Collagen for Skin:
WHAT IT DOES, BENEFITS & TYPES
Collagen plays a key role in keeping skin firm, smooth, and resilient, both on the face and body. As natural production slows with age, supporting it through healthy lifestyle choices, balanced nutrition, skincare that includes sun protection can help maintain skin’s structure, elasticity, and hydration.
By supporting the skin’s natural collagen production and helping to preserve existing collagen, these practices can help reduce the visible signs of skin ageing, smooth the appearance of facial wrinkles, improve skin elasticity across the face and body, and leave the skin looking more radiant, plump, and resilient over time.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and plays a key role in healthy skin. Think of it as a strong, supportive glue that holds tissues together. It is found in connective structures such as skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage1, helping provide firmness, structure, and resilience.2
Made from amino Acids that form long, twisted ‘triple-helix’ strands, collagen creates a supportive framework in the skin that keeps it smooth, elastic3 , and firm. Natural collagen production slows with age, which can make skin less firm and contribute to the appearance of wrinkles. Supporting collagen through a balanced diet, healthy lifestyle, and targeted skincare helps maintain skin structure, elasticity, and a smoother, plumper, healthier-looking appearance.
What Are the Different Types of Collagen?
There are 28 different types of collagen in the body, each with unique roles in supporting skin, joints, and overall health.4 Of these, five key types are the most abundant and well-studied, playing essential roles in skin structure, elasticity, and resilience:
- Type I:
Making up 90% of the body’s total collagen, Type I collagen gives structure to skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments, helping skin stay firm and resilient.⁴
- Type II:
Found mainly in cartilage, which cushions your joints and helps them move smoothly.⁵
- Type III:
Works alongside Type I to support skin elasticity and is also found in blood vessels and organs.⁶
- Type IV:
Found in the layers of skin, helping with filtration and forming the base for cells in the skin’s structure.
- Type V:
Present in the cornea of your eyes, hair and even tissue of the placenta.⁴
- Collagen for Skin
When it comes to skin, types I and III are the most important, as they are directly involved in repairing skin8, and helping it become more elastic.9 Many skincare products and supplements focus on these types because they support the skin’s structure and may help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.10
- Where Is Collagen Found?
- Natural production: Our bodies produce collagen on their own, but levels naturally decline with age.11 This happens because the cells that create collagen become less active over time, and environmental factors like sun exposure and oxidative stress can accelerate its breakdown.
- Animal-based foods: Bone broth, chicken, fish, and eggs are rich in collagen and its amino acid building blocks.12
- Plant-based foods: Beans, leafy greens, and foods high in vitamin c don’t contain collagen directly but help the body make it naturally.12
- Skincare products: Creams and Serums can include ingredients that support collagen production in the skin.13
Different Forms of Collagen
FOR THE SKIN
Collagen for the skin comes in different forms. Supplements usually contain hydrolysed collagen (also called collagen peptides), which are broken down into smaller pieces that your body can use more easily.14
Most skincare products do not deliver collagen directly into the deeper layers of skin because the collagen molecules are too large to penetrate fully.15 Instead, topical creams and Serums often contain ingredients such as Peptides, vitamin c, bakuchiol, or retinol, which stimulate your skin’s own collagen production or support its structure.13
4 Collagen Benefits
FOR SKIN
Collagen plays a vital role in maintaining firm, smooth-looking, and resilient skin. Supporting collagen production can help reduce the appearance of Fine lines and wrinkles while keeping skin more hydrated and healthy-looking.16
- Supports Firmness and Elasticity:
Collagen provides structure to the skin, helping it stay firm, smooth, and resilient.¹³
- Reduces Signs of Ageing:
As natural collagen production slows with age, supporting it can help minimise sagging, Fine lines, and wrinkles.
- Boosts Hydration:
Collagen helps skin retain moisture, leaving it plump, soft, and well-hydrated.¹⁰
- Strengthens and Protects Skin:
Working alongside proteins like elastin, collagen helps maintain skin’s strength, flexibility, and overall health, while also supporting its repair process.¹³
Collagen for the Skin: Quick Facts
Benefits of collagen: Collagen helps keep skin firm, smooth, and elastic while helping to reduce the appearance of Fine lines and wrinkles.
How to increase collagen: Collagen can be supported through skincare products, supplements, and a balanced diet rich in protein and vitamin c.
Uses of collagen: Collagen is used in the body to improve skin structure, maintain hydration, and support hair, nail, and joint health.
Collagen Special Features: Many NIVEA products include ingredients like bakuchiol, Peptides, and hyaluronic acid to help stimulate the skin’s own collagen production and help provide hydration.
5 Causes of Collagen
LOSS IN SKIN
Collagen loss in the skin can lead to sagging, Fine lines, and wrinkles. Understanding the main causes, such as ageing, sun exposure, lifestyle factors, and nutrition, can help you take steps to maintain firmer, smoother skin.¹⁷
Natural collagen production starts to slow down in our mid-20s, leading to reduced firmness and elasticity over time. This decline is caused by a natural slowdown in the activity of collagen-producing cells, and over time, the skin becomes thinner and less resilient.¹⁸
UV rays can break down collagen in the skin, contributing to wrinkles and sagging.¹⁹ This is because prolonged sun exposure generates Free from microplastics radicals, which can damage collagen fibres and impair the skin’s ability to Repair itself. Even short, repeated exposure over time can weaken collagen and elastin, making skin more prone to premature ageing.
Chemicals in cigarettes can damage collagen and elastin, weakening skin structure.²⁰ Smoking also reduces blood flow to the skin, limiting oxygen and nutrients needed for collagen production.
