We have been urged for centuries to take good care of our skin, scrubbing off the layers and slapping on creams and potions that promise much but don’t always deliver.
The beauty industry has come a long way from the days of arsenic washes and radium face creams, yet its main area of focus is still our skin’s surface.
Science is helping to shift that view to what lies beneath, in the process opening up new possibilities for skin health and wellness that have benefited millions of people.
Study after study has revealed the powerful relationship between our collagen levels and the health of our skin, giving rise to a vast and fast-growing market for collagen supplements.
In this blog, we’re going to examine our skin and how it is made up. We’ll explore the role of collagen products in our skin health, and reveal why our plant-based liquid supplement can help keep your skin in tip-top condition.
Our skin’s construction
To understand the effect collagen has on skin, it’s important to know how it is constructed. There’s going to be a sprinkling of science in what follows, but don’t worry, we’ll keep the jargon to a minimum.
To begin then: our skin is the largest organ of the human body, and is made up of several component parts.
The stratum corneum
The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of our skin. It is made up of between 10 to 30 thin layers of dead skin cells known as corneocytes, which are arranged like bricks in a wall.
Epidermis
Sitting beneath the stratum corneum is the second outer layer, the epidermis. Although it is the thinnest layer of our skin, the epidermis is the first line of defence against daily life, providing what is known as the barrier function. Find out more here.
The epidermis itself is made up of five layers, and is home to several different types of cell:
- Keratinocytes, which produce keratin protein, the main component of the epidermis
- Melanocytes, which produce the pigment known as melanin
- Langerhans cells, which prevent foreign substances from entering the skin
Dermis
Under the epidermis is the middle layer of our skin. Called the dermis, it is a complex network of blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles and sebaceous (oil) glands.
It is also where we find collagen and elastin, proteins made by cells called fibroblasts that provide structural support and flexibility that are key to our skin health. There will be much more about collagen later.
Subcutis
The final layer of our skin is the fatty subcutis. Here we find sweat glands, as well as fat and loose connective tissue. The subcutis is also crucial for protecting our inner organs and conserving body heat.
Skin and ethnicity
We know that skin comes in a beautiful variety of colours, but research studies have shown there are several differences in their structure too.
Here are some key findings:
- Caucasian skin shows more visible signs of sun damage, including wrinkles, sagging, sun spots and moles, than other racial groups.
- Asian skin experiences similar levels of water loss as Caucasian skin, but also has the weakest barrier function.
- In contrast, people with darker skin tones have the most robust barrier function, while darker skin looks younger for longer.
No matter your ethnicity, collagen holds lots of potential skin benefits for everyone.
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It is produced naturally by combining the amino acids glycine, proline and hydroxyproline with manganese, vitamin C, zinc and copper.
Scientists have identified 28 different types of collagen so far, though five are the most commonly found. They are:
Type I
Accounting for a staggering 90% of our collagen, Type I is densely packed and helps give structure to our skin, bones, tendons and ligaments.
The 27 other types of collagen make up the remaining 10%. They include:
Type II
This type of collagen is found in elastic cartilage, which supports our joints.
Type III
This type of collagen is commonly found in our muscles, arteries and organs.
Type IV
This type of collagen is found in between the epidermal and dermal layers of our skin.
Type V
Type V collagen is found in our corneas and some layers of skin, as well as our hair and placenta tissue.
Collagen’s role in the body
As you can imagine, because collagen is found almost everywhere, it takes on many key roles throughout our bodies.
In the skin, it supports the formation of fibroblasts (cells that secrete collagen proteins) in the dermis, helping new cells grow while also replacing dead skin cells.
The robust, triple helix form enables collagen to give structure and firmness to our skin, as well as helping to hydrate it.
Collagen has other health benefits too. It plays an important part in bone density and strength, as well as supporting muscle mass.
It also keeps our connective tissues flexible, and helps maintain healthy and strong joints, and contributes to hair health and nail growth.
What happens when collagen levels drop
Collagen is important to so many areas of the human body, it’s difficult to imagine what we would do without it. Ironically, we don’t have to.
By the time we reach the age of around 30, our natural collagen production starts to slowly decline and our existing collagen breaks down at a faster rate.
Fast forward 10 years or so to around the time of menopause for women, and this process accelerates significantly, impacting everywhere collagen is found.
Our bones and muscles can be weaker, we may experience more joint pain and gastrointestinal issues. Even our arteries can be affected, becoming less flexible and impacting our heart health.
