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With collagen, everything is clear: as long as the quantity and quality of the skin’s own collagen remains at a high level, it looks young and toned. But as soon as these indicators fall, you have to fight for beauty. With the help of creams based on the same collagen.
Collagen: what is it
Collagen, like elastin, is the main protein in connective tissue, including skin. Thanks to him, she remains elastic and smooth. To understand what this supporting frame looks like, imagine a grid of spring-spirals, which are strands (chains) of amino acids woven into a kind of “braids”.
Collagen itself is a compound of 19 amino acids. But there are as many as 28 “braid” configurations, and each performs certain tasks in the human body.
The main value for our skin is collagen types I and VII. The full cycle of its development and destruction is about a month. At a young age, collagen metabolism per year is about 6 kg. However, over time, or rather, after 40 years, production is halved.
Collagen is most often found in anti-aging cosmetics.
Here’s what happens when there’s less collagen:
the skin loses elasticity and becomes flabby;
wrinkles appear;
“floats” the oval of the face.
The principle of action of collagen in cosmetics
In cosmetic products, this substance has two main functions:
moisturizing;
alignment.
And its main advantage is the strengthening of the protective functions of the skin, the retention of moisture in the skin.
Features of collagen creams
In the beauty industry, this component is in demand:
is part of the means for moisturizing and rejuvenation;
popular as a component of serums and masks for dry skin care;
is listed in the formulas of products for restoring the skin after damage and injury.
The beauty properties of collagen are moisturizing and smoothing the skin relief.
Once upon a time, animal collagen (obtained from oxtails) was used in cosmetics. But as soon as it was found out that it was unsafe, it was replaced by new varieties:
marine collagen isolated from fish skin using biotechnology;
collagen synthesized from vegetable proteins.
The first type of collagen is closest in composition to the human.
How to choose the right cream with collagen
Pure collagen is rarely added to cosmetics for home use. The reason is in the size of the molecules: they are too large to penetrate the skin deeper than the stratum corneum, so other ingredients were chosen to enhance the synthesis of their own collagen.
What collagen is really strong in is the ability to “lock” water and perfectly moisturize the skin.
On the label of creams, this substance is designated as Kollagen, Ossein, Collagene.
Collagen in cosmetics
We list the most popular categories of beauty products in which this substance can be found.
Masks
As a rule, these are collagen sheets that are applied to the face and thereby create a film on the skin that retains moisture and evens out the relief. Similar masks are used in their anti-age programs by beauty salons and clinics.
Collagen is included in the formulas of creams, masks and serums.
Serums
As already mentioned, pure collagen is practically not included in the composition of care products. Serums, for example, include collagen of marine origin in a duet with hyaluronic acid – this guarantees an immediate effect of smoothness and increased skin density.
Creams
Here, collagen is used to fight wrinkles – thanks to its ability to increase in volume. But then again, most often in the formula – not collagen itself, but its biospheres, which have the ability to penetrate the skin and “push out” wrinkles from the inside.
Overview of collagen creams
Day anti-aging facial “Age expert 35+”, L’Oréal Paris
Suitable as the first anti-age care: collagen biospheres reduce existing wrinkles and prevent the appearance of new ones. In general, the formula is good for preventing the first signs of aging, which become noticeable after 30 years.
Cream for normal skin Hydra Collagenist, Helena Rubinstein
Provides instant hydration thanks to collagen microspheres that direct moisture to the deepest layers of the skin. Due to such a powerful effect, lines of dehydration are smoothed out, the depth of age wrinkles is reduced.
Skin care around the eyes Hydra Collagenist, Helena Rubinstein
A powerful moisturizing effect, which is responsible for collagen microspheres, has a positive effect on the condition of the skin of the eyelids – usually dry and thin. It becomes denser, dark circles, mimic wrinkles decrease, traces of fatigue disappear.