Most people know about sunburn and skin cancer. That’s UVB rays in sunlight causing trouble. But did you know there is another type of UV ray in sunlight that can break down the collagen in your skin even before you get burnt?
That’s right. UVA and UVB rays are both parts of sunlight. The UVA rays penetrate right to the middle layers of your skin, causing the collagen there to break down. Even small amounts of UVA light can cause this breakdown. So you don’t need to get red and burnt for the sun to damage your skin.
Collagen is essential because it’s the substance that makes up more than 70% of your skin. It’s collagen that gives your skin elasticity. Lose collagen, and your skin loses stretch and bounce, which is not ideal if you want to support skin that looks and feels healthy.
UV light also causes the production of free radicals in your skin. These are molecules that pull apart other molecules in your skin, including collagen. So the collagen doesn’t stand a chance! Wrinkles and blemishes develop, and your skin can start to sag.
Think of people who spend all their lives out in the sun. They can look old and wrinkled before their time. This doesn’t have to be the case. Using good quality collagen products, alongside a great sunscreen, helps stop the breakdown of collagen in the skin.
How do collagen products do that? Partly by replacing the collagen broken down by the sun. But unless you do something to stop the free radicals created by UV light, there’s still something that wants to rob your skin of collagen.
That’s why good quality collagen products also include antioxidants in the mix. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals and stop them from doing any further harm. Like breaking down the collagen, you’ve just spent good money to restore.
Look for collagen products that can do both of those things, and you’re well on your way to fighting the effects of the sun on your skin. If you love being outdoors and you love the feeling of healthy, beautiful skin, then It’s time to slip, slop, slap, and shop good quality collagen.
