Collagen and Ageing: How the Collagen Cycle Affects Your Skin, Hair & Nails

Collagen and Ageing: How the Collagen Cycle Affects Your Skin, Hair & Nails

We all want to feel confident in our skin as we age. But what if the secret to glowing skin, healthy hair, and strong nails doesn’t come from what we put on our bodies but from what’s happening within?

At the heart of it all lies collagen: a powerful structural protein that plays a vital role in maintaining your natural beauty. As we get older, the collagen cycle (the body’s natural rhythm of producing and breaking down collagen) starts to slow. The result? Visible signs of aging like fine lines, dull skin, thinning hair, and brittle nails.

Let’s dive into how this cycle works, why it changes with age, and how you can support it from the inside out.

What Is Collagen, and Why Is It So Important?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It’s the glue that holds everything together supporting the structure and strength of your skin, hair, nails, joints, and even bones. When it comes to beauty, it’s especially important for:

  • Skin elasticity and hydration
  • Hair strength and volume
  • Nail growth and resilience

Types I and III collagen are the most relevant to beauty outcomes. These are the collagen types found abundantly in your skin and connective tissues and the types most impacted by age.

Understanding the Collagen Cycle

Your body is constantly building and breaking down collagen. This cycle of regeneration is known as the collagen cycle. Here’s how it works:

  • Synthesis – Your body uses amino acids (from protein-rich foods) plus nutrients like Vitamin C and Zinc to build new collagen fibres.
  • Stability – These fibres support the structure of your skin, hair, and nails.
  • Degradation – Over time, collagen breaks down due to sun exposure, pollution, stress, and aging.

When you're young, synthesis outpaces degradation. But as we age, the balance shifts and the result becomes visible.

How Ageing Disrupts the Collagen Cycle

Collagen production naturally declines with age starting in our late 20s. By the time we reach our 40s, we may have lost up to 30% of our collagen reserves.

This slowdown in the cycle means:

  • Skin loses elasticity and begins to sag or wrinkle
  • Hair becomes thinner and weaker
  • Nails become more prone to breakage

Environmental factors like UV exposure, poor diet, and chronic stress accelerate this decline.

5 Signs Your Collagen Cycle May Be Slowing Down

If you’ve noticed any of the following, it might be time to give your collagen cycle a little extra support:

  1. Fine lines or deeper wrinkles appearing more quickly than before
  2. Skin that feels drier or less plump
  3. Hair thinning or increased shedding
  4. Brittle or slow-growing nails
  5. Slower healing or reduced skin resilience

These changes aren’t just cosmetic, they’re signals that your body needs support from within.

Why Topical Products Aren’t Enough

There’s no doubt that skincare has its place. Creams, serums, and facials help protect the outer layer of your skin. But they can’t reach the dermis, where collagen actually lives.

That’s why a nutrition-led approach to beauty is so powerful. By supporting your body with the nutrients it needs to produce collagen, you’re working from the inside out.

Here’s a few different ways you can support healthy collagen production from within as part of your beauty routine:

✨ 1. Marine Collagen Peptides

Highly bioavailable and rich in Type I collagen—the kind your skin, hair and nails need most. Our Collagen Enhance and Collagen Renew formulas contain 7000mg per serve, making them among the most effective doses on the market.

✨ 2. Vitamin C

Essential for collagen synthesis. It helps your body convert amino acids into stable collagen fibres.

✨ 3. Zinc and Silica

These minerals help strengthen the skin barrier, boost cell repair, and support nail and hair resilience.

✨ 4. Antioxidants

Neutralise free radicals that break down collagen prematurely (such as those from UV exposure and stress).

Support Your Collagen Cycle. Support Yourself.

Aging doesn’t mean losing your glow. It just means your body needs a little more care, a little more nourishment, and a little more intention.

Supporting your collagen cycle is one of the simplest and most effective ways to care for your skin, hair, and nails in a lasting way.

Start with one small ritual a day. Start from within.

✨ Explore our range of marine collagen formulas here



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