Collagen is one of the body’s main building blocks. It’s responsible for the development and maintenance of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and skin, helping it stay elastic and providing a plumper, more youthful appearance. The problem is that while collagen is the most abundant protein produced in the body, less and less is produced over time. And this starts happening far earlier than you might expect, a key reason why so many younger women are turning to collagen supplementation to maintain younger looking skin. 

So when do collagen levels decline and when should you take a supplement to help? 

There’s no hard and fast rule here but what we do know is that there’s an approximate age when many women could benefit from collagen supplementation. It’s all to do with the physiological changes that take place in the body in your mid-twenties, when natural collagen production levels begin to decline. Your levels might stay relatively stable for a few years but your body simply can’t produce as much collagen in your late twenties and beyond compared to earlier years. This is why visible signs of ageing such as wrinkles around the eyes or forehead can be seen in women you might have thought too young to be affected. Of course, they may have sped things up by partying too hard, drinking, smoking or perhaps forgetting their sunscreen, but the fact is that even if you take immaculate care of your skin you can’t make your body produce more collagen than nature allows. 

This is when supplementation can help and you may have already seen the many collagen formulas available. Keep in mind there are differences between them, specifically in terms of bioavailability which in this case revolves around how much collagen actually enters your system after you ingest it. Our advice is to look for hydrolised formulas because the collagen proteins they use have been broken down into what’s known as short peptide chains. As a result, the body can absorb and use the collagen far easier. Maybe start with Nature’s Way Beauty Collagen formulas because whether it’s a convenient gummy, tablet or powder formula, they all use hydrolised Verisol®B peptides.

For info on Nature’s Way Beauty Collagen formulas, click here