Your skin says a lot about you. After all, it’s the first thing people see when they meet you...and the way your skin appears on the surface tells a story about the collagen underneath.

By the way, collagen’s functions go well beyond maintaining skin tone. It makes up the bulk of all connective tissue, accounting for approximately one-third of the body’s total protein content.

How Collagen Becomes Damaged

Strong collagen explains why a baby’s skin is firm, supple and silky. By the time a person reaches the age of 35, collagen has reached its peak.

A good indicator of strong collagen is when the contour of your face is still defined and has good elasticity, meaning it bounces back when you pinch it.

As one ages, collagen is lost through a steady, natural decline in collagen production and repair. This weakens the skin’s structure, causing it to show visible signs of aging.

Neglecting to care for your collagen can leave you looking older than your years: That's because everything you take into your body reaches the skin cells that produce collagen. Damage to this key protein can disrupt the connection between skin layers..leaving you with skin that looks lined and saggy.

Keeping Skin—and Collagen—Healthy

So how do you maintain strong collagen and healthy-looking skin?

Limiting ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and tanning beds is a good start, since these rays are collagen’s worst enemy.

But that doesn’t mean you have to avoid the sun all together: Some UV exposure is good for you, as it helps your body make vitamin D. After 15 minutes or so in the sun, apply a good full-spectrum sunscreen and reapply as needed. (Skip the tanning beds entirely.)

Exposure to herbicides, chlorine and other chemicals, as well as smoking or breathing in smog, can also wreak havoc on your skin’s collagen. Don’t smoke yourself and avoid secondhand smoke, and avoid exposure to harsh chemicals and smog as best you can.

Practice consistent stress relief. Stress, like UV or chemical exposure, is hard on the skin.

Do you like your sweets? Unfortunately, your sweet tooth may be doing more harm to your skin’s collagen than you realize. Too much glucose in the blood can react with collagen molecules, damaging them. This process, calledglycation, results in drier, more brittle collagen.

To keep your skin healthy, maintain a healthful, balanced diet that’s rich in fresh produce and healthy sources of protein, such as fatty fish like salmon and herring. Look for fish that has been wild caught as well as organically raised land-based protein sources, such as chicken, eggs and beef.

The next time you look in the mirror, ask yourself, “What have I done today to protect my collagen?” You can help your body do its job best when you nurture your skin health from within.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

The information in this blog is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional. Consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare practitioner is strongly advised, before starting any regimen of supplementation, a change in diet or any exercise routine. Individuals who engage in supplementation to promote health, address conditions or support any structure or function of the body assume all risks. Women who are pregnant, especially, should seek the advice of a medical doctor before taking any dietary supplement and before starting any change in diet or lifestyle. Descriptions of herbs, vitamins, nutrients or any ingredients are not recommendations to take our products or those of any other company. We are not doctors or primary-source science researchers. Instead, we defer to the findings of scientific experts who conduct studies, as well as those who compile and publish scientific literature on the potential health benefits of nutrients, herbs, spices, vitamins or minerals. We cannot guarantee that any individual will experience any of the health benefits associated with the nutrients described. Natural Organics will not be held liable for any injuries, damages, hindrances, or negative effects resulting from any reliance on the information presented, nor will Natural Organics be held accountable for any inaccuracy, miscalculation or error in the scientific literature upon which the information provided is based.