How to Slow Collagen Breakdown
July 23, 2021 by Ana
Beauty is diverse, and aging doesn’t change that. However, we all want healthy, glowing, and younger-looking skin, don’t we?
And when we talk about stunning skin, we immediately think of collagen, the most abundant protein in the body. It is not only the major building block of skin but also tendons, ligaments, and bones.
As we age, the collagen levels in the body start depleting, causing the skin to thin and leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Actually, beginning in our early twenties, collagen production decreases by approximately 1% with each year of age.
The good news is that we could slow down its loss. If you want to find out more about the lifestyle changes you need to make to restore your beautiful skin, continue reading!
Reduce Stress
Stress does more to you than ruining your days. It can also spark inflammation causing your body’s ability to produce collagen. During periods of stress, your body is too busy fighting it, using most of its resources, and allowing inflammations to appear. This is why taking care of your psychological well-being is crucial.
Whatever helps you relax is welcome. Whether we talk about long walks, yoga sessions, meditations, or weekends spent at the spa, don’t underestimate your pampering moments. They are great for your mental and physical health, as well as for your looks.
Add Beauty-Boosting Foods to Your Diet
You are what you eat. Too often, we ignore this old saying, but if you want to look and feel great, it’s time for it to become your mantra.
A diet rich in vitamin C (berries, kiwifruit, citrus fruits), zinc (red meat, shellfish), manganese (almonds, walnuts), and copper (liver, oysters) can play a crucial role in boosting your skin’s immunity and the production of collagen.
And for the ultimate change, cut out harmful foods! Always avoid highly processed foods, and keep an eye on your sugar and carbs intake. These cause inflammation, decreasing your skin’s collagen.
Don’t Underestimate Hydration
Water is life, and you need it to boost your metabolism, have a healthy digestive process, get more energy, stay sharp, remove your body’s natural waste products, and prevent diseases. Also, hydration plays a crucial role in the production of collagen.
When you don’t properly hydrate, your skin gets dry, and collagen can’t repair itself. Not to mention that Vitamin C, a necessary vitamin to make collagen, is water-soluble! This means your body needs to be hydrated to use vitamin C for stimulating collagen production.
Protect Your Skin from the Sun's UVA Rays
Sun is a fantastic source of Vitamin D, and a holiday by the beach is something we can all indulge in once in a while. But, overexposure to the sun's UVA rays can also hurt collagen stimulation.
Yes, there is a proven connection between UV rays, loss of collagen, and premature skin aging. They directly damage the fibers called elastin, causing your beautiful skin to stretch, sag, and lose its ability to go back. The effects will be visible in time, but they begin early in your life with freckles, age spots, rough and leathery skin, or spider veins.
- However, applying sunscreen frequently will help you protect your skin and maintain its collagen production. Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and apply it a few times during the day, as you will most likely sweat it off in a couple of hours.
Improve Your Care Routine with Retinoids
Your beauty routine is crucial, and you have to carefully pick the products you use, even if sometimes this means investing more than usual. Adding topical retinol and retinoids is a must if you want to improve your aged skin appearance. They are vitamin A derivatives that upregulate genes and act by stimulating collagen production in the deep layers of the skin, help facilitate skin cell turnover, improve its tone and texture, and decrease the size of the pores.
If you have sensitive skin, you can use Bakuchiol instead of retinoids. This is a natural alternative that acts similarly, stimulating collagen production without any risk of irritation.
A Good Peptide Cream is A Must-Have
When talking about beauty routines, we shouldn’t forget about peptide creams and serums. Peptides are amino acids that do wonders to improve skin firmness, tone and laxity by stimulating collagen and elastin.
Whether you choose a serum or a moisturizer that contains peptides, applying it every day can lead to firmer, younger-looking skin and maybe even fewer breakouts. Make sure you properly read the list of ingredients before choosing the peptide cream for your skin. For the best effect, look for products that also have niacinamide, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
Correct the Already Visible Lines
As you can see, there are plenty of things you can do to boost collagen production and slow down its loss. Aging, however, is a natural process, and everybody goes through it.
But you can do it beautifully! And to help you out, we’ll share a secret with you. There is something else you can do to repair the already visible lines you have. Correct them by stretching your skin!
You don’t have to look for an invasive beauty treatment or spend lots of money, as Blumbody smoothing pads and patches will do all the stretching your skin needs.
Just apply them every night and let them enhance your skin tone and prevent new wrinkles formation. They do that by improving irregular collagen structure and creating an increased blood flow, everything while you rest. They are also comfortable and easy to apply, finally turning the idea of beauty sleep into reality!
