What Is Collagen And Why Is It Important In Skincare
Collagen sounds like such a dream ingredient. It’s popular in anti-aging skincare product marketing and is even used by models in makeup ads. But much of this hype is misunderstood by consumers. What is collagen, where does it come from, and what does it actually do for the skin — or not do? Collagen helps make up the structural proteins which, in turn, makes up 20-25% of your skin. This amounts to approximately 1.2-2.0 mg of collagen per square centimeter of skin (source). The skins ability to make this substance declines as you age which contributes to aging and effecting your appearance. However, even in healthy people, collagen production slows down with age, causing the skin to become less elastic and eventually leading to wrinkles and sagging. Despite these negative effects of aging, the decline of collagen production doesn’t mean we can no longer have youthful skin. In fact, the body produces less collagen starting in our 20’s, but we also lose collagen with ...