Sunlight destroys your collagen, and here's how to fix it

Reading time: 7 minutes

You love the sun. In a way, so does your skin. The warmth, the light, that feeling of lightness that comes back in the first days of June... It's all real, and there's no question of depriving you of it.

But here's what few magazines tell you: behind that glowing tan you love, the sun is quietly at work inside your skin, damaging your collagen fibres. Don't panic: it's understandable, and it's manageable with the right habits.

This article explains what really happens beneath your skin in summer, and what you can do to enjoy it without paying the price six months later.

In short

• UVA rays reach down to the dermis, where collagen is found, even on cloudy days.
• Sunscreen remains the first step: it protects the surface.
• Collagen and vitamin C are taken from within, to support the skin during and after summer.

What the sun does to your skin (in plain language)

Your skin is organised in layers. The one you see and moisturise with your cream is the epidermis. Beneath it, a little deeper, lies the dermis, where your collagen lives: the fibres that give your skin its firmness and bounce.

A tan is a defence reaction: when faced with UV, the skin produces melanin, the pigment that gives it its golden colour. But this surface reaction only tells part of the story.

It's in the deeper layer that the sun does its most lasting damage.

UVB rays cause sunburn and mainly act on the surface. UVA rays, however, reach down to the dermis, all year round, even on cloudy days, even through a window (Krutmann et al., 2017). Once there, they trigger a reaction that generates what scientists call free radicals: small unstable molecules that attack your collagen fibres like tiny scissors.

At the same time, these same rays activate enzymes whose job is to break down existing collagen, and slow down its production (Fisher et al., 2002). The result: your skin loses density faster than it can rebuild it. And the signs appear a few months later: a less even complexion, deeper wrinkles, loss of firmness along the contours of the face.

Dermatologists even have a word for it: photoageing. In a study of 298 fair-skinned women, the sun accounted for about 80% of the visible signs of facial ageing (Flament et al., 2013). What you read on your face at 50 reflects the story of your summers more than that of your birthdays.

Your sunscreen is essential, but it isn't enough

It's important to say this clearly: sunscreen remains a fundamental habit. It creates a shield on the surface that filters UV before it reaches your skin. In a trial lasting four and a half years, adults who applied sunscreen every day showed fewer signs of skin ageing than those who used it occasionally (Hughes et al., 2013). Keep using it, reapply every two hours in full sun, and choose a suitable SPF.

The thing is, it works on the epidermis. The dermis is deeper. Some rays still get through.

So the solution isn't to choose between sunscreen and inner care. It's to act on both fronts at once: protect the epidermis from the outside, and give the dermis the resources to rebuild from the inside. That's exactly what nutricosmetics does, and here's how it works.

Protecting your skin from within: the logic is simple

When you take hydrolysed marine collagen, here's what actually happens.

Collagen peptides, very small protein fragments cut up by a process called hydrolysis, pass through your gut and enter your bloodstream. Researchers think they then act as a signal to the building cells of your dermis, the fibroblasts, to make more collagen.

Several placebo-controlled clinical studies have measured it: after eight weeks of daily intake, skin hydration and elasticity improve, and the volume of wrinkles around the eyes decreases (Asserin et al., 2015; Proksch et al., 2014). For details of these studies, read our article Collagen for skin: what the science says.

For this process to work, your skin needs a key ally: vitamin C. It contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin: without it, fibroblasts can't assemble the new fibres properly (Pullar et al., 2017).

That's why our Liquid Marine Collagen combines 10,000 mg of hydrolysed marine collagen and 120 mg of vitamin C in a single formula, so the two work together. It also contains hyaluronic acid, naturally present in the dermis, silica, biotin, which contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, and selenium, which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Each ingredient has a precise function. Nothing is there by chance.

The summer ritual in practice

No need to change everything. Two simple steps, made into a habit, make all the difference over time.

