What is the best collagen skin supplement for protecting your skin health as you age

It’s no secret that from the age of 30, there is approximately 1% of Collagen loss per year. By the age of 50, you may lose potentially 50% of your Collagen naturally. Collagen supplementation has been researched to show benefits for bones, skin, hair, and nails, but how do you know which is the best collagen skin supplement to take?

In this post, you’ll discover the best form of collagen supplements to take for your skin health and support collagen levels, as well as some key additions you should look for to get the most collagen benefits as a skin of color.

This post is about how to choose the best collagen skin supplement for you.

Why is collagen important to skin health?

Collagen supports healthy elasticity, hydration, and density of our skin. See this article.

We are in fact born with a certain finite amount of naturally occurring Collagen, and this is why we can tell the difference in that soft bouncy baby skin, the radiant firm appearance of a young 20-year-old, and the visible difference in the appearance of our skin as we age.

Research has shown that by the age of 30, we start to lose about 1% of our natural collagen stockpile a year.

This overall effect on the appearance of men vs. women differs as men naturally tend to have thicker, dense skin. The loss of skin density in Men is less apparent than it is in women.

So as we age, it is ideal to support your body’s ability to produce more collagen through supplementation.

How you introduce this important protein into the body, makes the difference and you have quite a few options.

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How does collagen benefit your skin?

The benefits of taking collagen actually occur after your body has absorbed the collagen and these peptides trigger what are our Fibroblast cells, which is what is responsible for us kicking off the bodily process of producing more collagen.

So the collagen supplement itself is not the end of the chain, it’s actually the beginning.

What form of Collagen Supplement is best to take for your skin?

With so many options on the market these days, it’s hard to know what is the right supplement for you to choose for supporting healthy collagen levels in your skin.

To get the best collagen benefits for your skin experts all agree there are two factors to keep in mind. The number of Grams per serving and collagen powder over pills.

Why do these two factors matter? Well because the research has shown benefits from collagen supplements but starting from a particular amount of grams per serving. The clinical trials on the benefits of Collagen supplementation were conducted at amounts of 8 grams of collagen per serving and above.

The factor of powder over pill form is that collagen powder is more readily absorbed into the body and you can get more grams per serving than you can from supplements in pill form.

Most of the powder collagen supplements will show the product listed as ‘hydrolyzed’ collagen as collagen itself has a very large molecular size. Collagen when sourced is broken down into amino-acid peptides which allows them to absorb better when digested.

Bovine or Marine-Sourced Collagen?

So let’s talk about where collagen supplements are sourced from.

Collagen is sourced from animal bones and tendons. The most commonly available are derived from Cows (bovine) or from Fish (Marine) bones, skin, and scales.

There are no plant-based collagen supplements, while you can get nutrients that can support collagen production from plant-based ingredients, there are no strictly vegan collagen peptides supplement sources.

Research has shown that bioavailability, (the ability of the hydrolyzed collagen to fully absorb into the body) is much higher in Marine Collagen supplements.

Some papers show as much as a 1.5 times higher bioavailability rate than bovine sources. It is believed that because the molecular size of marine collagen is smaller helps this factor.

So when you can reach for Marine based collagen over Bovine.

Take it a step further….

Collagen peptides support moisture levels in the skin. A few ways to help increase the efficacy of this is to supplement your Collagen by pairing it with Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid is a water-binding ingredient, and the body will recognize it because we actually produce it ourselves. Hyaluronic Acid binds up to 1000 times its molecular weight in moisture, and this paired with your collagen powder boosts the hydration of your skin that much more.

If you happen to have skin of color

and you live in a colder climate (the western world) you should also consider supplementing your collagen skin supplement with a Vitamin D supplement. Studies show that African Americans are statistically deficient in Vitamin D levels and this vitamin helps with the absorption of calcium something that helps protect bone health. It also helps to improve the elasticity of your skin.

If you struggle with Hyperpigmentation

Consider adding Copper to the supplements you take. Copper peptides help to remove damaged cells and replace them with healthier cells, Copper also is an anti-inflammatory which helps to reduce the likelihood of hyperpigmentation related to inflammation in the skin.

If you’re a woman entering into or are in menopause

Your collagen levels need even more support as do your hydration levels.

Look for Collagen powders that range between 10-12 grams per serving.

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