The skin protects our bodyIt is extremely difficult to penetrateThe main function of the skin is to act as a barrier in order to protect the human body from the external environment. The outer layer of the skin is the epidermis, which is composed of multiple layers, with the stratum corneum being the outermost part. This layer is extremely difficult to penetrate and represent the first barrier to the external environment. As a result the chance of active ingredients to reach the dermis of the skin through topical application is very limited [1]. Many commercial products containing collagen (e.g. creams, serums), applied topically on the skin, claim the ability of acting in the dermis, where they would induce an increase in collagen levels. However, collagen is a large molecule (300 kDa) and cannot penetrate the epidermis [1], hence its effect is limited to the skin surface. In order to reach the dermis, it is possible to act from the inside and the oral intake of hydrolysed collagen represents an effective solution to this problem.
It has been shown that collagen peptides, administered orally, can be digested, absorbed and then distributed to the inner layer of the skin, where they show high biological activity (“How Pure GOLD COLLAGEN® works”). Collagen creams are a waste of money. Read more on Daily Mail. [1] Bos, J.D. and M.M. Meinardi, Exp Dermatol, 2000. 9(3): p. 165-9.
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