Collagen creams have been one of the most hotly coveted beauty products in the last few decades. If you’re serious about skincare, then you’ll know everyone goes on about collagen. It’s the most abundant protein in the body – and is the main thing giving your skin its structure. As you get older (or if you expose your skin to certain things), collagen breaks down, and your skin loses its elasticity and firmness. 

Essentially, you get wrinkles and fine lines. 

As a result, beauty “experts” recommend collagen creams that you lather onto your face as a daily moisturizer, claiming to reverse your wrinkles and tighten your skin. You may have tried these before, and they feel like they’re working – sometimes you see an immediate visual difference – but here’s the thing: collagen creams are basically scams. 

They do not work – and this article will explain why. 

You Can’t Absorb Collagen Through Your Skin

There is scientific proof that increasing your collagen production will help you reduce fine lines and keep wrinkles at bay. More collagen equals firmer skin that’s less likely to sag. Based on that theory, beauty brands created loads of creams, serums, and moisturizers that claimed to include collagen. While the products themselves may indeed have collagen in them, there’s one massive problem stopping these products from working. 

Collagen molecules are too big to pass through the skin’s upper barrier. 

In other words, you don’t absorb any of the collagen from these creams into the skin itself. It’ll just sit on the surface and, essentially, do nothing. You’re not increasing your body’s production of collagen, meaning you won’t see any long-term effects or benefits. 

How Do You Increase Collagen Production To Reduce Wrinkles?

You might think that your skincare routine is over after learning that those, supposedly, trustworthy collagen creams aren’t what they seem. In reality, you just need to make a few adjustments and focus on treatments or products that actually serve to produce more collagen. 

Here’s what’s proven to work: 

Various Clinical Treatments

The most effective way to reduce wrinkles and rejuvenate your skin is via clinical treatments at a Med Spa center. Professional clinicians will carry out these treatments using a range of techniques and pieces of equipment, common options include: 

• Microneedling: A small pen is used to puncture your skin and activate your body’s natural healing mechanism. It sounds more painful than it is (you feel tiny pricks), but this encourages your body to produce collagen to “heal” these tiny wounds. Not only are you producing more collagen, but you’re also flooding the desired area with this protein to tighten the skin and leave it feeling firmer and more radiant. 

• Chemical Peels: A chemical peel is like a face mask, only far more effective. Again, a licensed clinician will apply a chemical-based solution to your face, where it sits and exfoliates the top layers. The solution then peels off like a face mask, revealing brighter skin beneath. Again, by removing the top layer of skin, your body goes into repair mode, which encourages more collagen production. 

• Laser Skin Resurfacing: Much like the previous two examples, laser skin resurfacing aims to initiate a healing response from inside your body to get it to make more collagen. The difference lies in the equipment at hand; this treatment uses special lasers that remove the outer layers of your skin. 

All of these clinical treatments, and any others that fall under this category, will generate positive results after numerous sessions. You’re not going to get youthful skin with heightened collagen production after one treatment. It usually takes a few weeks before your body is in a place where it’s making more collagen and elastin to keep your skin firm and healthy. 

Use Topical Products That Stimulate Collagen Production

This is where the beauty industry went wrong in the beginning. It created collagen creams because it thought that adding collagen to something was the obvious solution. As we’ve discussed, this doesn’t work due to how large collagen molecules are. Instead, it’s better to look for beauty products that include ingredients your skin can absorb – and that will stimulate collagen production. 

The two main ones to look for include: 

• Retinoids
• Vitamin C

You will find loads of skincare products with either of these as active ingredients, and the skin absorbs them into the body. From there, both retinoids and vitamin C help to encourage collagen synthesis and production. Basically, you can think of them as the catalysts in a reaction that jerks your body into action and gets it to make more collagen. 

As with any topical skincare product, you should see a dermatologist or use your new products lightly. See how they react with your skin before deciding if they’re long-term solutions. Some people with sensitive skin react badly to retinoids, and it can trigger inflammation or rosacea. 

Consider Collagen Supplements

Lastly, you could think about taking collagen supplements that are geared towards filling your body with more collagen. This includes powders, gummies, and the usual health supplement options. Theoretically, you’re putting collagen into your body, which should help you see the benefits. 

The only problem with this is that there’s not enough evidence at the moment. Studies are sparse, but there are some positive signs that taking collagen supplements helps improve your overall skin health. It’s something that’s worth trying, but keep an eye on the science to see if it actually holds weight or will be proven as worthless. 

What can you take away from this guide? Stop using collagen creams on your skin because they’re not doing what you think they’re doing. If you want to reduce wrinkles and boost collagen production, you need to consider the three options shown above. Med Spa treatments are the most likely to work, but topical skincare products with retinoids or vitamin C are also beneficial and will help you find your inner confidence. 

Of course, we’ve not mentioned one other thing: protect your skin from harm’s way. Wear sunscreen every day to protect your skin from UV rays and stop your existing collagen from breaking down quickly. This is an underrated approach, yet everything else is pointless if you just let other things destroy your skin.