Whether you’re a skincare novice or an expert, you’ve probably heard that collagen is important. Medical aesthetician and industry expert, Cassandra Bankson explains, “Our skin is held together by collagen and elastin found in our connective tissue. Collagen is the strong stuff and elastin, like a rubber band, is the stretchy stuff. Biggest contributors that cause sagging skin and the breakdown of these products are UV rays and sun damage, which directly damages DNA and collagen in the skin. But other factors such as stress, and especially smoking definitely play a role.”
Sounds important, right? We’ve got you covered on how to keep producing collagen after 30.
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The most notable culprit for affecting collagen production is sun damage from UVA and UVB rays. Free radicals from pollution, stress, and even chronic unhealthy dietary choices can also add to sub-optimal collagen production.
But the good news, according to Bankson, is: “As a medical aesthetician and industry expert for over 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn along side with doctors and dermatologist as well as read medical papers on the skincare ingredients and lifestyle changes that actually work to help stop collagen degradation and stimulate the growth of more.” The two important steps are 1.Stopping existing collagen from breaking down, and 2. Promoting new collagen growth.
Bankson’s tips for achieving both includes:
Preventing sun damage. “Most of the skin care you use is useless unless you are preventing the suns rays from damaging and degrading DNA in skin. Using an SPF 30 or above in a formula that is easy for you to reapply is going to be the best for preventing collagen degradation. Don’t forget that house and shade help as well.”
Adding Vitamin C. “This vitamin is essential for our body to produce collagen - yes it is helpful topically, but it is also essential to get in our diet since our body does not store vitamin C. Most people think of oranges and lemons, but bell peppers actually have more vitamin C than both! Make sure that you are eating foods rich in vitamin C daily, as well as applying a good serum such as L ascorbic acid in your skin care routine.”
Retinoids. “Retin-A is naturally created by our bodies, and any ingredient from the retinoid/vitamin a family can do wonders. Retinoids bind to specific receptors in the skin which speed up cellular turnover Dash this means actually creating collagen, less fine lines and wrinkles, and retinoids have also been known to help with acne, scarring, and hyper pigmentation. You can get retinoids an over-the-counter form such as retinol and retinaldehyde, or you can get the most potent invite bio available form from your dermatologist as retinoic acid.”
Bankson added that the great news is you can take a do-it-all approach and use all three tips in the same routine. She advised to apply your vitamin C and sunscreen during the day and use retinoids in the evenings.