In the morning: your 25 ml serving of Liquid Marine Collagen, neat or in a large glass of cool water, with half a squeezed lemon if you like: lemon adds a little extra vitamin C. In summer, it's a real moment of freshness, especially as the bottle is kept in the fridge once opened.

Before going out: your sunscreen, with a suitable SPF, reapplied if you stay in the sun. Combining the two, external protection and internal support, is the most effective duo you can adopt.

One last tip on diet: foods rich in antioxidants help neutralise the free radicals generated by the sun. Go for berries, red peppers, tomatoes and green tea. In summer, nature offers exactly what your skin needs.

And the summer “glow”? It's much talked about on social media, as if it were a filter. Above all, it's a question of well-hydrated skin and a dense dermis: exactly what these two habits support.

During summer, and after

Skin renews slowly. In studies, the effects of collagen on hydration and elasticity are measured after 8 to 12 weeks of daily intake. That's why a course taken all summer and continued into autumn makes more sense than a one-off.

Because collagen loss doesn't show straight away: it often appears in September or October, when skin suddenly looks duller and less firm. Autumn is therefore a good time to continue, not to stop.

Not because you need to do more, but because consistency is the only real secret in nutricosmetics. Your skin is built over time, not in a week.

What our customers say

“Easy to drink, with a really nice taste and a refreshing formula. Keep it in the fridge to preserve it, and it's even nicer to drink chilled.”
Anto, Liquid Marine Collagen, review published on our Amazon store

“The taste is great when kept and drunk chilled.”
Aurelia Cautillo, Liquid Marine Collagen, review published on our Amazon store

“I discovered this product, which is really great and easy to take thanks to its liquid form. The taste is very pleasant. It's now my morning ritual, I love it.”
Pascale U, Liquid Marine Collagen, review published on our Amazon store

Your questions about collagen and the sun

Is my sunscreen enough if I take collagen?

The two habits address different mechanisms and complement each other. Sunscreen filters UV at the surface before damage occurs. Collagen supports the skin from deep within. One doesn't replace the other.

When should I take my collagen in summer?

In the morning, neat or in a glass of cool water. Once opened, keep the bottle in the fridge: a chilled morning shot quickly becomes a ritual you look forward to.

Are results visible quickly?

Skin renews slowly: in studies, the effects on hydration and elasticity are measured after 8 to 12 weeks of daily intake. Consistency matters more than anything.

Should I wait until the end of summer to start a course?

No. The dermis works continuously: you can start now and continue into autumn.

Can I take it on holiday?

Before opening, yes, away from heat. Once opened, the bottle is kept in the fridge: take it with you if you have a fridge where you're staying.

Does Marine Collagen contain fish?

Yes. It's made from hydrolysed fish collagen: it's not suitable if you're allergic to fish. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding or on treatment, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Further reading

• Collagen for skin: what the science says
• Why do hyperpigmentation spots appear?
• Beach pack: why combine marine collagen and multivitamins this summer
• What is collagen? Role, types, diet and supplements

Discover Liquid Marine Collagen →

Sources

• Krutmann J. et al. (2017). The skin aging exposome. Journal of Dermatological Science, 85(3), 152-161.
• Fisher G.J. et al. (2002). Mechanisms of photoaging and chronological skin aging. Archives of Dermatology, 138(11), 1462-1470.
• Flament F. et al. (2013). Effect of the sun on visible clinical signs of aging in Caucasian skin. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 6, 221-232.
• Hughes M.C.B. et al. (2013). Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 158(11), 781-790.
• Asserin J. et al. (2015). The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 14(4), 291-301.
• Proksch E. et al. (2014). Oral intake of specific bioactive collagen peptides reduces skin wrinkles and increases dermal matrix synthesis. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 27(3), 113-119.
• Pullar J.M., Carr A.C., Vissers M.C.M. (2017). The roles of vitamin C in skin health. Nutrients, 9(8), 866.
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods.