NATURAL COLLAGEN BOOSTERS

Aging gracefully can seem impossibly difficult. With so many harsh creams, expensive pills, and questionable procedures marketed to fix the fact that (apparently) literally everything is wrong with us, accepting–much less celebrating–our wrinkles can seem like a ridiculous proposition. So, today we’re going to do exactly that– celebrate the products that encourage our sense of wellbeing in our bodies. And because the condition of our skin is a big part of that sense of wellbeing, we’ve rounded up the recipes, supplements, and skincare that help us feel like our naturally healthy, glowy, best selves.

Our main focus in choosing favorite products was their ability to naturally help stimulate collagen production in our bodies and in our skin. What is collagen? We weren’t entirely sure either… As it turns out, collagen is a protein that supports the body’s tissue structure. As we age, our bodies start to produce less collagen–resulting in weaker muscles, weaker bones, and less supple skin (aka wrinkles). And since collagen makes up one third of our skin’s protein content, the effects of collagen loss start to show fairly fast.

One way to help stimulate collagen production is by making sure you’re getting enough of the amino acids needed to create it. Lentils, eggs, milk, meat, chickpeas, beef, and cabbage, as well as Vitamin C rich foods like oranges, lemons, and limes all provide the amino acids necessary to collagen production. We love this Beauty Chef Glow Inner Beauty powder supplement because it’s chock full of amino acids and healthy fats necessary to keeping your body in top collagen producing shape. The Hemsley sisters also have an awesome recipe for collagen rich Bone Broth, an incredibly nourishing food for your body and for your skin. Mimi Thorisson’s Vegetable Potage is also full of healing ingredients, and is a good vegetarian alternative.

After making sure you’re getting enough of the amino acids and healthy fats your body needs to produce collagen, what can you do specifically for your skin? The basics. Protect it by wearing sunscreen–La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral Sunscreen is our favorite. Another enemy of collagen: free radicals. One of our favorite eye creams, Origins Starting Over Age-Erasing Eye Cream with Mimosa, helps stimulate collagen production, as well as protect from free radical with its Green Algae. Kahina Giving Beauty’s Antioxidant Mask is another multi-tasker: stimulating your skin’s collagen production while also lending some serious free-radical protection. Aurelia Probiotic Skincare’s Revitalize & Glow Serum packs a bit more of a collagen-producing punch–it’s full of enough skin repairing peptides to keep your skin looking dewier than a spring flower.

Finally, protect all of that newly regenerated collagen by moisturizing A LOT. Hyaluronic acid and oils are our favorite ingredients here. Both help keep the skin cells that produce collagen healthy and plump by surrounding them with moisture. There’s a reason Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream is a cult favorite– it’s the ultimate when it comes to moisturizing, full of anti-aging ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, oils, vitamins, and soothing rose water and aloe. Finally, Sunday Riley’s Isis Oil is a divine combo of regenerative rosehip oil and nourishing phytonutrients–we love adding it as a special step to our nighttime skin routine.

Photos by Evan Browning 

Written by Sara Dimmitt