Everything You Need to Know About Collagen

Collagen is well known for being a miracle skin plumper and the foundation of a youthful-looking complexion. But its benefits actually span far beyond surface level beauty. Here, we take a deeper look at everything you need to know about collagen, including the different types, their benefits, and how to incorporate them into your routine.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, making up about 30% of our total protein content. It’s a major component of our skin, hair, nails, bones, and connective tissues, providing structure, strength, and elasticity. Think of it as the scaffolding that holds everything together. As we age, however, our body’s collagen production naturally begins to decline, leading to signs of ageing like wrinkles, sagging skin, and joint pain.

Types of Collagen 

It may come as a surprise to learn that there are at least 28 different types of collagen, but the most important ones when it comes to beauty, skincare and wellness are types I, II, III, and V. Each type has unique properties and benefits, making them better suited to different purposes.

• Type I Collagen: This is the most abundant type of collagen in the body, found in skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments. It’s important for skin elasticity as well as keeping hair and nails strong. 

• Type II Collagen: Primarily found in cartilage, type II collagen is crucial for joint health. 

• Type III Collagen: Often found alongside type I, type III collagen is abundant in skin, muscles, and blood vessels. It plays a significant role in skin firmness and elasticity and supports cardiovascular health.

• Type IV Collagen: Type IV Collagen is primarily found in the basement membrane, a specialised layer of the skin that separates the epidermis (the outermost layer) from the dermis (the layer beneath). Think of it like the glue that holds the layers of your skin together. It's not commonly available in supplement form but can be supported indirectly with a healthy lifestyle, sun protection and a great skincare routine.

• Type V Collagen: This type is less talked about but is involved in forming cell membranes and the placenta during pregnancy.

Topical vs. Ingestible Collagen

When it comes to topping up your natural collagen reserves, there are options. You can apply it topically through skincare (or, better yet, leverage ingredients that act as the building blocks for collagen) or you can ingest it by taking supplements. 

• Topical Collagen: Applying collagen directly to your skin might seem like the most logical approach, but it’s not quite that simple. The collagen molecule is relatively large, making it difficult to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin. As a result, topical collagen products typically work by hydrating and plumping the outermost layer. More effective topical products focus on leveraging peptides, which are much more smaller, and as building blocks to collagen, help to support skin collagen level, or as pro-collagen ingredient.

• Ingestible Collagen: While larger studies are needed, a meta-analysis by the  International Society of Dermatology of over 19 studies, with a total of 1,125 participants aged between 20 and 70 years (95% women) found that hydrolysed collagen supplementation had a positive result in terms of skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkles when compared with placebo. 

How to Incorporate Collagen into Your Routine

So, you’re sold on collagen and ready to start incorporating it into your daily routine. But where do you start?

If you’re looking for a collagen supplement that thinks it’s chocolate (who isn’t?) then Beauty Pie Chollagen Food Supplement is for you. It contains Type I Hydrolysed Marine Collagen Peptides (the most bioavailable form on the market for optimal absorption), Organic Cacao, Biotin to support healthy hair and skin and Vitamin C to support healthy collagen formation. Plus, it’s delicious. 

Or if you’re looking for something fruity, there’s our berry-flavoured Collagen Super Powder™ with Hydrolysed Marine Type I Collagen Peptides, which also contain Tremella Fuciformis to hydrate and visibly plump, Biotin to support healthy hair and skin, and Ascorbic Acid, which contributes to Collagen formation for the function of skin, bones, gums, teeth, blood vessels and cartilage and protects the body from oxidative stress. 

For a plumping skin-fix, try Youthbomb™ Biologic Collagen Peptide™ Cream (it contains ER Peptides - an advanced Peptide Amino Acid Complex with a much smaller molecular size for better absorption, which acts like the building block for collagen to help support skin’s collagen levels.