Collagen is so important to keep your skin looking beautiful! Learn how to boost collagen naturally with these 6 simple tips.
Collagen is an essential part of your skin! This age-defying protein is responsible for keeping your skin smooth, tight, soft, and hydrated. And your body produces it naturally! Great, right?
The problem is, collagen production slows as you age, and outside factors will break down skin faster than collagen can restore it! This process adds to visible skin aging, and no one wants that.
Don’t be discouraged, because there are many simple things that you can do to boost your body’s collagen production naturally. Try these 6 simple things to boost collagen naturally.
Collagen supplements
One of the best ways to boost your body’s collagen levels is to take collagen supplements. Collagen supplements come in many different forms including capsules, gummies, drinks, and powders. Ideal Collagen is a powder supplement that contains 10,000 mg of hydrolyzed collagen—more collagen per serving than most other collagen supplements!
Eat collagen boosting foods
Certain foods boost your skin’s natural collagen production! Try eating any of these foods and you’ll feel a difference in your skin and your overall health. Read more about these collagen boosting foods here.
- Bone broth
- Greens
- Chicken
- Egg whites
- Citrus
- Avocado
- Berries
- Tomatoes
- Garlic
Avoid smoking (and sugar)
Smoking is one of the greatest skin sins, It’s one of the absolute worst things that you can do for your skin. When you smoke, your skin ages more rapidly. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 harmful chemicals including skin-damaging free radicals. All those chemicals damage collagen and elastin making skin look duller and older.
Another serious skin sin is high sugar consumption sugar. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joel Schlessinger said, “Sugar molecules attach to collagen and elastin proteins in the skin through a process called glycation. This process produces advanced glycosylation end-products, or AGEs for short. AGEs can also interfere with the production of new collagen and elastin, preventing your skin from naturally repairing itself.”
Wear sunscreen every day
The sun is so harsh on your skin! Sun damage is one of the contributing factors to premature skin aging. UV rays damage collagen cells and leave your skin saggy and dull! Add a mineral-free sunscreen to your beauty routine to keep your skin looking young!
Cut the caffeine
Everyone knows that caffeine is not great for your body. Many have a love hate relationship with it. It helps you start your morning, but also fuels unhealthy soda or coffee addictions! Caffeine is tremendously harmful to your skin! It actually destroys your skin’s collagen! In a 2014 study it was found that “caffeine reduces collagen synthesis” in skin.
Chemical peels
Chemical peels are gaining in popularity. A chemical peel is a technique used to improve skin texture and appearance. A chemical solution is applied to the skin that exfoliates dead skin cells and eventually peels off. David Bank, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia University/Presbyterian Hospital in New York City said, “As that topmost layer is shed, signals are sent to the living cells below to multiply and move up, to increase collagen production, to make more hyaluronic acid—to act younger.”
