, poor nutrition, cigarette smoke, alcohol consumption as well as environmental pollution. Even without any of these factors, collagen production still reduces as part of the natural aging process.

The anti-aging market is brimming with collagen supplements, lotions, pills and even drinks that are said to boost collagen and reverse aging.

Types of Collagen

There are many types of collagen in the human body and in different tissues. The following three are the most common.

Collagen Types 1 & 3 for Hair, Skin, Nails, and Bones

• minimize fine lines and wrinkles
• improve elasticity
• support the bone matrix (36% of bone is made up of collagen Type 1 and 3)
• correct weak or damaged nail beds
• thicken fine hair, slows hair loss
• improve circulation
• promote glycine production which builds leans muscle and helps burn fat during sleep
• supplement with collagen may also, increase skin hydration, decrease micro-furrows, and increase skin suppleness

Collagen Type 2 for Joint and Cartilage Support

• makes up 50-60% of protein in cartilage
• makes up 85-90% of collagen in articular cartilage
• may reduce popping knees
• may support back, jaw, and joints
• includes glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid

Some lotions and topical skin care products containing collagen will just sit on the skin without getting absorbed owing to the molecule size. What they can do though, is moisturize, smooth and soften skin – making it beautiful on the outside. Then what we can do to maintain collagen level in our body? What happens if we have an unhealthy collagen level?

Overview

Internal factors that affecting our skin condition: Natural aging, Hormonal changes and Unbalanced nutrition. Apart from the skin care and cosmetics products, we should improve our condition internally. Our bodies begin to produce less collagen when we are around the age of 30 and accelerates in our 40s. We will have sign of aging, like appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin, loss of radiance, loss of firmness and elasticity.

Action

We should give the right nutrients to our skin timely. Lifestyle Habits can contribute to collagen loss, such as sugar intake, exposure to UV and tobacco usage, that we have to avoid Other than that, we may consider some collagen drinks intake, in addition to taking Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Copper, and Zinc, etc.

Our choices

There is a number of collagen drinks offered in the market. How to choose the best out of them?

Q: How many mg of collagen per bottle?

A: Compare the total mg of collagen in one single bottle, among the same volume.

Q: What type of collagen?

A: Smaller molecular size allows good absorption and assimilation, where the Marine Collagen has this good feature.

Q: Where the collagen comes from?

A: Collagen can be extracted from fish, chicken, cows and pigs. Peptan are Type 1 collagen peptides, the same type as found in our bones and skin. Peptan are bioactive collagen peptides, their hydrolyzed form makes them easily digestible by humans. Peptan can support overall mobility and skin beauty.

Other than that, essential oils are natural concentrated substances extracted from aromatic plants and they have a really tiny molecular structure that enables them to penetrate deep into the skin and enter the blood stream. Some collagen drinks are infused with Essential Oils and antioxidants, such as wolfberry extracts, added with some skin support minerals like zinc and copper. Last, the amount of sugar added is also a concern, naturally flavored without added sugar would be a better choice.

Hopefully with good collagen intake, in addition to a better lifestyle, we expect improved skin hydration and natural radiance enhancement as well as less occasion of lines and wrinkles – making it beautiful from inside to outside.

Reference link：https://youtu.be/FbP83GB3sYw

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