I was always a late bloomer when it came to caring for my skin. I’ve always thought that after my teenage years, my skin would naturally turn back to its flawless state, however, I’ve come to realize that skin maintenance is important no matter what age you’re at.
Now that I’m in my late 30’s, I’ve come to notice more prominent signs of wrinkles on my face, especially on the area around my eyes. Not only that but even after applying moisturizer on my face, I’ve also observed how some parts of my skin are drying up faster.
I decided then to start investing in expensive skincare products that claim to get rid of the starting signs of aging with little to no results. I've tried just about every popular wrinkle and dry skin treatment over the past few months and I've finally discovered a regimen that benefits me the most.
When Do Wrinkles Start?
Wrinkles start to form as early as the age of 25. This is because as we age, our collagen production lessens. Our skin becomes wrinkled due to the slow development of skin cells, thinner skin layers, and a deficiency in collagen proteins.
Our body has a protein called collagen that provides our skin with structure. Collagen offers flexibility or stretchiness to our skin so in a way, our skin resembles a rubber band. The “rubber band” gets lax overtime and may lose its capacity to return to its original size and shape if it is stretched or moved too far. Our body's cells create fewer proteins as we get older, thus wrinkles develop because our skin has a harder time returning to its original shape as a result.
Similarly, our skin may feel dry and flaky as a result of age-related collagen loss and environmental factors. Our skin needs water and naturally occurring oils to maintain its soft and elastic texture so it can stay healthy and perform its function. Skin can become dry if it lacks oils and moisture. Our body's first line of protection is our skin. It prevents dangerous pathogens from entering the body, including viruses and bacteria.
Skin cells divide more slowly as we age, and the dermis, the middle layer of your skin, starts to shrink. A network of collagen and elastin fibers found in the dermis provides support and suppleness. On the surface of our skin, depressions develop as this gradually becomes looser and unravels. Additionally, aged skin dries out the skin more easily since it is slower to repair, less effective at secreting oil, and less able to retain moisture.
Some Causes of Wrinkles and Dry Skin include:
Gradual loss of collagen as we age
Environmental causes such as excessive exposure to the sun's UV rays
As pollution enters your pores through the air you breathe, it can cause the collagen in your body to break down
Dehydration and/or bathing in hot shower for a prolonged period
Remedies I’ve Tried
In an effort to decrease and get rid of my wrinkles and dry skin, I've tried a variety of treatments, such as face masks, essential oils, and pricey creams, and lotions.
I tried to start with a home-remedy banana face mask. Banana is a natural exfoliator that can eliminate excess oil in the face as it contains potassium, vitamins A, C, and E that supports healthy skin. Additionally, bananas contain silica which is one of the most prominent components and silica in bananas can aid in boosting the creation of collagen, the natural proteins that keep skin moisturized and smooth. However, after a few weeks of using this face mask, I did not experience any results. There weren’t any reduction of wrinkles nor did it make my skin more moisturized.
Next step was trying out aloe vera which, admittedly, made my skin moisturized but did not address the problems I was experiencing with wrinkles and through my research, excessive use of this product may lead to drying of the skin as the enzymes in the plant serve as an exfoliant. Depending on your skin type, if you exfoliate your skin too much, it will start to get too oily or too dry.
I then made the decision to use retinol creams with vitamin A. This can help lessen hyperpigmentation, fine wrinkles, and dry skin. Vitamin A-based retinol creams can boost the skin's collagen production and I was feeling hopeful at this point.
I experienced similar results with the aloe vera in which my skin felt more moisturized. I gave this a few weeks to see if there are any additional benefits. I noticed how my skin looked lighter (not drastically though) compared to before and it made me feel like I’ve finally found the one skin care product that might help with my problems.
However, I’ve also noticed how my skin became itchy and irritated after using the cream. At first I thought that this is because my skin is just getting used to a brand new product so I gave it a few more days to settle. Even if it's slowly starting to have some benefits on my skin (sans the lessening of wrinkles), I’m still experiencing some irritation.
Upon further research, skin irritation is one of the most adverse side effects of using this type of product. It can cause peeling, dryness, and even a burning sensation. I immediately stopped using this cream as it can cause more harm than good to my skin.
While some of these treatments helped with my dry skin, these aren’t really a permanent fix to eliminating one of the biggest issues I have with my skin which are wrinkles.
What Worked For Me
I spent days researching what could be the best remedy for my wrinkles and the solution might be as simple as consuming your body’s daily needed collagen.
Why?
Collagen is a protein that acts as a kind of scaffolding or adhesive and is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of our cells. In short, collagen is responsible for our skin’s appearance or its physical properties. It is also the protein that is most abundant in our body.
In the skin, collagen has two different roles. First is to provide the building blocks for the production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, connective tissue holds the cells of the tissue together. Secondly, collagen controls the skin’s physiology and structure. It can help preserve the moisture in our skin, muscles, and soft tissues.
However, studies show that as we get older, our natural collagen levels start to sharply fall starting around the age of 25. Although the loss initially happens at a rate of 1.5% each year, by the time we reach the age of 60, it's conceivable that we’ve lost as much as 80% of our natural collagen production levels.
It’s clear then that collagen might be my golden ticket into saying goodbye to my wrinkles and maintaining my skin’s quality. Collagen helps boost the skin’s natural moisture and flexibility which can reduce wrinkles and dry skin.
After looking at reviews and doing a thorough research, I decided to buy my first batch of collagen supplements. There were no obvious changes seen over the first several days because no supplement is a miracle supplement after all. But after a week or so, I could see a difference in how hydrated and supple my skin was. I’ve also observed that even when I apply additional moisturizer, I don’t experience any random patches of dryness anymore. My skin stays hydrated throughout the day!