A lack of protein, vitamin c, and other nutrients can make it harder for your body to produce collagen.¹¹ Without sufficient nutrients, the building blocks for collagen synthesis are limited, and the skin may lose its firmness and resilience more quickly. Diets high in sugar or processed foods can also promote glycation, a process that can damage collagen fibres.²¹
Chronic stress and not enough sleep can interfere with skin Repair and collagen production.²² Stress increases cortisol levels, which can break down collagen and weaken the skin barrier. Lack of restorative sleep reduces the skin’s natural Repair processes, meaning collagen regeneration is less effective over time.
How Collagen
Helps Wrinkles
As we get older, natural collagen levels in the skin decline, which can make it less firm and contribute to the appearance of Fine lines and wrinkles.23 Supporting collagen through skincare and healthy diet choices can help maintain the skin’s structure, keeping it smoother, plumper, and more resilient.
While it will not completely prevent wrinkles from forming, collagen-rich products and ingredients that stimulate collagen production, such as Peptides²⁴ and vitamin c²⁵, can help skin look firmer and more youthful.²⁶
Collagen-Supporting
SKINCARE ROUTINE
A consistent skincare routine with targeted ingredients can help support skin firmness, promote collagen production and improve elasticity, while also visibly reducing the appearance of Fine lines. The NIVEA Cellular Expert range for the face, neck and décolletage combines ingredients such as bakuchiol, folic acid and hyaluronic acid to help support the skin’s natural structure, leaving it feeling smoother, stronger and more supple over time.
Cleansing removes dirt, oil, and impurities, preparing the skin so active ingredients can penetrate effectively and support a more Glowy skin-looking complexion. Regular cleansing in the morning and evening ensures that Serums and Creams can work at their full potential and helps reduce environmental stressors that can contribute to facial wrinkles.
Once your skin is clean and refreshed, it is ready to receive the benefits of a targeted collagen-boosting Serum. The NIVEA Cellular Expert Lift 3-Zone Lifting Serum has a powerful concentration* of bakuchiol, which helps stimulate cell renewal and supports your skin's own collagen production in just 4 hours**.
The Serum is designed to provide a lifting effect and visibly firm the skin, while helping to smooth wrinkles. In fact, women who tried it reported firmer and more elastic skin after just one week***, with improvements continuing over two weeks****. For best results, apply the Serum daily to clean, dry skin.
*Compared to bakuchiol used in Cellular Expert Lift day and night care products.
**Tested in vitro on skin cells
***Self-assessment, 4-week study, 44 women, 2022
****Self-assessment, 2-week study, 101 women, 2022.
After your Serum, the NIVEA Cellular Expert Lift Anti-Age Day Cream SPF30 helps lock in moisture while boosting collagen production. The carefully selected actives include Pure bakuchiol, which has been shown to increase your skin's own collagen production in just 4 hours*. Macro and Micro hyaluronic acid intensively Hydrate and smooth both the surface and deeper layers of the epidermis, delivering Long-lasting moisture plumping to the skin.
With SPF30 protection, this Day cream shields skin from harmful UV rays that can break down collagen and accelerate ageing. Apply every morning to a cleansed face and neck, massaging in upward circles.
*Tested on skin cells.
Night is when your skin works hardest to Repair and Regenerate, making it the perfect time to use a rich, Nourish Cream. The NIVEA Cellular Expert Lift Advanced Anti-Age Night Cream supports collagen and helps to leave skin looking and feeling renewed by morning.
The advanced formula contains Pure bakuchiol, which helps boost collagen production in just a few hours*, improving firmness and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Macro and Micro hyaluronic acid deliver deep Hydrate, plumping the skin and smoothing its texture. With regular use, skin feels more resilient, smooth, and visibly revitalised.
Explore
THE CELLULAR EXPERT FILLER RANGE
Firm up your skin with the NIVEA Cellular Expert Filler range. With targeted Creams and Serums working together to strengthen and plump skin. With pure folic acid and hyaluronic acid, the Cellular Expert Filler range is a game-changer in your anti aging skin care routine.
This advanced formula features both Micro and Macro hyaluronic acid—two anti-ageing essentials known to effectively fill wrinkles, smooth the skin, and provide intense Hydrate. folic acid plays a vital role by supporting skin cell renewal and helping to Repair the skin's bounce fibers*, promoting a firmer, plumper appearance. The Cellular Expert Filler range works in harmony with your skin's natural biology, supporting Regenerate at a cellular level to help renew it and give it a more youthful appearance.
How to Boost
SKIN COLLAGEN FOR THE BODY
While NIVEA Cellular products focus on supporting facial skin, the NIVEA Firming Body Lotion with Q10 and vitamin c is designed to do the same for the body. The Nourish collagen Booster Complex*, containing NIVEA Q10 and vitamin c, helps firm skin and improve elasticity in just 7 days**, while locking in moisture for up to 72 hours**.
The Lightweight, Fast-absorbing texture makes it easy to apply, leaving skin smoother, softer, and more Hydrate. Use daily on Normal skin to help support collagen and maintain firmness from head to toe.
*Complex tested in-vitro on skin cells
** Self-Assessment Study, 43 participants
SUMMARY
Collagen plays a key role in keeping skin firm, smooth, and resilient, both on the face and body. As natural collagen production slows with age, supporting it with a consistent skincare routine and healthy lifestyle habits can help maintain skin's elasticity and youthful appearance. From targeted Serums to Day and Night Creams, there are simple ways to help support collagen production and keep skin looking and feeling its best every day.
