3 ways to naturally increase collagen production

Collagen production. Let’s talk about it.

Every so often a skincare trend will sweep through beauty circles, prompting skincare giants and dermatologists to pump funding into the discovery of the next one-stop wonder cure.

The collagen craze

Love it or loath it, we’re in the midst of a collagen craze, with the quest for plump, youthful-looking skin a hot commodity.

But while the market teems with collagen injections and fillers promising to deliver smooth, supple skin, scientists are pouring research into harnessing the power of natural ingredients like never before. Women are also starting to embrace a more natural approach to aging and beauty.

What is collagen?

You’ve had collagen in your skin since the day you were born. It’s the stuff that makes your skin resilient, firm, and elastic. It’s the reason the skin doesn’t wrinkle when we use our facial muscles.

But your skin stops producing it from around the age of 30 and decreases even more in menopausal women. As we age, cell turnover also decreases, meaning our skin lacks that glow and plumpness we had when we were younger.

With a decrease in collagen production, we start to notice the common signs of aging, such as wrinkles and sagging skin.

You can test your skin’s collagen by pressing your finger into your cheek and checking to see whether it left an indent. If it doesn’t, this means your skin has good collagen production and resilience.

Best natural skincare ingredients for collagen production

Before you invest hundreds of dollars into collagen-infused skincare, understand this important fact; collagen molecules are too dense to permeate the skin’s layers.

Instead of slathering our skin with the stuff, it’s better to kickstart your skin cells by using collagen-stimulating ingredients that will allow your cells to start producing collagen on their own.

Here, we look at some of the best natural ingredients for stimulating collagen production.

1. Avocado Oil

Boasting an impressive repertoire of essential fatty acids and oleic acid, avocado oil has been scientifically proven to promote collagen synthesis—the process of creating new connective skin tissue.

This process helps to repair wounds and scars, smooth fine lines and wrinkles and helps to promote a more plump, supple complexion.

Shop avocado oil-based skincare products >

2. Manuka Honey

Native to New Zealand, manuka honey has long been touted for its impressive healing properties—and not just on the inside.

Manuka honey contains peptides, one of nature’s best-known collagen-boosting ingredients. Peptides are found in cells and tissue and act as a building block for collagen production by signalling to the body to produce more of it.

This can help to inhibit collagen loss, repair cellular damage and lessen scarring, owing to a more smooth complexion.

Shop manuka-honey infused cream cleanser > 

3. Bee Venom

Clinically proven to improve facial wrinkles and reduce the signs of aging skin, bee venom has long been hyped as a powerful natural alternative to botox (beetox, anyone?).

Bee venom contains melittin, a powerful protein that increases blood circulation and signals to the inner layers of the skin to produce more elastin and collagen.

And as an added bonus, bee venom also helps to repair sun damage, dark spots and blemishes.

Shop eye cream with bee venom and avocado oil > 

The bottom line?

Collagen isn’t just another beauty buzzword. By boosting collagen production, you can be prepared to see tighter skin, smaller pores, and improved fine lines and wrinkles.

And with a wealth of natural collagen-stimulating ingredients, there has never been a better time to deliver collagen-boosting products to your skin naturally.