As for my wrinkles, there wasn't any visible lightening or fading yet but I decided to give it another week. That's when it happened. It wasn't obvious at first but slowly, my wrinkles started to lessen. My skin overall looked healthier and brighter compared to before.
Because of this, I also found that oral collagen works faster and more successfully than the other topical treatments I've tried, though results didn’t happen right away.
Choosing the Right Collagen
There are over 28 types of collagen in the market today so how will we know which collagen is the right one for us?
Bovine collagen is often of lower quality, it is preferable to look for formulations that use hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides. Collagen peptides that have been hydrolyzed in liquid form have a better absorption rate since they have already been broken down into smaller peptides, making it easier for your body to absorb and digest them. This indicates that the best bioavailability is provided by this type of collagen supplementation.
Marine collagen is also more environmentally beneficial than bovine collagen since fish protein emits less greenhouse gas emissions than cattle protein. Additionally, since you can be certain that the former did not get any hormone, antibiotic, or chemical treatments, wild-caught marine collagen is preferred to that from farmed fish.
What Are Supplements
Supplements can be any kind of vitamin, minerals, herbs, botanicals, and amino acids that you can eat or drink. You can buy supplements that come in various forms like pills, powders, liquids, and capsules to name a few.
Supplementing one's existing nutrition is the main goal of supplements. While supplements like vitamins and pills might be beneficial to health, they shouldn't be used in place of a balanced diet and active lifestyle.
Top 3 Collagen Supplements for Wrinkles and Dry Skin
Collagen Glow Berries from The Purest Co. are the collagen supplement I suggest to treat wrinkles and dry skin. Based on my research and testing of various products from topical to oral, this supplement produced the best results.
Moreover, its liquid form factor promotes the best absorption into the body and in my opinion, it is one of the highest grade collagen supplements now on the market. Whatever the case, after trying numerous various collagen products in a range of formats such as powders, tablets, and gummies, this collagen supplement has proven to be the most beneficial for me.
Our evaluation criteria:
PROS
With Nitta-gelatin Wellnex® hydrolyzed collagen peptides from Japan
Contains vitamin C, bilberry extract, mixed berries concentrate juice and many more
No unnecessary ingredients or additives
30-day, 100% satisfaction guaranteed or money back
Rigorously tested for purity and ingredient quality
Made in Taiwan
Manufactured to HACCP and ISO22000 standards
Highly rated for customer service
Free SG delivery on all orders
CONS
Only available online
Regularly out of stock due to high demand
BOTTOMLINE
With an extremely comprehensive formula and the best customer feedback scores on our list, Collagen Glow Berries by The Purest Co is easily my Number 1 pick.
It delivers a potent dose (5500mg) of Nitta-gelatin Wellnex® hydrolyzed collagen peptides which are a superior form of Type 1 marine collagen, as well as a whole host of supporting ingredients like vitamin C (250mg), bilberry extract, and mixed berries concentrate juice.
This collagen drink contains no unnecessary ingredients and was packed with a great taste. The company was highly rated for customer service and offers a 30-day, risk-free, money-back guarantee which shows they are willing to stand behind the quality of their product.
When compared to other top competitors, Collagen Glow Berries was unrivaled in effectiveness, quality, safety, and value which makes it my top choice as the best collagen supplement for wrinkles and dry skin on the market today.
2. Laneige Youth Collagen Drink
Key differentiators: Promotes sleep, moisturizing
Price: $120
Pros:
Contains GABA to promote deep sleep
Contains pomegranate and red orange extract
Made in an FDA-approved facility
If the goal is to tighten the skin and replace fine lines and wrinkles into supple skin, Laneige aims to do just that. Their Youth Collagen Drink contains fish collagen peptides that replenishes the body’s collagen supply while helping you maintain healthy skin. This drink also contains minerals that promote relaxation and help one have better sleep.
This collagen supplement, however, is on the pricey side. Laneige is one of the more well-known skincare brands worldwide so this is a hit with more mature customers who experience some sogginess and lack of collagen.
PROS
A brand with a long history
One of the highest marine collagen peptide amounts
Can be purchased at retail shops
Contains hyaluronic acid and
Vitamin C
Tasty citrus flavored
CONS
Very expensive
Divisive feedback from consumers
Customer service not the greatest
Average consumer may not require that much collagen
BOTTOMLINE
Everyone is familiar with New Moon as a brand, and besides their well-known abalone products, they carry a line of collagen drinks as well. Their collagen drinks contain one of the highest amounts of marine collagen peptides in the market, and they have priced it as such.
Inner Radiance collagen drink also contains ceramide and hyaluronic acid, as well as maqui berry and vitamin C, which complements their marine collagen peptides.
However, each daily intake bottle is almost 25% more expensive than my top choice, which may or may not justify the amount of collagen in each bottle. Studies have also shown that daily consumption of more than 5000mg may not be effective and cost-efficient, as we do get a certain amount of collagen from our daily diet.
Inner Radiance unfortunately does not seem to have discounts for multiple order purchases - meaning if you plan on taking this long-term, it could get very expensive.
This product would be a good option for those who are not price-sensitive, and who require more collagen than the average consumer.
CONCLUSION
Even if wrinkles are a natural part of aging, it doesn’t mean that we have to speed up the process of it. Premature wrinkles can also occur due to environmental factors and we can avoid the formation of these as much as possible. With The Purest Co’s Collagen Glow Berries, this supplement helped reduce my wrinkles and even improved my skin’s moisture! I’m very much satisfied with the results I got once I started incorporating collagen into my diet and skin care routine.
The Purest Co. continues to be the best collagen supplement in the market today based on its effectiveness in my experience.
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