Collagen 101: The What, Why & How

What Does Collagen do for the Skin?

Collagen: beauty’s biggest buzzword. We’ve all heard of it, but what exactlyisit, why is everyone obsessing over it and why do we need it in our skincare routine? Well, there’s a good reason that this C word has been bouncing off everyone’s lips. We’re breaking it down with the what, why and how, so that you can get the best results from your skincare and continue to hit your skin goals…. Say hello to your new beauty best friend…

What Is Collagen?

Collagen is the most powerful natural protein produced in humans. It is a structural protein (the most abundant structural protein) which means it is the substance that holds everything in place, making up the structure or framework of your cells and connective tissues. An interesting fact - the word "collagen" comes from the Greek word "kólla" which means glue. Collagen is composed of amino acids specifically glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. There are 28 known types of collagen, with type I collagen accounting for 90% of the collagen in the human body.

The Benefits of Collagen?

Simply put, collagen is vital for the health of every system in your body, it’s the scaffolding of our skin, connective tissue, arteries and bones. Collagen provides structural support to tissues and plays important roles in cellular processes including repair, immune response, cellular communication and cellular migration for tissue maintenance. Collagen really is the gift that keeps on giving and provides countless benefits for our skin. It can help to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and redness, improve skin elasticity, reduce visible wrinkles and the signs of skin ageing, increase blood flow and circulation and will penetrate deeply into the skin.

What Happens To Our Collagen Levels?

As you age, your collagen production naturally slows. Additionally, collagen becomes fragmented and more loosely distributed. At around the age of 20, our skin starts producing 1% less collagen each year, and as a result, we can experience fine lines, sagging, pigmentation, general dullness of the skin and a reduction in skin strength.

As our natural collagen production declines, to ‘top up’ your collagen levels you can try adding collagen rich foods to your diet, and taking collagen supplements can help, plus there are also topical collagen supplement products. Oral collagen supplements can get to work deep in the dermal layers and strengthen your collagen from the inside out.

Topical collagen refers to its use in skincare products, known for its moisturising and humectant properties however it’s important to note that because collagen peptides are so large they often don't penetrate the skin as deeply. Therefore you need to choose a product with collagen amino acids that are small enough to get to the deeper layers of the dermis to deliver that plumping effect you associate with collagen. There are skincare products that use hydrolyzed collagen, which is when the collagen is broken down into smaller particles that are easier to use - but this is still animal collagen and can still have limitations.

What Do Collagen Supplements Do for Skin Elasticity

When we are young and our bodies have healthy collagen production levels, this helps maintain our skin's elasticity and keep it looking youthful and firm. When our body starts to produce less collagen as we age, this elasticity can decrease and we can get wrinkles and other signs of ageing.

By using collagen products to supplement the levels of collagen production in our bodies, we can help maintain the elasticity in our skin, reducing the signs of ageing like wrinkles, and helping to keep our skin looking firm and bouncy. The better these supplements are at getting the essential collagen molecules into our skin, the more effective they are going to be at improving our skin elasticity. 

The vegan collagen found in our Active Blast is categorised as bioavailable meaning it is able to better penetrate the skin, up to 90% more in the upper layers. Using collagen at any stage can help to slow down the visible signs of ageing and support skin health. In particular, using our ultimate power duo of FaceGym's Active Blast Vegan Collagen Skin Booster and Hydro-Bound Hyaluronic + Niacinamide Serum for super skin hydration will really work wonders, with the combination of a collagen booster and Hyaluronic Acid leaving your skin looking and feeling plump and glowing.

Collagen Vs Vegan Collagen?

Natural collagen is 100% animal-based and when used in supplements and skincare it is derived from animal sources such as fish or beef. As humans, we have been reaping the innumerable benefits of consuming animal proteins for as long as we’ve been humans, but just as with any plant-based alternatives in the market, there is a need and a desire for an alternative to animal-derived collagen in today’s society too. After a 14-year development process, innovations in science and research have delivered a novel, patented development process to create a vegan collagen ingredient, a world first. It is made by using genetically modified yeast and bacteria and manufactured via a patented yeast fermentation process to create a topical ingredient that can be used in skincare, and it’s what makesFaceGym's Active Blast Vegan Collagen Skin Booster so innovative..  

Collagen Boosting Made Easy For You

OurActive Blast Vegan Collagen Skin Booster is changing the skincare game. 14 years in the making, our vegan collagen sets a new standard for collagen. We’re providing a first-of-its-kind ‘smart collagen’ to dramatically boost your skin and help you hit your skin goals day after day.

Our collagen synthesis has created these tiny but mighty Active Blast spheres of super-concentrated, potent vegan collagen serum which fire up your skin’s metabolism for fast-track skin renewal, leaving it smoother, more radiant and more youthful-looking. Derived from fermented yeast, it is 6 times more repairing and 200 times better performing compared with traditional collagen and it delivers up to 90% penetration into the upper layers of the skin.It will renew your skin in just 7 days andcompletely transform your skin in 28 days. 

Combine it with our award-winning, water-based super-hydratingHydro-Bound Hyaluronic + Niacinamide Serum and apply with plucking moves to help plump and boost collagen production in the skin to maximise your results. It really couldn’t be simpler to start your skin transformation. Get ready to send your collagen levels soaring and experience smoother, more radiant, youthful-looking skin.