Don’t be a scurvy pirate. 
Imagine sailing the sea for months, there were no fresh fruits and vegetables. This is where the word scurvy pirate comes from, a pirate ill with scurvy. The symptoms would include dark spots on the skin, the teeth would start falling out, any battle wounds would not heal. The pirates would end up with prosthetics, like peg limbs or die of infections and internal bleeding.
What happened? Without citrus fruit, sailors ingested practically no vitamin C, which is important for the body’s production of collagen. Collagen is fibrous substance that helps keep cells together. Without it, bones, teeth, and the body’s connective tissues begin to break down. All it takes to cure and prevent scurvy is regular doses of vitamin C. Although they weren’t aware of the vitamin C and collagen components, by the mid 18th century British doctors figured out that sucking on limes and other citrus fruits would keep their sailors healthy, or at least scurvy-free.
In modern Western societies, scurvy is rarely present in adults. However the cosmetic industry has translated this connection into collagen building products.
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, especially type 1 collagen. It’s found in your skin, bones, muscles, tendons, gut, blood vessels and even your teeth.
It’s what keeps your skin elastic and is responsible for replacing dead skin cells.
As we age, Collagen production is reduced, leaving us with sagging skin, wrinkles and joint pain.
Can you increase collagen, naturally?
Plastic surgery is expensive, Botox is not only poison voluntarily injected in your body but often results in the infamous “Oscar freeze”, and collagen creams and serums hardly do anything to your collagen-starving face.
So:
The 2 best way to get more collagen in your skin
Before we get into the most effective natural collagen sources, let’s get one thing clear:
There are 2 approaches to stimulating collagen production in your skin. One works, the other one doesn’t.
1. From the Outside (collagen creams etc)
2. From the inside (“Encouraging” your body to produce more collagen – natural collagen boosters).
Can you guess which way works and which doesn’t? I bet you can.
Why Collagen Creams Are a Waste of Money
Hope in a jar. That’s what the expensive collagen creams are. They promise to reduce wrinkles and plump up your skin, but the collagen molecules in these creams are simply too large to penetrate the skin.
How to Increase Collagen Production Naturally?
Collagen is critical to keep your skin elastic and give it a plump, youthful look.
But:
Collagen production declines with age.
This doesn’t mean that we have to surrender to time.
There are a few remarkably effective and natural ways to boost collagen in your skin and make it as glowing as it can possibly be.
Combine the 3 ones below, and you have your fail-proof formula to boosted collagen levels and younger looking skin!
1. Collagen Boosting Food
There are a few little known foods and food-combinations that improve natural collagen production in your body.
1. Blueberries contain phytonutrients that help collagen fibers link together in a way that helps your body produce collagen.
They are organic compounds that plants produce to keep themselves “perky”, and apparently not just them.
2. Dark Leafy Greens – spinach, Kale and Swiss Chard are all rich in vitamin C and A and encourage the body to produce more collagen.
You’ll also enjoy their other benefits – cancer protection being just one of them.
3. Garlic – a few studies have shown that vegetables containing sulfur, which garlic has abundantly, increase collagen production in your joints and skin.
Garlic also contains taurin and lipid acid, which support damaged collagen fibers.
Cabbage, onions and fish are also sulfur-rich.
4. Eggs & Mango – eggs are naturally rich in amino acids, which are essential for the formation of collagen. Mango, which is rich in Vitamin C, works with these acids to boost collagen production.
6. Carrots – orange vegetables, like carrots and sweet potatoes, are rich in vitamin A, which restores and regenerates damaged collagen.
7. White Tea – according to research by Kingston University, white tea can protect the structure of the skin proteins, specifically collagen.
The Best Collagen Oil
The best (proven) collagen oil (to take internally) is probably Avocado Oil.
Replacing your olive oil with avocado oil in your salad and dressings can have a great effect on your skin glow. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Rheumatology found that avocado oil “significantly increased type II collagen”.
2. Vitamin C
Which vitamin promotes collagen production most? All of the foods above (except for the dark leafy greens), along with the collagen boosting nutrients in them, will be almost useless without enough Vitamin C, the super hero of vitamins to increase collagen.
And here’s why:
Collagen fibers are made from protein, and they are somewhat unusual in having large amounts of two amino acids, called hydroxyl-lysine and hydroxyl-proline.
These two amino acids are important for the production of all types of collagen and are needed to provide the different collagen types with their proper amount of strength and flexibility.
Vitamin C is required to change proline into hydroxyproline (the collagen form) and lysine into hydroxylysine (once again, the collagen form).
I’ll bet you already know the Vitamin-C rich foods (citrus fruit, Broccoli, Bell Peppers, dark leafy greens etc).
And you can always take a good food-based Vitamin C supplement.
3.Use a Topical Vitamin C Serum daily
This is where the cosmetic industry has used its science and investigation to bring to the aging skin, topical collagen rebuilt. Be aware, not all of these products are created equal. Vitamin C is extremely unstable. The vial should protect the vitamin c from air, heat, and light. Never buy vitamin c that comes in a jar. The other concern is the penetration of vitamin c. Since our skin is a lipid barrier to the outside world, penetration of these products into the skin is a science. It does not mean that the most expensive vitamin C product has overcome these two obstacles, but the cheapest has not. Skin Rx LLC retails the Vitamin C Reversal Serum, with its vitamin c as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. I prescribe the magnesium ascorbyl phosphate because is the most stable form of vitamin c for topical absorption. You can reveiw this information at The National Center for Biotechnology Information website and other vitamin c information.
Vitamin C facials will benefit the skin by the application of skin care products high in vitamin c that is only available to the licensed professional. A superficial peel of alpha hydroxyl acid will clean and lower the pH of the skin to absorb the vitamin that will improve the quality and quantity of collagen. Onto clean skin a gel mask with 10% Vitamin C and Grapeseed Extract will deliver antioxidants to protect the skin and repair sun damage. Vitamin A assists in DNA repair and cell regeneration. Phytic Acid is a skin lightener with a neutral pH which does not cause sensitivity. To complete this soothing and effective mask Vitamin E, Bisabol and Chamomile Extract are the hallmark for hydration and calming. A professional grade 30% lipid soluble Vitamin C will penetrate deep into the dermis to stimulate collagen regeneration. Next, the Vitamin C Reversal Serum, by Circadia will increase the firmness of the skin and neutralize free radicals reversing sun damage. This age defying serum contains the most stable and active form of Vitamin C in the field. This serum also contains hyaluronic acid and Vitamin B5 to hydrate and smooth. To finalize the treatment sunscreen will provide optimal UV and environmental protection.
Benefits:
- Special antioxidant complex perform a scavenger skin’s free radicals
- Rejuvenates skin and improves firmness, smoothness, and texture.
- Lightens skin
- Moisturizing
- Soothing