When it comes to our skin, the loss of collagen is both visible and invisible. We lose firmness, plumpness and skin elasticity, leading to sagging and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Fewer new skin cells are made, while the drop in hydration from collagen can leave our skin looking less youthful and duller.
Because skin can be an indicator of our general health, the effects of reduced collagen output can leave us looking and feeling older than we actually are, potentially impacting our mental health and wellbeing.
Luckily, there are a few things we can do to boost our body’s collagen production.
Boosting collagen levels with food
We all know the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet, but what we consume can also boost our collagen levels.
Lots of different protein-rich foods contain the essential amino acids, vitamin C and other ingredients needed to help make collagen naturally.
Amino acids proline and glycine are present in a wide range of foods that should form a balanced diet.
Proline is in egg whites, dairy, cabbage, mushrooms and asparagus, while pork skin and chicken skin are great sources of glycine.
Citrus fruits are a well-known source of vitamin C, but did you know you can also get this crucial collagen ingredient from healthy foods including bell peppers, and leafy greens such as spinach and Brussels sprouts?
Boost your zinc levels by stocking up on meats, particularly beef, lamb and pork. You’ll also find zinc in shellfish, chickpeas, lentils and beans, as well as milk, cheese, and various nuts and seeds.
Lentils cashews and sesame seeds are also great sources of copper, as are organ meats, better known as liver, kidney and tongue.
Different lifestyles mean large numbers of people have dietary restrictions, from vegetarians and vegans to allergies and intolerances. Not everyone can access the full range of collagen rich foods, from citrus fruits to organ meats.
So, to get all the benefits of collagen for their skin and bodies, millions of people take oral collagen supplements.
Collagen peptides and supplements
Collagen supplements are a relatively recent addition to the health and wellness industry, thanks to the emergence of hydrolysed collagen peptides.
These are tiny fragments of collagen which, when consumed, are broken down by the body into the amino acids that build collagen, helping to stimulate our natural production of the structural protein.
The global collagen supplement market has grown fast. In 2022, it was worth around £7 billion, a figure that is expected to more than double by 2030.
It begs the question: where is the collagen found in these supplements coming from?
Bovine collagen
One of the best sources of collagen is bone broth, made from boiled cow, pork or chicken bones.
These animals are the literal backbone of the bovine collagen industry, providing the bovine collagen for hundreds of oral collagen supplements.
Marine collagen
Collagen taken from fish has also proved to be wildly popular. Eating smaller, whole fish, such as anchovies and mackerel means we consume the collagen found in their skin, bones, heads, scales, fins, cartilage and entrails.
For most collagen supplements, the collagen is extracted mainly from a fish’s skin and swim bladder.
Animal collagen and marine collagen can help increase collagen synthesis which is great for our skin elasticity and hydration. However, both can come at a heavy environmental price.
Collagen supplements, ethics and the environment
Bovine collagen, as the name implies, comes from cows. One of the world’s major collagen-producing countries is Brazil, where cattle farming is responsible for around 80% of all Amazon deforestation.
Even worse, there are reports the industry has been linked to Indigenous land grabbing and rights abuses. Find out more here.
Marine collagen can be problematic too. Despite claims that collagen is sourced only from non-endangered species, it may not always be the case.
There has been a rising trend for extracting collagen from sea cucumbers, whose numbers are at risk in several parts of the world.
The Marine Conservation Society has warned Atlantic cod is being overfished, while the endangered golden redfish caught up in cod fishing nets.
Thankfully, science has given anyone looking to get the benefits of oral collagen, without harming the planet, a third way.
Plant-based collagen supplements
VeCollal® is the world’s first plant-based collagen alternative, developed by skin tissue engineer, Josué Jiménez Vázquez, PhD, and manufacturer TCI Biotech.
Unlike marine and animal collagen, which contain types of collagen that resemble human Type I but are not exactly the same, VeCollal® is a 100% match.
That’s because it is a biomimetic and has been specially developed to precisely copy the amino acids found in human collagen. That’s not all.
Alongside these synthetic amino acids, the VeCollal® formulation also includes three ingredients well-known to support and/or encourage collagen production:
- Ginseng
- Vitamin C
- Asiaticoside
Traditional collagen peptides have to be broken down by the body before the amino acids needed for collagen synthesis to be released.
Unlike these collagen products, VeCollal® delivers all the required amino acids directly to the body and in the exact proportions needed to support healthy collagen production. Learn more here.
If you haven’t already guessed, VeCollal® is at the heart of our plant-based liquid collagen supplement.
Our plant-based, liquid collagen supplement
Our plant-based collagen was inspired by the skin-body connection and has been formulated to boost both health and wellbeing.
