There is a widespread myth that creams that actually contain collagen will help to repair and replace your damaged dermal collagen. This is not true. The truth is that collagen found in creams can help to bind water to the skins surface helping the skin to appear more plump...but don't be fooled.....these creams are not doing anything for the damaged state of your dermal collagen. Collagen molecules are too large to get through the surface of the skin.
What you want to work with are your existing FIBROBLASTS. These are the cells that produce collagen. The fibrobalsts in your dermis can be stimulated to produce more collagen by certain ingredients.
The ingredients that are recommended to stimulate firboblasts are Retin A, Retinova, or any form of Retinol which is available either by prescription from your doctor or available widely in many cosmeceutical products. If you use prescription stregnth Retin A, it DOES thin the skin so you have to be very careful about going in the sun and also about waxing (very careful AKA don't do it or you'll be pissed at yourself). The long term use of alpha hydroxy acids can also stimulate fibroblasts to produce more collagen, as well as peptides (an awesome beneficial ingredient in certain products that can actually coax aging skin into behaving like young skin). And finally the long term use of botanical extracts such as Centella asiatica (also known as Indian pennywort and pegaga) and Echinacea angustifolia. The latter two are just starting to appear in skin care products and their benefits are countless in improving the integrity, structure and appearance of the skin, especially centella asiatica.
So, when you're out perusing the shelves at Sephora or surfing the wuuuurld wide web....in hopes of finding a product that might help to repair that ol' sun damaged collagen of yours, keep in mind that products claiming to contain collagen will only help your skin to retain moisture.
The products that will help to stimulate the production of new collagen by stimulating your fibroblasts are: 1) derivatives of Tretinoin (including Retin A, Retinols, Renova) 2) long term use of alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid) Here's a tip - these can be found in your own refrigerator in the form of organic yogurt, milk, grapes....make up a little mask in your kitchen or try rinsing your skin with milk or better yet buttermilk instead of water. 3) Long term use of peptides (more to come later on the fabulousness (is this a word?) of peptides and 4) the herbal ingredients Centella asiatica and Echinacea angustifolia. Check the labels and make sure that these fibroblast stimulating ingredients appear within the first six on the label....if not....the amount the product contains is so minimal it's as if the ingredient is not even there. It's like putting a teaspoon of lemon in an olympic size swimming pool and calling it a pool of lemonade.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP OF THE DAY - Wear your damn sunblock so you can protect that precious undamaged collagen that you still have - believe me - it's precious!
