Morning!
When it comes to health, few things slip under the radar quite like your skin. You moisturize, you sunscreen, you glance in the mirror, but underneath it all, something much bigger is happening.
Today, we’re diving into the basics of skin health. In just 5 minutes, you’ll learn what your skin does for your body, the important role collagen plays, and simple but effective ways you can support healthy skin.
CORE
Skin Structure
Skin, despite what glossy ads might imply, isn’t a simple surface. It’s an intricate, living structure made of layers, each doing its part to hold you together.
Deepest down lies the hypodermis, where fat cells (which store energy) cushion your bones and organs like organic shock absorbers. Above that, the dermis, the true structural powerhouse, is where collagen holds court. It’s here that collagen forms the latticework that gives your skin its strength, bounce, and ability to heal. Closer to the top, the basement membrane, where type IV collagen acts as biological glue, binding new skin cells in place.
Curious about the types of collagen? Read last week’s Collagen Edition.
And finally, the epidermis, a tough, keratin-packed barrier, protects you from water loss, infection, and the elements. This layer has 5 layers of its own (excuse the science words here): the Stratum Basale (where keratinocytes are born), Stratum Spinosum (where cells flatten and produce keratin), Stratum Granulosum (where cells become keratinized), Stratum Lucidum (found only in thick skin, with dead keratinocytes), and Stratum Corneum (the outermost protective, waterproof layer made of dead cells).
Without collagen, none of it works. It’s the scaffolding that keeps skin strong, elastic, and hydrated. It traps water molecules, resists mechanical damage, and restores structure after injury. When collagen thins, skin collapses, first subtly, then unmistakably.
Collagen Decreases As We Age. Why?
Two culprits work against you.
First, fibroblasts, the specialized cells that produce collagen in the dermis layer, grow fewer and weaker over time as they get impacted more and more from environmental factors.
They’re highly sensitive to UV radiation, pollution, oxidative stress, and simply the ticking of your biological clock. Every year, your collagen production shrinks a little more, like a factory slowly losing workers but never rehiring, leading to a decrease in collagen.
Second, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are enzymes designed to break down old collagen near the epidermis layer, which sounds bad, but is beneficial to us. Without this behavior, our skin would be stiff. MMPs activation is streamlined when there is high UV exposure and oxidative stress.
Ultimately, when we can’t keep the rate of breakdown the amount of collagen in the dermis, it decreases over time and causes loss in elasticity, “plumpness” and leads to undesirables like wrinkles and dry skin.
Sunlight’s Double-Edged Sword
UV light doesn't just damage the collagen you have, it wipes out fibroblasts and activates MMPs, accelerating both sides of the collapse. This creates a compounding effect that makes for exponential loss of fibroblasts. Spend enough time exposed without protection, and you create a perfect environment for premature aging.
That said, if tanning is a non-negotiable for you, we highly recommend reading our edition on Sunburns.
But before you vow to live your life in a basement, remember, not all UV exposure is bad. A life spent entirely indoors may protect your skin, but it starves your body in other ways. Sunlight triggers endorphin release, reducing systemic inflammation, and overall oxidative stress. A little sun, wisely managed, with protection and moderation, can be, and is, a crucial part of a vibrant, thriving life.
Wear physical sunscreen. Reapply when you need it. And go outside, not to bake, but to enjoy its benefits.
PRODUCT MENTION
PRODUCT MENTION
If you're looking for an easy way to strengthen both your skin and muscles naturally, OmniBlue’s Magnesium Oil Spray, OceanPower, gives you exactly that. Real ocean magnesium restores what modern life strips away, and the added organic aloe vera soothes and hydrates your skin naturally, right where you need it. It’s strength, flexibility, and softness — bottled.
Aloe vera doesn’t just soothe dryness, it actively boosts hydration, supports collagen stability, speeds up skin repair, and calms inflammation right at the cellular level. While magnesium powers your muscles and energy, aloe helps restore your skin’s texture, softness, and resilience.
CORE
Support Your Skin by Supporting Collagen
Besides the obvious “don’ts” of health, like no smoking, drinking, avoiding excess stress and making sure to sleep at least 7 hours a night, collagen production comes down to the building blocks that you give it. Why? Collagen is a protein, made up of amino acids, which just so happen to be essential, meaning that your body can’t produce them on its own. That why our diets play such a crucial role here. Give it the right nutrients, and it will make the biological legos to eventually become collagen.
Vitamin C is another non-negotiable. It activates the enzymes that stabilize and crosslink collagen fibers. Without it, newly formed collagen collapses before it can even serve you. It also protects the collagen itself, acting as an antioxidant.
Then there’s zinc, an often overlooked cornerstone for skin health. Zinc fuels the enzymes responsible for tissue repair and collagen remodeling. At the same time, it regulates inflammation, preventing your skin from patching injuries poorly or inefficiently.
Copper activates lysyl oxidase, the enzyme that forms strong cross-links between collagen and elastin fibers. These cross-links are what give skin its mechanical strength, allowing it to stretch, recover, and resist tearing.
Meanwhile, magnesium works in the background, powering the complex machinery of protein synthesis and keeping fibroblasts, your collagen-producing cells, functional and efficient under pressure.
ENDNOTE
Final Thoughts
Thanks for taking the time to dig deeper into what your skin truly needs. As the seasons shift and the sun gets stronger every day, it’s the perfect moment to strengthen your foundation, not just from the outside, but from within. Your skin’s future isn’t fixed. It’s being written, day by day, with the choices you make, and the pen is in your hand.
Until next week!
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