THE ROLE OF COLLAGEN AND ELASTIN IN HEALTHY SKIN
Published March 15, 2023
When it comes to healthy skin, there are two proteins that you should be familiar with – collagen and elastin. These proteins work together to keep your skin looking youthful, toned, and vibrant. But what exactly are these proteins, where do they come from, where can they be found in the body, and how can you maintain them? Read on to find out.
WHAT IS COLLAGEN?
Collagen is a protein that makes up about 80% of your skin’s structure. It is found in the dermis, which is the middle layer of skin, and provides strength, firmness, and elasticity. It also helps protect against wrinkles by forming a protective barrier for the skin. Collagen is produced naturally by your body but can also be found in certain foods such as fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, and some fruits and vegetables.
THE ROLE OF COLLAGEN
Collagen is responsible for helping your skin appear plump and full because it binds to water molecules which helps retain moisture in the skin. This helps give your skin an overall dewy look and prevents sagging due to lack of hydration. In addition to this function, collagen also helps to prevent wrinkles by providing structural support to the outer layers of your skin cells.
WHAT IS ELASTIN?
Elastin is another type of protein that works alongside collagen to help keep your skin looking supple and youthful. Elastin fibers make up around 10-20% of the dermis layer of your skin and provide elasticity which allows it to stretch without tearing or wrinkling. Like collagen, elastin is produced naturally within our bodies but can also be found in certain foods such as seafood, nuts and seeds as well as some fruits and vegetables.
THE ROLE OF ELASTIN
Elastin fibers help give our skin its elasticity which allows it to stretch without tearing or wrinkling when we move our face or body parts around while talking or making expressions (think smile lines). In addition to this function elastin also helps boost circulation throughout our facial tissue which can help reduce puffiness under eyes or any other areas on our face that may become puffy due to lack of circulation or inflammation caused by environmental factors such as pollution or extreme weather conditions. This improved circulation can help improve overall tone and texture which gives us a more youthful appearance overall!
WHY DOES COLLAGEN AND ELASTIN PRODUCTION SLOW DOWN?
Unfortunately over time both collagen and elastin production slows down due to aging resulting in reduced levels of both proteins within our dermis layer causing wrinkles and sagging over time if not properly taken care of through proper skincare habits and products that stimulate their production again!
That being said, there are certain active ingredients that have been proven effective at stimulating new production such as retinol (vitamin A), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and hyaluronic acid amongst others so make sure you are including these ingredients into your routine regularly! Additionally, using products with peptide complexes have been proven effective at boosting levels too so make sure you look out for those too when shopping for skincare items!
The following active ingredients known to support collagen and elastin production can be found in numerous FILORGA products.
RETINOL (VITAMIN A): This leading active ingredient can be found in the NCEF-INTENSIVE and GLOBAL-REPAIR INTENSIVE serums. These formulas contain encapsulated retinol to provide all the benefits of this effective active ingredient while respecting the skin.
VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID): Our C-RECOVER with pure concentrated vitamin C hydrates and retains moisture in the skin, boosting skin radiance.
HYALURONIC ACID: This hydrating ingredient can be found in the HYDRA-HYAL serum, HYDRA-FILLER face cream, and HYDRA-FILLER MASK, which all contain pure hyaluronic acid to hydrate, plump, and smooth skin.
PEPTIDES: Our TIME-FILLER INTENSIVE serum contains plumping peptides and a relaxing peptide to fill deep wrinkles and reduce expression lines for smoother skin.
IN SUMMARY
Maintaining healthy levels of collagen and elastin is essential if we want it to stay looking youthful over time! Making sure we incorporate active ingredients that stimulate the production of collagen and elastin into our routines regularly will ensure optimal levels are maintained. Taking good care of our dermal layer will ensure we have a beautiful soft glowing complexion no matter what age we are! Keeping these tips in mind will ensure you always have healthy, glowing skin!