What is Collagen?

Collagen keeps dermal and epidermal tissue in optimal condition, improves moisture retention in the deeper layers of the skin and is vital for repairing skin without leaving scars.

The skin you can see is called the epidermis. Underneath the epidermis is the dermis. This is made up of elastic fibres (elastin) for suppleness and protein fibres (collagen) for support and flexibility to the skin. 75% of the dermis consists of collagen and it accounts for 90% of dermal volume.

As we grow older collagen synthesis is slowing down and collagen loses its flexibility and capacity for absorption. The skin becomes thinner and the protein fibres decrease in diameter.

From the age of approximately 25-35 years onwards the body loses collagen at a rate of 1.5% per annum. By the age of 45 collagen levels can have fallen by as much as 30%. The external effects of this process are the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and drier skin.

When skin starts to wrinkle and lose elasticity you can be sure that the cells which form your collagen tissue are not as active as they should be. Your hair will also lose its gloss. This is part of the aging process but if you don't take steps to prevent it, it can be permanent. To hold back the aging process it is necessary to reform and replace collagen as it is lost.

What makes collagen so effective?

On your face, the epidermis is only 0.02 millimetres thick and it has a role to protect against substances that could penetrate and affect the inner layer, the dermis. But that's still a formidable barrier for cosmetics. It stops substances intended to smooth your skin from penetrating to the layers beneath.

The importance of collagen to the maintenance of smooth, supple, young-looking skin is well established. It gives skin its firmness, smooth texture and tone, and help to maintain its elasticity and moisture content.

Damage to skin collagens occurs with aging and exposure to the elements, especially the sun's harmful UV rays. This damage causes the skin to become dry due to an increased loss of moisture; and wrinkled and saggy due to lost tone, firmness and elasticity.

In the past, many claims made by cosmetics companies were not "scientifically attributable" because the products did not penetrate the skin.

Most skin creams only feed the skin smaller molecules, such as partial proteins, hydrolysed collagen (smashed up collagen molecules), vitamins and minerals. Until now, many people turned to doctors to restore collagen with direct injections.

Collagen derived from fish helps to solve that problem.

Being highly porous and breathable, Collagen gel allows the skin to breathe freely, keeping the skin healthy.