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Collagen nonsense?! Or an effective beauty supplement?

Collagen is a protein naturally found in the skin. The word collagen comes from the Greek word ‘kolla’, meaning to bind together or glue. Collagen keeps our organs and tissues in place.

Where is collagen found in your body?You’ll find collagen in the layer beneath the epidermis (the dermis). Collagen fibres provide the skin with strength and firmness there. But it’s found in other places too: our bones, tendons and ligaments, hair and nails are also made of collagen.

What is collagen good for? Collagen is best known for its elasticising effect on the skin. It helps you look young and radiant. It also keeps your hair full and shiny. Less well known is that collagen keeps your joints flexible, supports muscle development and protects your organs.

How is collagen produced?Our bodies produce collagen themselves. There is just one problem: after the age of 25, the body becomes less and less able to produce collagen on its own. After the age of 50, our bodies produce hardly any collagen themselves. Women in particular are affected by this.

What are the effects of too little collagen in your body?The visible effect of too little collagen in your body is skin ageing. Your skin becomes thinner, has less volume, begins to sag and develops deeper wrinkles. More cellulite also develops on your thighs, buttocks and arms. In addition, your muscles and joints become stiffer due to a lack of collagen, and you may move less freely.

How can you increase the amount of collagen in your body?To increase the amount of collagen in your body, it is important both to stimulate collagen production and to slow collagen breakdown. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this.

How can you slow down collagen breakdown?

Use sunscreenSun exposure remains the biggest cause of skin ageing. To limit collagen breakdown, it is therefore best to protect your face with a sunscreen that protects against both UV-B and UV-A, preferably with added antioxidants.

Stop eating sugarDid you know that (fast) sugars can cause wrinkles? Put simply, the sugars attach themselves to the collagen in your skin, causing it to harden and become damaged. This process is called glycation. Reduce your sugar intake to slow down collagen breakdown.

Stop smokingSmoking also causes a loss of collagen fibres. This is one reason smokers develop deeper wrinkles more quickly. Smoking also seriously depletes the antioxidants that protect the skin.

How can I stimulate collagen production?

Eat smart for more collagen.Eating a healthy, varied diet helps your skin function optimally from within. Examples of foods that give your collagen a real boost include avocado, red vegetables and fruit, fish (omega-3 fatty acids), carrots, garlic and citrus fruits.

Sleep longer for more collagen.The skin produces new collagen while you sleep. Researchers in Cleveland studied the effect of long-term poor or insufficient sleep on the skin. What did they find? People who consistently sleep too little or poorly are more likely to experience accelerated skin ageing. Short sleep also causes drier skin, making fine lines more visible.

Take in extra collagen.Adding collagen to your diet by taking a collagen supplement helps your body restore the firmness of your skin. On top of that, it strengthens your hair and nails and helps keep your muscles and joints supple.

Taking collagen: creams, supplements or injections?

Collagen creams

There are many collagen creams that promise to firm the skin. Applying collagen to your skin does not help prevent skin ageing. Collagen has a structure that is too large to penetrate the top layer of skin and reach the dermis, where it needs to be. You can therefore leave collagen skincare products on the shelf.

Collagen injections

Collagen injections were widely used in the 1990s. By injecting collagen directly into the skin, it does penetrate to the dermis. An injection produces immediate results. The downside is that injections can become quite expensive and only remain effective for three to six months. The body then breaks down the collagen and the effect disappears.

Collagen supplements

In recent years, numerous studies have shown that collagen supplements can visibly reduce wrinkles. In 2013, for example, a double-blind study investigated the effects of collagen supplements. After 8 weeks, a significant increase in the amount of collagen in the skin was found. Taking collagen is therefore a proven effective way to replenish your collagen levels.

When is it beneficial to take additional collagen supplements?

Collagen supplements are a good idea if you suffer from:

● Deeper facial wrinkles● Dry skin that is becoming less firm● Stretch marks or cellulite● Thin, dull hair or hair loss● Visible facial capillaries (couperose)● Stiff joints● Digestive complaints such as bloating● Brittle nails● Acne



What should I look for in collagen supplements? Would you like to take extra collagen? Then choose a supplement containing hydrolysed collagen. This is collagen that has been broken down into small particles, also known as amino acids or peptides. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, making it easy for your intestines to absorb. It has essentially been ‘pre-digested’.