Having radiant and healthy skin has been in fashion since the early days of society. However, with age, environmental factors and oxidative stress, the skin can begin to look tired, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles. The concept that beautiful skin on the outside requires a healthy foundation on the inside, is nothing new.

As a way to fight back the years, consumers are increasingly turning to nutricosmetics—nutritional supplements designed to enhance skin appearance, to protect, strengthen and hydrate the skin from inside. According to a recent survey, 82 percent of U.S. and U.K. consumers believe in beauty from within.¹    

While remaining attached to topical treatments, consumers are also willing to adapt their dietary habits to support skin health and appearance. Besides consuming higher amounts of vitamin C and healthy fats to protect the skin, they are also looking at nutritional supplements with strong scientific credentials to strengthen and hydrate, such as collagen peptides.

Building a Base for Healthy Skin

One of the main elements of the skin, collagen is largely responsible for its strength and hydration. As the most abundant protein in the body, collagen’s role is to provide the structure and resistance of skin tissues, creating a network which anchors the layers of the skin and forms a support base for components such as elastin, to maintain skin elasticity, and hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture.

With age, fibroblasts, the skin’s collagen-producing cells, decrease their activity rate, leading to a reduction in collagen production and a higher degree of collagen fragmentation.² As a result, the skin begins to lose structure and firmness, becoming less hydrated and creating fine lines and wrinkles. Increasingly popular within the nutricosmetics industry, specific collagen peptides such as Peptan, are proven to target and stimulate fibroblast cells, triggering the synthesis of new collagen fibers and ultimately improving skin firmness, elasticity and hydration.^3,4 The underlying mechanism of action is validated by several in vitro and ex vivo studies, showing that the collagen derived peptides acts as building blocks for new collagen matrix and stimulate the production of other key components like hyaluronic acid, supporting a more youthful looking skin,^5,6 which is essential in the formulation of nutricosmetics.

Supporting Skin Restructure

Boosting the collagen matrix and density from inside the skin can lead to visible improvements in its appearance, structure, firmness and elasticity. Clinical evidence exists for the efficacy of Peptan collagen peptides in improving skin quality from the inside targeting the deeper layers of the dermis.⁷ 

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study conducted by French laboratory COSderma, 106 women took part in a 12-week study, which used echography to measure collagen density and advanced confocal laser technology to access the degree of collagen fragmentation in the skin. The results showed a highly significant collagen fragmentation decrease of 31 percent in participants who received a daily dose of collagen peptides and collagen density improvements of 9 percent, effectively reversing the aging process. Further clinical studies, with a dosage of 5g/d,⁸ confirmed the anti-aging results, with women taking Peptan collagen peptides recording significant results in overall collagen density, reduced wrinkles and also improved hydration.    

Rehydrating Tired Skin

The skin’s moisture levels can significantly change its appearance and inadequate hydration can make the skin look tired and dry. Collagen peptides have been proven to significantly reduce skin dehydration and its associated signs in clinical studies.^9,10 In an eight-week study with 33 women aged between 40 and 59, it was shown that women who ingested a daily dosage of Peptan collagen peptides had increased their skin hydration levels by 28 percent, compared to no increase in the group that received the placebo. The moisturizing effect was observed by 91 percent of the women taking the collagen peptides.¹¹

Conclusion

The demand for nutricosmetics is continuing to grow across the health and beauty industry. With consumers becoming more aware and demanding of the products they consume, nutricosmetic manufacturers are increasing their efforts in creating supplements with proven efficacy and scientific research behind claims. The strong clinical evidence supporting Peptan collagen peptides’ ability to restructure the collagen network in deep skin layers and provide visible beauty benefits from within, puts it in a leading position among ingredients targeting skin health and the signs of aging.

Mai Nygaard is the global director of Peptan at Rousselot.

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