Beauty trend: jello skin

Long-term skin care

Unlike Glass Skin and Dewy Skin, when we talk about Jello Skin we are not talking about the effect obtained on the skin thanks to cosmetics (make-up or skin care) with bright, illuminating finishing: in this case it is essential to set up a care regimen of the skin in the long term. And on several fronts.

Why? because a Jello skin looks like this because it has important collagen reserves in its deep layers.

The key point: collagen

Collagen is a structural protein produced by fibroblasts, cells present in the dermis (the intermediate layer of the skin), at the level of which it performs an important support function together with elastic fibers and glycosaminoglycans.

It gives turgidity, compactness, elasticity, resistance to the skin. 80% of young skin is made up of collagen which is continuously reconstituted and balances its physiological degradation.

Starting from the age of 20, the ability of our fibroblasts to rebuild collagen decreases in a natural way: here in the "construction and degradation" balance, degradation prevails.

However, the rate of degradation of collagen is accentuated in the presence of various stress factors such as smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep, hormonal changes...

All this leads to a reduction in the firmness and tone of the skin.

This explains why various factors contribute to the jello appearance of the skin, starting with a healthy lifestyle.

How to help our fibroblasts maintain adequate collagen production?

You can start with a skin care that promotes and supports the skin's collagen content.

Native collagen is a very large molecule with a complex structure of intertwined fibers and a high molecular weight (300 kDa).

Due to these characteristics, it is incompatible with its use in cosmetic products, because it is insoluble in water; moreover, it cannot be absorbed by the skin and therefore is ineffective.

There are hundreds of alternatives, which we will delve into below. Explore what the suppliers offer in our database and contact them for samples and info by typing the keyword collagen --> login

Active skin care for a "jello skin"

There are many biomimetic alternatives, ie which mimic the function of collagen and/or promote its synthesis or preserve its reserves by preventing its degradation.

• Hydrolysed collagen (some examples of INCI: Hydrolized collagen, Soluble collagen, Dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, Arginine, Lysine Polypeptide): these are small fragments of low molecular weight collagen generally obtained via enzymes (enzymatic hydrolysis), which therefore can either be incorporated in formula that be absorbed by the skin where they can perform their action.

• Promoters of collagen synthesis: peptides or extracts of vegetable origin, some even with vegan and halal certification have been shown to act by sending signals to the fibroblasts that promote the natural synthesis of collagen.

• Collagen degradation protectors and inhibitors: in addition to classic antioxidants (Ubiquinone, tocopheryl acetate for example) which perform a protective action in a broader sense, there are molecules which act at the target level by preserving collagen reserves by inhibiting collagenases, which they are responsible for physiological degradation and often contain plant active ingredients (Hydrolized Rice Protein, CHLORELLA VULGARIS EXTRACT, VITIS VINIFERA LEAF EXTRACT,  Capsicum annuum fruit extract, THEOBROMA CACAO SEED EXTRACT, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract).

Food supplements

Collagen is traditionally used for the well-being of the joints. Today the market offers various formulas that respond to the nutricosmetics that increasingly accompany the beauty routine in recent years.

Hydrolysed collagen often associated with vitamins, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid.

So skin care yes, but that's not enough: all types are offered on the market, and exactly as for skin care, if we talk about collagen, it is offered in small peptides with a low molecular weight, therefore highly digestible and easily absorbed. Once taken orally, it is digested into small dipeptides, tripeptides and single amino acids, which can be absorbed by the intestine.

Various pharmacokinetic studies have shown - following the ingestion of hydrolysed collagen - an increase in plasma concentrations of direct collagen precursors, thus demonstrating the biological utility of this supplementation.

Furthermore, in experimental models, radioactively labeling the collagen taken , a net distribution of the labeled amino acids would have been observed, directly in the skin, thus emphasizing the importance of this supplementation for the state of skin health. Have you already taken a look at our new nutraceutical section?--> sign in