Articles with collagen

The 3 Anti-Ageing Skincare Products You Need

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links. With many skincare products marketed as anti-ageing, what do we actually need in our routine? There are 3 staples we recommend for the ultimate anti-ageing skincare regime – retinol, vitamin C and hydroxy acids. Each tackles the 3 major signs of skin ageing. These 3 signs being fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone and dull skin. Keep reading for product recommendations and to learn how these skincare products do their thing. Retinoids for collagen loss (fine lines and wrinkles) Retinoid is used as an umbrella term…

Read More

Bakuchiol: a better alternative to retinol?

What is Bakuchiol? Everyone and their grandmothers are talking about bakuchiol right now. So what’s the big deal? You’ve probably heard bakuchiol being discussed in the context of retinol – i.e. that it’s a great alternative to it. You may have heard bakuchiol has all the anti-ageing perks of retinol but manages to avoid the irritation that can come with the use of one. In this post we will explore whether bakuchiol is a better alternative to retinol and how they compare. So what’s bakuchiol? Despite being compared to retinol, bakuchiol is in no way related to retinol in structure…

Read More

salmon and egg as a source of vitamin d

What is vitamin D and what does it do?

What is vitamin D? Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids (essentially a steroid where one of the bonds in the steroid rings is broken). Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. In addition, this vitamin is also responsible for regulation of cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and innate and adaptive immunity. There are two major types (there are more types which are out of scope for this post) of vitamin D – vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). Our major source of vitamin D comes from the synthesis of vitamin…

Read More

Myth: 80 per cent of skin ageing caused by UV rays

From the daily mail to high-quality, reputable journals, the statement ‘UV rays account for 80 per cent of skin ageing’ is plentiful. First of all, there are many causes of skin ageing such as the natural ageing process, pollution, gravity, diet, smoking, illness and stress. So ‘UV rays cause 80% of skin ageing’ is a pretty bold statement to make. It seems almost absurd that anything could have more of an effect on skin ageing than the inherent ageing process. So let’s explore this claim. Skin basics Firstly, let’s explore the structure of our skin. For a more in depth…

Read More

Retinoid vs Retinol: What’s the difference?

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links. What are retinoids and retinols? I presume you’re reading this because you are aware of all the great things retinoids and retinols can do for your skin, but are confused over the terminology. This is where a PhD in organic chemistry comes in handy. Let me deconstruct their differences and why it matters. Retinoid and retinol are different but also the same. Huh? Let me explain. Often, Retinoid is used as an umbrella term for any compound derived from vitamin A (a vitamin A derivative). A vitamin…

Read More

Do collagen supplements work?

What is collagen Collagen is a protein. In fact, it is the main structural protein (in the extracellular matrix) found in connective tissues in the human body. These connective tissues being the skin, bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. Although, I suspect your reason for reading this is connected to its presence in the skin. There are several types of collagen in the human body, though, approximately 90% is type I collagen. Type I collagen is a fibrillar type collagen, which is also the main type of collagen found in the skin. This post will therefore focus on type I collagen and…

Read More