We only use plant-based, ethically sourced, clean ingredients that have never been tested on animals. They include:
Panax ginseng
Research has shown ginseng can not only support collagen production, but may also help slow down the loss of collagen proteins.
The root, which has been used in Chinese medicine for 2,000 years, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It boosts the circulation of your skin's smallest blood vessels, increasing collagen synthesis and skin hydration.
Studies have also found ginseng protects our skin against the UV damage, free radicals and other environmental impacts that can lead to fine lines and wrinkles.
Retinol
Retinoids, which are the active form of Vitamin A, help remove damaged elastin fibres and promote the formation of new blood vessels, boosting skin elasticity.
Studies have shown people with higher levels of vitamin A in their skin look younger than those with lower levels.
Retinoids also stimulate the production of collagen and skin cells, helping reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Retinoids can also lower oil production and, like ginseng, have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Biotin
Biotin is an essential vitamin that our bodies need to function, but we don’t make it naturally, so it needs to be part of a balanced diet or be taken as a supplement.
It has been proven to help improve skin hydration and smoothness, while research shows it can also boost our hair health.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a compound that is found naturally in our skin, where it binds to water and helps retain moisture.
HA is in our collagen supplement because it works so well with collagen to boost production: improving skin hydration, repairing acne scars and increasing skin elasticity.
Vitamin C
We already know vitamin C, zinc and copper, alongside amino acids, are key building blocks in the body’s collagen production, but that’s not the only benefit we get from this nutrient.
Vitamin C’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties help improve skin hydration, tone and texture, making it look more youthful and reducing signs of ageing.
Science-backed results for your skin
When developing our plant-based collagen supplement, we decided against creating a powder or capsule because of bioavailability. This is a measure of how easily something is absorbed by the body’s gastrointestinal tract.
Oral collagen peptides were created by companies because humans cannot break down collagen found in supplements in and of itself.
Studies have proved that our opting for a liquid was a great choice. The formula of our plant-based supplement has a 98% bioavailability rate, compared to around 3% for capsules.
That means more of the ingredients needed to stimulate collagen production are getting to where they need to be: with impressive results.
In a study on humans, our liquid supplement increased collagen production by 134%, and doubled collagen production in the fibroblasts in just two days.
After four weeks of daily use, 80% of participants observed a 13% reduction in wrinkles and collagen density was almost 5% higher than in week one.
The trial also revealed that 100% of participants said our liquid collagen, which is infused with Japanese plum, tasted better than two of the leading brands.
The benefits of collagen for your skin
Even those who have an active, healthy lifestyle may not be producing enough collagen naturally to offset the natural decline.
Other factors, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, excessive sun exposure and eating too many sweet foods can accelerate the downturn in collagen levels.
That’s why more and more people are discovering the health benefits of taking collagen daily. Increased levels of collagen proteins in our skin means the epidermis and other layers get more structural support.
Our skin is plumped out from within, minimising fine lines and wrinkles, while the water-retaining powers of HA, combined with collagen gives us glowing, hydrated skin.
Taking collagen, either as by eating collagen-rich foods as part of a balanced diet or with our plant-based liquid, also stimulates the production of new skin cells. Our skin goes from being dull to more youthful and fresh.
Of course our skin isn’t the only part of our bodies that gets a boost from eating collagen-rich foods or taking collagen supplements.
Collagen is in our hair, nails, bones, connective tissue, blood vessels and joints. Just as they are impacted by the significant reduction in natural collagen production, so they benefit when we start taking collagen supplements.
Our hair and nails can go from being dry and brittle to strong and healthy. Taking collagen supplements can even accelerate growth.
The benefits of collagen supplementation can be felt, if not seen, inside our bodies too.
Our bones and muscle mass can become stronger and more dense, it can give us healthy joints and a healthier gut. A boost in collagen can even make our arteries more flexible, impacting heart health.
Try our plant-based liquid collagen today
Collagen plays a huge role in our skin and body health, and science has proved that increasing our intake can have significant benefits.
What better reason to try our plant-based liquid supplement?
Our offers include a 28-day subscription. Sign up and you will receive sachets of our delicious liquid supplement every four weeks, plus a free gift bundle.
Find all the details here.
Questions or queries? Get in touch
If you want to ask us anything about our plant-based liquid collagen supplement, or any of the other products in the Arella range that aren’t covered by our FAQs, drop us a line.
You can email us at info@arella-beauty.co.uk, telephone 03303 209 190, or fill in this contact form and we’ll get back to you straight away.
