Collagen is a major protein found in our bodies. It is essential for maintaining the structure and firmness of our skin. But with age, sun exposure, or pollution, our natural collagen production decreases, and the visible signs of skin aging appear.
Fortunately, this decline isn't inevitable, and there are many ways to preserve your skin's collagen. In this article, we take a detailed look at how our cells produce collagen and the different methods for stimulating its natural production.
The effects of collagen on the skin in a few lines
- Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, and there are nearly 30 different types.
- The skin naturally produces it in the dermis, but with age, this production decreases in quantity and quality.
- Collagen is essential for skin firmness.
- Its role in skin hydration is less important than that of other active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.
- Collagen-based dietary supplements have an anti-aging effect, but they remain less comprehensive than cosmetic products, in addition to being very expensive.
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals and therefore in humans: it represents alone, more than 30% of our proteins.
These are made up of a collection of small molecules: amino acids. Each protein has a different amino acid sequence. The particularity of collagen is that it contains the vast majority of the amino acids glycine and proline.
Until the late 1960s, only one type of collagen was known, type I, an essential component of the skin. But starting in 1969 with the discovery by Edward Miller and Victor Matukas of type II collagen, which is very abundant in joints, research accelerated, so much so that today there are 28 different types of collagen. These collagens play a structural role and contribute to the mechanical properties or shape of human body tissues. Here are the main ones:
- Type I represents 90% of the body's collagen and provides structure to skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
- Type II is found in flexible cartilage and supports jointsby preventing friction between bones.
- Type III is present in muscles and arteries.
- Type IV is found mainly in the variouslayers of the skin.
- Type V is found in the cornea of the eyes, certain areas of skin, in hair, and even in the placenta.
- Type VII is crucial for the integrity of the skin.
- Type X participates in the formation of new bone and new joint cartilage.
Other types of collagen are only present in certain organs and therefore have very specific biological functions, sometimes only at certain times in life.
What happens to skin collagen as we age?
Skin collagen is resistant to traction and its role is to maintain its firmness and elasticity. It is produced by fibroblasts, cells located in the dermis. They also ensure the synthesis of elastin and hyaluronic acid fibers.
As we age, fibroblasts become less efficient andthe natural (or endogenous) production of collagen decreases. The collagen produced is also of lower quality.
But age isn't the only factor responsible for this decline. The entireexposome, all the external factors that have an influence on the skin, contribute to this. Among these factors, the sun, tobacco, and pollution have the greatest impact on collagen due to the strong oxidative stress they generate. This combination of factors causes the skin to become less supple and less resilient, and it becomes increasingly difficult for it to regenerate, leading to the appearance of wrinkles.
Are dietary supplements and collagen treatments useful for the skin?
If you're interested in collagen, you probably know that, in addition to cosmetics, it's also found in the form of dietary supplements. Most often, it comes in capsules or powder to be diluted. However, it's important to note that collagen is a long molecule, and collagen supplements are actually composed of smaller parts. These peptides are broken down into amino acids during digestion. These amino acids are then reused to remake collagen, but not only that.
The effects of these supplements are well documented in numerous scientific studies, and overall, they demonstrate proven effectiveness on wrinkles, elasticity, and skin firmness. Benefits have also been observed in terms of skin hydration. However, these appear to be primarily due to what researchers call "carriers," that is, the other active ingredients that accompany collagen within the body. Some of these compounds (including hyaluronic acid) are also widely used in cosmetics.
Finally, it's important to note that high-quality collagen supplements (the type used in the studies) are very expensive. They also remain less comprehensive than a cream or serum, which will also provide vitamins, antioxidants, sebum-regulating active ingredients, etc.
Can collagen be vegan?
This is a question our consumers often ask us, and the answer is clear: no!
For the simple reason that this protein belongs exclusively to the animal world and plants do not produce it. Natural collagen cannot therefore be described as vegetarian or vegan.
