Collagen may be one of those buzzy skin care words that seems to be everywhere now, but what exactly is it? And what does it have to do with sunscreen?
Firstly, What is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein found in your body. It’s created in your dermis (below your top layer of skin, the epidermis) and provides both support and elasticity for your skin. Along with other changes that occur as we age, our collagen production decreases, leading to deeper wrinkles and sagging skin. External factors such as sunlight, pollution, smoking and dietary choices also contribute to aging skin, accelerating its decline and repair. Luckily, not all hope is lost!
How Does Sunscreen Help?
Unprotected sun exposure results in many signs of premature skin aging, including fine lines, wrinkles and sagging, uneven skin. One of the reasons is that deeper penetrating UVA rays impact the deeper layers in the skin. This can result in damage to the collagen fibers that contribute to the skin’s supporting structure. While we are used to thinking about sunscreen on sunny, summer days, those in the know appreciate the importance of wearing sunscreen 365 days a year. Most skin care experts agree that if you do only one thing for your skin, it should be wearing sunscreen every day. Like any good habit, it’s never too late to start. Sun damage is cumulative, so a good broad spectrum sunscreen helps protect new skin cells that are constantly being produced. It also helps to minimize the destruction of collagen.
Should We Apply Collagen Topically?
Why not just cut to the chase and apply collagen directly? Sounds good in principle, but the large molecular size of collagen means it can’t be absorbed into skin and therefore, cannot replenish lost collagen effectively.
Using sunscreen is essential to help protect collagen damage, but it’s important to also help boost its production, especially as we get older. The best way to do this is by using a topical retinoid. Retinoids, which come from vitamin A, help speed cell turnover, improve skin tone and texture and decrease the appearance of pore size. We like the retinaldehyde in Apothekari A is for Anti-Aging because of its effective yet gentle formulation that also incorporates skin-loving ingredients such as niacinamide, carnitine and bisabolol to brighten, moisturize and provide anti-inflammatory benefits. To further protect and promote collagen and elastin production, you may also want to consider adding in peptides and a vitamin C serum.
Just one more reason to love sunscreen.
