When it comes to the beauty and wellness industry, collagen certainly isn’t a new concept. As the most abundant protein in the human body—it’s not only responsible for strong, supple skin—it also plays an essential role in the health of our bones, joints, soft tissues, gut, nails and hair.
Alongside elastin—another protein which helps our skin to remain firm and radiant—collagen is also the key to more youthful-looking skin. While there are a number of factors that can impact our collagen production, the good news is that there are also a myriad of ways to boost our collagen stores, naturally.
But first, what is collagen?
Think of collagen as a structural building block—when our collagen stores are plentiful, our skin remains firm, supple and well-hydrated. Unfortunately however, we are unable to maintain a constant supply of this plumping protein with our stores of collagen—as well as our ability to produce it—naturally declining as we age.
As our bodies are also unable to make collagen on its own, it’s important to implement the diet and lifestyle practices that will help to maintain and boost our ability to produce this vital protein.
Five simple ways you can naturally boost collagen
1. Hydrate
One of the key components of collagen is water which is why it’s essential to stay well-hydrated in order to foster collagen production. Drinking plenty of filtered water each day will certainly help to preserve collagen, as will noshing on plenty of hydrating fruits and vegetables like watermelon, strawberries and cucumber. Another key ingredient for hydrated skin is hyaluronic acid. Like collagen, HA declines with age, but research shows that it can also help to boost collagen production—and provide a much-needed burst of moisture for dry skin. Whether ingested or applied topically, hyaluronic acid is vital for glowing, resilient skin!
2. Consume vitamin C
Perhaps more than any other nutrient, vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis—while also harbouring the added bonus of helping to protect skin from free radical damage. While citrus fruits contain an abundance of vitamin C, other less well-known sources include Acerola Cherry and Amla—which contains 20 times more vitamin C than an orange. Found in our exclusive Ayurvedic Beauty Blend™, Amla’s adaptogenic properties also support the body’s stress response. Even better? As a potent antioxidant, vitamin C boasts the added benefits of supporting immune function and helping us to maintain stable energy levels.
3. Amp up your intake of antioxidants
Famed for their ability to protect the body—and skin—from the damaging and ageing effects of free radicals, antioxidants not only help to boost collagen production, but they also work to prevent its degradation. While consuming an array of fresh fruits and vegetables will give your body a healthy dose of antioxidants, adding a supplement like the LAMAV Ayurvedic Beauty Powder to your routine is another way to ensure you’re getting enough of these incredible compounds daily. Containing ingredients like Astaxanthin, Amla, Acerola Cherry, Shisandra Berry and Holy Basil, this nourishing inner beauty powder helps to combat inflammation, bolster immune function and promote more radiant skin from within.
4. Choose collagen-rich foods
To support effective collagen formation, we must also include collagen-rich foods in our diet regularly as the amino acids they contain play an essential role in collagen synthesis. While there are countless collagen supplements on the market—which come from a number of sources including bovine and marine collagen—a balanced, wholefood-based diet will also supply you with all the amino acids you need to boost your own collagen production. Good sources include protein-rich foods such as chicken and lean red meat, gelatin and bone broth, fish, dairy and eggs.
5. Prevent Collagen Degradation
While we are unfortunately unable to prevent our ability to produce collagen from declining as we age, we can slow it down by avoiding detrimental lifestyle and environmental factors which can impact this process. Excess sun exposure, smoking and consuming too many refined sugars and carbohydrates are all proven to speed up collagen degradation so being sun safe and focusing on a nutrient-dense and balanced wholefoods diet is essential not only for glowing skin—but our general health and wellbeing as well.
Help to boost collagen naturally by adding our LAMAV Ayurvedic Beauty Powder to your beauty and wellbeing routine. Find out more by heading to our Inner Beauty product page.