FILORGA's expertise in the service of collagen
To increase and preserve the quantity and quality of collagen in the skin, FILORGA Laboratories use three complementary strategies.
Stimulating the production of endogenous collagen
To ensure the skin can continue to produce high-quality collagen, our experts incorporate active ingredients into FILORGA skincare products that act at the heart of fibroblasts. For example:
- Low molecular weight hyaluronic acidhyaluronic acid, which stimulates the synthesis of type I collagen to increase skin firmness.
- Vitamin Cwhich has anantioxidant and collagen production stimulator.
- Peptidesthat mimic those found in the dermis during healing and act as chemical messengers to activate collagen production.
- Kangaroo Paw Flower and Stem Extract which regulates the organization of collagen fibers to maintain tissue structure.
While these active ingredients all have a beneficial effect on collagen production, their modes of action are not identical. Our formulation experts' expertise lies in knowing which compound to use and at what dosage, depending on the desired objectives, and also ensuring that it works synergistically with the other ingredients in the product.
Boosting collagen production isn't always enough. This is why our products also contain active ingredients capable of combating its degradation or alteration by acting, for example, on enzymes specialized in collagen degradation (MMP-1 – Matrix Metalloproteinases), but also on glycation, which is the process of stiffening collagen fibers.
Davilla rugosa leaf extract is a perfect example of this type of ingredient, as it boosts collagen production by reducing glycation reactions and inhibiting MMP-1.
The direct supply of exogenous collagen (which is not naturally produced by the human body) will help tocompensate for the losses that occur with age. The advantage of providing collagen is that it will also stimulate its own synthesis in our cells. At FILORGA, we use marine collagen with a similar structure to the natural collagen produced by the skin. It works differently from boosters or protective active ingredients, as it forms a film on the skin's surface that helps combat water loss. Our marine collagen is incorporated into our skincare products in two different forms: A non-hydrolyzed form with film-forming properties for a plumping effect that promotes a plumped-up appearance. Encapsulated that penetrates deep to stimulate endogenous collagen synthesis, redensifying and firming the skin.
Since their creation in 1978, FILORGA Laboratories have drawn inspiration from aesthetic medicine to protect, nourish, and hydrate their consumers' skin. Our star ingredient, NCEF contains all the essential elements for the proper functioning of our cells and enables the proper synthesis of collagen. NCEF includes: Thecosmetic tests conducted on human skin explants demonstrated NCEF's ability to stimulate fibroblast activity to increase collagen synthesis. NCEF is present in all products FILORGA* products, such as the serum TIME-FILLER INTENSIVE 5XP and the cream TIME-FILLER 5XP, which also contain collagen-boosting peptides and kangaroo flower extract, which helps reorganize collagen fibers to restructure tissues. href="https://fr.filorga.com/collections/time-filler">Discover our TIME-FILLER range
*except cleansers, sheet masks and TIME-FILLER SHOT 5XP. Sources: Ricard-Blum S. The collagen family. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2011 Jan 1;3(1):a004978. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a004978. PMID: 21421911; PMCID: PMC3003457. Rittié L, Fisher GJ. Natural and sun-induced aging of human skin. Cold Spring Harb Perspective Med. 2015 Jan 5;5(1):a015370. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a015370. PMID: 25561721; PMCID: PMC4292080. Zhang S, Duan E. Fighting against Skin Aging: The Way from Bench to Bedside. Cell Transplant. 2018 May;27(5):729-738. doi:10.1177/0963689717725755. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PMID: 29692196; PMCID: PMC6047276. Miranda, R., Weimer, P., & Rossi, R. (2021). Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. International Journal of Dermatology, 60. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.15518
Kim, D.-U.; Chung, H.-C.; Choi, J.; Sakai, Y.; Lee, B.-Y. Oral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkling in Human Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Nutrients 2018, 10, 826. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10070826Protecting existing collagen
Provide collagen to the skin
The benefits of collagen in FILORGA skincare
