If you’ve been interested in collagen for a while and are not sure what it does, what it’s for, and why you should use it, we’ll break it down for you. Collagen is a protein that our body abundantly produces. It helps keep your skin, hair, nails, joints and bones healthy from a young age. The problem is that the more time goes by, the less collagen our body produces and that’s when collagen supplements come into play. Collagen also benefits our body by making movement much easier, it also makes body recovery much faster.

To avoid slowing down this production of collagen in your skin, follow the number one rule in skincare, which is not overexposing your skin in the sun. UV rays are quite damaging for the skin, because it will keep the actives in your skin from producing proteins like collagen or elastin. Always wear a hat when the sun is out and apply some SPF on your skin.

There are four different types of collagen that interact with our bodies:

Type I is the main form of collagen we naturally produce, this is the type of collagen responsible for the way we look essentially. Our skin, hair, even our teeth... this is also the type of collagen you will find in most collagen products, as it is the one our bodies need the most.

Type II boosts the production of elastin. This type of collagen is highly produced when you are a child and decreases with the years. Hence why we need a little more help with recovery the older we get.

Type III keeps your body healthy and functioning. This is the type of collagen that ensures your muscles and organs are protected and stay "young".

Type IV is responsible for the health of our deeper layers of skin. This is the type of collagen that ensures healthy and quicker cell turnover. When scarring and pigmentation tend to last on the skin, your body might be producing this type of collagen at a slow rate.

Towards the end of your twenties, beginning of your thirties is when you’re going to start to have a decrease in your body’s collagen production. It’s not going to have a big impact at first but the more time passes, the more you’re going to see and feel the difference in your skin or in the way you move.

Taking collagen supplements will mainly affect your bones and joints, but if you take them daily, they can also have an impact on your skin. Collagen is what brings elasticity to your skin and helps you keep that youthful look.

Foods that will promote the production of collagen - There are many nutrients that can help promote and boost the production of collagen in your body. Many of them can be found in foods that we eat everyday. The top nutrients that will help with collagen production are:

• Grains (contain chromium)
• Copper and zinc
• Vitamin C
• Iron
• Omega 3

Supplementing with collagen will help your body find a balance between the collagen it produces and the amount you are bringing in.