Through time, cultures, and civilizations, the concept of beauty was elastic, subjective, and prone to fashion turmoil that seems to have sped up in our contemporary times. Now, our bodies fall victim to passing fads just as easily as our closets and faster than ever before. But in all the elasticity of change and preference that defines the common taste and a stylistic point in time, one thing remains forever in style and is universally revered as desired and precious all over the globe, through all eras of human history - Youth. Beautiful, radiant, plump, and bouncy skin with toned, firm skin, sharp features, and a plucky vigor that defies and forgives even the lifestyle blunders of teen years and early 20s.  

The deterioration we all see as a natural part of aging is largely due to a decrease in collagen and elastin production. These serve as a sort of backbone for youthful skin forming a scaffolding beneath the skin surface that keeps the skin line free and tight. Collagen and elastin are key to keeping your skin looking elastic, smooth, and healthy, and as you age, your body's ability to produce collagen decreases,  leading to wrinkles, sagging skin, and a dull. lackluster complexion. This is a natural part of the privilege of getting older, and your skin will never look 15 again if you’re 50, nor should you. You should look your age but well taken care of, healthy, radiant and (more or less) content with your life choices so far.

As far as the skin goes, there are several ways you can boost collagen production to maintain healthy skin, and in this post, we'll discuss what collagen and elastin are and how to protect and stimulate your natural reserves for a youthful look. From diet and skincare to lifestyle tips, our goal is common sense and visible results, and remember, the best routine you can have is the one you will actually do. Consistency matters more than sporadic showpieces of effort. 

What are collagen and elastin?

Before we discuss tips on boosting collagen, let's briefly discuss collagen and elastin and why they are so important for your skin's health and appearance.

Collagen is a vital protein that makes up 80% of skin (as well as other connective tissues in the body), and it is responsible for giving skin its structure and firmness.

Collagen is essential for maintaining skin flexibility and resistance and also ensures tissue regeneration. It is produced by cells called fibroblasts, which lose efficiency as we age. This decline in collagen production accumulates and leads to visible signs of aging, such as sagging skin, wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, and slower wound healing which we often see in senior skin.

Research shows that collagen production begins to decrease around the age of 25, dropping approximately 1% per year thereafter. By the time you reach your 50s, your body produces significantly less collagen, contributing to more visible signs of aging.

Elastin is also a critical protein that allows your skin to stretch and return to its original shape. Think of elastin as the component that gives your skin its elasticity. While collagen provides strength and structure, elastin provides the ability to stretch and recoil, ensuring your skin remains supple and firm, like new springs within a mattress that bounce right back into their original position.

Together, collagen and elastin work to keep your skin looking youthful, firm, and healthy. As the production of both these proteins declines with age, if you want to keep or restore your youthful pazazz, you will have to find ways to boost their levels to maintain skin vitality. Also, get determined to protect the existing scaffolding by the mantra of skinthusiasts and dermatologists everywhere - Stay away from the SSS: sun, smoking, sugar, and drinking plenty of water is non-negotiable.

The biggest enemies of collagen

Sun Exposure

The sun is one of those it-could-go-either-way things - giving life to the planet but fully capable of burning us off it and mutating the DNA in living things it contributed to forming. Sun overexposure is one of the biggest threats to your skin's collagen. You need some sun for vitamin D synthesis and to keep your circadian rhythm balanced (this is mostly early morning and sunset sun) but the sun’s UV rays also burrow under the skin and damage collagen fibers, causing them to break down.

This process, known as photoaging, leads to wrinkles, fine lines, and a loss of skin elasticity. Studies have shown that up to 80% of skin aging is attributed to UV exposure. To protect your collagen, always wear sunscreen with at least SPF 30, seek shade during peak sun hours, and wear protective clothing and sunglasses.

Smoking

The facts are clear. Smoking is seriously bad for you and disturbs infinite processes in the body, as the carcinogen-filled smoke, once inhaled, destroys bodily systems and increases the risk for everything from cardiovascular events and dementia to cancer and all-cause mortality. Cigarette smoke toxins also damage the skin by interfering with the normal renewal processes, preventing the skin from producing collagen properly. Research indicates that smokers are nearly five times (4.7 times) more likely to have excessive wrinkles compared to non-smokers.

Smoking also decreases blood flow to the skin, depriving it of oxygen and essential nutrients, resulting in dull, sagging skin and more pronounced wrinkles. If you smoke cigarettes, quitting is crucial not just for your overall health but also for maintaining healthy and youthful skin.

Sugar

Sugar or to be exact what it does -  glycation - is one of the main contributors to skin aging. Glycation is a process that occurs when sugar molecules bind to proteins, including collagen, forming harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end-products (appropriately abbreviated as AGEs). These AGEs damage collagen fibers, increase inflammation, and make the fibres stiff and less elastic and, therefore, unable to perform their own function. As a result, your skin becomes saggy and wrinkled. 

