What’s the Big Deal with Collagen?

If you follow skincare brands on Instagram, read a skincare blog (such as this one), or have seen commercials for skincare products on TV then you have undoubtedly heard of collagen. You would have heard about products that ‘replenish’, ‘boost’, or ‘reinvigorate’ your body’s collagen production. The reason why brands are constantly pushing this agenda is because collagen truly is the key to anti-aging!
But, what does that even mean? What is collagen? Why should you care? And how do we use it in skincare?
Let’s answer a few of these questions and maybe by the end of this thing you’ll better understand the hype.

What is collagen? 

Ok, first of all, collagen is a buzzword for a good reason! Collagen is the most prominent protein in the human body, making up 25-35% of the body’s protein content. It is what we call the “building block” protein because it lives in the spaces between skin layers, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. It cannot be understated just how important collagen is!

It is the glue that holds us together – literally! The word collagen actually comes from the Greek word kola, super fitting right? Essentially, the way it works is it acts a binding agent between different key parts of the human body. It’s like the body’s middleman in a series of very important business transactions. Its cells lay between and bind your skin to your muscles, your muscles to tendons, tendons to ligaments, ligaments to bone and so on! Collagen is the connective tissue that gives strength structure and elasticity to the cells throughout our body.

What does that mean for our skin? 

When it comes to our skin, what does that mean? Well, when our collagen is of a lower quality/quantity that bond between our skin and our facial muscles becomes weaker. That bond is what maintains the strength and shape of our faces. With it weakened we become more susceptible to the visible effects of aging. This is how deep and highly visible wrinkles and fine lines form. Because, it’s all about elasticity!

Think of that connective tissue between the skin on your face and your muscles to be like an elastic band. Collagen keeps that band super strong; it can snap right back into place. You can smile really big, wrinkles form around the mouth and eyes – but then when you set your face back to neutral, they disappear – the band is strong. Now, when your collagen production is of a lower quality and quantity, that elastic band ain’t too elastic anymore. It’s like the waist band on an old pair of underwear, it’s been worn out – it can no longer snap back into place and as a result the underwear loses its form.

The diminishing of your body’s natural collagen production also comes with other skin-related issues such as skin that is thinner, more reactive to the environment and harbours more bacteria which leads to acne breakouts. So, by now I think you understand  how important collagen is for our faces!

Do supplements work? 

That begs the question – what can we do about it!? A lot of people turn to digestible supplements. Admittedly, they absolutely have their own set of benefits to them. Because remember, collagen doesn’t just maintain the structure of your face, it’s all over the body! If you buy the right collagen supplements (do your research first) you can expect benefits such as joint pain relief, help with muscle mass development and even weight loss! HOWEVER, where these supplements are not nearly up to par is in the benefits they can bring to your skin. The reason is because these supplements are designed to support the body’s central system first. Meaning the energy goes to the internal organs and brain first! Since your skin is not technically a priority for survival it receives the support last, and therefore the collagen doesn’t really serve the skin’s needs when ingested through a supplement.

What about a topical agent? 

This means, that the best way to serve those skincare needs and “collagen boosting” promises is through a topical application. But there is one big caveat to note! Getting the skincare benefits of this protein through a topical formula is not as simple as just adding it as an ingredient! To put it very simply, collagen as an ingredient in a topical formula is too large to be absorbed in the skin, and is therefore not effective at forming those important cellular bonds. However, fragments and peptides extracted from it are extremely useful! We call this micronized collagen, and its discovery in 1998 was considered a huge breakthrough in the skincare chemistry industry!

Essentially, micronized collagen is small enough that it is able to penetrate the skin, and is then effective at sending the skin messages to repair itself. The micronized collagen tells your body to produce more collagen and collagen of a higher quality. Then directs it to the areas of the skin that are in need of its benefits! So, in an industry in which everyone makes “collagen boosting” or “collagen replenishing” claims, there are only a few that are using this micronized collagen peptide technology that make it actually effective! Because the truth is, the only proven way to get the elasticity boosting, wrinkle smoothing and skin brightening benefits of collagen through a topical formula is with this micronized collagen technology!

Our Solutions 

At Isomers, we really believe that being able to boost your collagen production is one of the best ways to combat the visible signs of aging on the face. But we believe in doing it the right way – and we swear by micronized collagen peptide technology. Several of our anti-aging products use this technology to replenish your collagen and give you visibly younger skin, including:

• Matrixyl® -4 PUR Collagen Peptide Serum
• Matrixyl® Advanced Wrinkle Defense Serum
• All-in-ONE Complete Face Firming Serum
• Matrixyl®-4 Collagen Peptide Cream
• Matrixyl® Advanced Radiant Touch HD Skin Illuminator
• All-in-ONE Mesmer-Eyez Tightening Eye Formula
• Matrixyl® 20% Maximum Defense Body Cream

So, hopefully, you now have a grasp of what all the hype around collagen is about, how it works, why we need it, and what the only real way of harnessing its magic is!