Why marine collagen is the answer your dry skin has been waiting for

Are you in a constant battle with dry skin? If topical creams and serums aren't keeping rough, dry texture at bay, you might need to look a little deeper for a true solve.

How to deal with winter skin

We are well into the winter months now here in Australia and we have been quite lucky to have many crisp, blue-skied sunny days this year. However, during winter there’s no escaping chilly winds and low humidity, and we find ourselves left with dry and dehydrated skin. The harsh winter weather can rob our skin of its natural moisture, leaving it dull, itchy, and uncomfortable. In this article we will delve into the science behind dry skin, its exacerbation in winter, and explore the benefits of marine collagen peptides for promoting skin hydration.

Keep reading for tips on how to combat dry skin and keep your skin hydrated and glowing this winter.

What is dry skin

Dry skin, also known as xerosis, is a common skin condition that many of us experience. It’s characterised by a lack of moisture in the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis. The skin’s natural barrier, which is responsible for retaining moisture and keeping irritants out, becomes compromised, leading to dryness. There is a difference between dry and dehydrated skin, and sometimes these terms are used interchangeably. Dry skin is a skin type that doesn’t produce enough oils to support effective skin barrier function. The skin barrier is made up of various oils and lipids that work together to lock in moisture and protect our skin from the external environment. In contrast, dehydrated skin is usually a product of not having enough water in the upper epidermal layers of the skin. Dry and dehydrated skin can also present simultaneously. Let’s take a deeper dive into the causes of dry skin and what we can do to treat it.

What causes dry skin

Several factors contribute to the development of dry skin, with winter weather being a significant culprit. Let’s explore the key causes:

Environment: Cold winds and harsh temperatures can cause excessive dryness and chapping of the skin. During winter, the air becomes dry with low humidity. This causes moisture to evaporate through the skin more rapidly leading to dry, dehydrated skin.

Over-cleansing: Stop double cleansing! Over cleansing the skin and using harsh topicals can disrupt skin barrier integrity and function, promoting dryness.

Hot showers: We’re all guilty of this one. While long hot showers on a cold winter’s morning might feel comforting, the hot water strips skin of its natural oils and makes dry, dehydrated skin much worse.

Age: As we get older, we become more prone to experience dryness as the skin becomes less efficient at retaining moisture with reduced skin barrier function.

Symptoms of dry skin

Dry skin can manifest in a variety of symptoms that can become painful and uncomfortable. It might present with dry patches on skin, dehydration lines on forehead, or dehydration lines under eyes. Some others might include:

Itching and redness: Dry skin is often accompanied by itching and redness due to irritation and inflammation.

Tightness: Affected skin might feel tight, particularly after cleansing or exposure to low temperatures and wind.

Flakiness: Rough, flaky skin, especially on skin exposed to the environment like arms, legs and face.

Fine lines and wrinkles: Chronic skin dehydration an exacerbate and accentuate fine lines and wrinkles, contributing to premature skin ageing.

Dry skin treatment

Wondering how to deal with winter skin? Winter skin care means you might need to shake up your beauty routine to ensure you are giving your skin the hydration and moisture it needs. Taking a bidirectional approach is always best. Here are some evidence-based dry skin remedies to support your winter skin glow up.

From a topical perspective, you want to ensure you are using actives like hyaluronic acid, ceramides and a rich hydrating cream that is going to lock in moisture and prevent transepidermal water loss (evaporation of water through the skin).

From an ingestible perspective, there is no active with more evidence than hydrolysed marine collagen peptides for promoting and maintaining skin hydration from the inside out. There is an abundance of scientific evidence available now from several high-quality clinical trials showing that consistent marine collagen supplementation results in significantly greater skin hydration compared to placebo.

It's thought that hydrolysed collagen supplements promote skin hydration by helping the skin to retain water through the production of hyaluronic acid in fibroblasts found in the deeper dermal layer of the skin.

Interestingly, a recently published scientific review paper of 26 high quality clinical trials found that the degree of skin hydration participants experienced with collagen supplementation was dependent on the source and quality of the collagen used. Hydrolysed marine collagen displayed consistently superior results relative to other sources, which is a good reminder that not all collagen supplements are created equally!

The study also found that long term, consistent use produced optimal results for skin hydration. It’s important to remember that incorporating collagen supplementation into your beauty routine is a marathon not a sprint and the best things take time.

Essential fatty acids, including omega-3s are another ingestible active you might want to consider using to support skin barrier integrity and moisture. They are vital for the health and appearance of the skin. Deficiencies in essential fatty acids can cause dry, flaky skin which can result in redness and irritation. You can get omega-3s through incorporating fatty fish like salmon, sardines or mackerel into your diet, or you can take a fish oil supplement if eating fish isn’t your thing.

Winter can cause dry dehydrated skin, but it doesn’t have to! By making small changes to your lifestyle and incorporating science backed actives into your beauty routine like hydrolysed marine collagen peptides you can have hydrated glowing skin all year round!