To prevent glycation (and the resulting damage to your skin), it's important to limit sugar intake or go on a sugar detox. It’s also important to remember that skin is also an organ and that the skin state can tell us a lot about the state of the entire organism. So if excess consumption of added sugar is destroying your skin, it is doing the same in the gut, blood, vessels, liver… you just can’t see it as clearly.

Dehydration

It seems kind of strange that in our world of plenty, we are often deficient in the basic necessity of life—water -  not by inaccessibility but due to overwhelming to-do lists, depleted processed foods with too much sodium, and simple forgetfulness. Dehydration can also cause collagen fibers to break down, and lacking essential water, the skin is unable to produce new collagen effectively. As a result, your skin becomes dry, dull, and more susceptible to wrinkles. So, keeping your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water is essential. Remember that many times when you feel peckish and hungry you are more likely to be bored or just thirsty. So go drink a glass of water.

A lack of water in the skin leads to a decrease in exchanges between the layers of the dermis and the stiffening of the collagen fibers. This is why it is important to drink water and use moisturizing creams or face masks that can help maintain skin hydration, ensuring that collagen remains strong and healthy. Over time, a well-hydrated skin barrier supports better collagen synthesis and reduces the appearance of aging.

By being mindful of these collagen enemies, you can take proactive steps to protect your skin. Avoid excessive sun exposure, limit sugar intake, stay hydrated, and protect your skin from pollution and cigarette smoke to keep your collagen levels healthy and your skin looking its best.

How to increase collagen and elastin production?

Healthy diet

Why is diet (extremely) important in healthy, youthful skin? The food we eat is not just a thing that satiates hunger. Food that enters our bodies is information that gives instructions for the constant rebuild and repair that goes on in our bodies and it also provides the building blocks that will make new tissue. The body, a month from now, will incorporate the food you ate, taking the amino acids, fats, vitamins, and minerals, Not carbs, though. Carbs that break down quickly into glucose are used as fast energy, and glucose can be produced even in a complete absence of carbs from fat due to the process of gluconeogenesis, so simple carbs are not essential nutrients, while fiber does have benefits for the gut microbiome.

To increase collagen production, it's important to eat a healthy balanced, diverse diet that includes foods rich in vitamins and minerals and amino acids like proline and glycine, found in eggs, dairy, and fish, can support collagen production. Foods that are high in vitamin C, such as oranges and strawberries, bell peppers, and broccoli are particularly beneficial for the skin as vitamin C is necessary for collagen production and helps to protect collagen fibers from damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants in your diet combat oxidative stress and protect your skin, together with many other systemic benefits benefits.

Facial massage

There is a great way to wake fibroblasts up: facial massage stimulates fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen production. Regularly massaging your face can increase blood flow, promote lymphatic drainage, and wake up fibroblasts, encouraging them to produce more collagen and elastin. Incorporating a soothing, collagen-boosting massage into your daily skincare routine can make a significant difference.

FOREO’s patented T-Sonic™ pulsations do just that. With the letter “T” standing for transdermal, the pulsations travel through the skin and stimulate the deeper layers. For example, LUNA™ 4 is a 2-in-1 smart facial cleansing and firming device that provides a deep cleanse while the firming massage mode stimulates and pumps those fibroblasts.

After cleansing your face, you can pay some attention to the delicate and fragile skin around the eyecontour, which shows signs of aging and deterioration first. IRIS™ 2, a rejuvenating eye massager inspired by ancient finger-tapping lymphatic drainage techniques practiced in Asia and revolutionized by FOREO’s patented T-Sonic™  massage pulsations, is clinically proven to help with common signs of aging around the eyes, such as under-eye bags, dark circles, and crow's feet - for an instant refresh.

Microcurrent

Microcurrent therapy, originally used in medical settings to treat wounds and promote healing, has also become very popular in the beauty world. This beauty treatment involves applying very low-intensity electrical currents to the skin, stimulating the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This leads to the heightened production of collagen and elastin by the body, resulting in tissue repair. Microcurrent treatments reach where traditional skincare can’t—the muscles. They help firm and tone the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

FOREO is known for bringing salon treatments to the comforts of our homes, and one such product is BEAR™ 2, the world's most powerful microcurrent device. It delivers instant and long-lasting results in microcurrent facelifts, it is the only facial microcurrent device on the market that features four types of microcurrent while its perfected Anti-shock™ system 2.0 makes it the safest microcurrent device in the world.   

Boost your collagen today!

Now that you know the science behind collagen and elastin production, it’s time to put those tips into practice. Start by incorporating more collagen-boosting foods into your diet; they will help improve your skin health from the inside out. In addition, make sure to use a quality moisturizer daily, especially after washing your face, to keep your skin hydrated and protected, and don’t forget to give yourself a weekly facial massage. Firmer, smoother, and more youthful skin is still possible no matter the tell-tale digits on your birth certificate, and there is nothing, and we mean nothing, as attractive as a person feeling comfortable and content in their own skin. We hope we’ve provided some useful information and motivated you to spoil yourself silly to look as young as you feel.

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