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If your skin were a savings account, collagen would be your long-term investment — the structural “currency” that keeps it firm, plump, and resilient. And like any investment, the earlier you start topping it up, the bigger your balance later in life.
The truth? The best time to start collagen banking was in your twenties, before natural collagen loss began. If this isn't on your radar yet, the next best time is today.
If you’re anything like me, you probably didn’t spend your twenties (or thirties) thinking about “collagen banking.”
We were too busy living our lives to worry about the slow, steady decline of our skin’s most vital proteins. And that’s okay. This isn’t about regretting the past or chasing an impossible ideal.
I’ll be honest — I never thought about “collagen banking” in my twenties or even my thirties. It certainly wasn’t the buzzword it is now. And I also didn't think about heading towards the proverbial "collagen cliff" either - I'd still rather not think about it even though I feel I can see it happening when I look in the mirror...
But as my skin has changed over the last decade or so, and I’ve learned more about the science behind these changes, I can see how powerful this concept is. Not as a passing skincare trend for once, but as a long-term, realistic strategy to get behind.
Not just for myself, but for Ané Skincare as a whole and our approach to selecting our ingredients and formulating our products.
** Collagen isn't the whole picture of course - we don't talk about Elastin nearly enough - but I will dedicate a separate blog to that soon. Let's focus on collagen banking today.
Collagen banking, at its core, is about building, preserving, and protecting what you already have — and it’s one of the simplest ways to frame what effective skincare is really about. I
t’s not just an idea; it’s the science that underpins what much of skincare is all about.
And here’s the good news: it’s not complicated.
In fact, collagen banking is made up of small daily habits — some you may already be doing, that either build your collagen “balance” or 'break' it down.
Things like sun protection, the protein on your plate, avoiding excess sugar and refined carbohydrates (that cause glycation), managing excess stress (cortisol that can causes inflammation/inflammaging) etc.
Do I get it right all the time? Absolutely not.
I still love the sun. I love a glass of champagne. And I’m not giving up good food shared with the people I love. The best times are when I can have all these things at the same time in the same place with my favourite people.
To me, joy is also part of healthy ageing, and I’ll take a few happy-expression lines over being completely line-free and missing out on life and precious memories.
This is why collagen banking isn’t about chasing youth or falling for overblown beauty, empty promises. It’s about making consistent, manageable “deposits” into your skin’s future so you can keep your reserves for as long as possible, and get the compound interest benefits so to speak.
And it matters even more for women, because we face an extra challenge: alongside the lifestyle factors I mentioned above we also experience the hormonal changes during and after menopause that accelerate collagen loss.
So let’s look at why this matters — and why so much of the beauty industry is still talking about it the wrong way.
The beauty industry doesn’t have a problem with the science of collagen banking – it has a problem with the timeline.
While the global collagen market races toward an estimated $18.7 billion by 2030, there’s a truth most brands don’t want to talk about: real collagen preservation takes months, and years of consistent action. Not miracle serums that promise visible results in days or a few short weeks. It's never 'done'.
I’ve watched this tension play out for years.
Customers want quick fixes, results yesterday.
Brands want instant before-and-after photos to sell products.
But collagen banking runs on your skin biology’s timeline, not a marketing department's.
Here’s what the research shows: women lose around 1% of collagen every year after 20.
Then comes what has become known as the collagen cliff— during menopause, up to 30% can vanish in just five years. I'm not that keen on the visual of this, but you may have heard about it?
Saying that - this "collagen cliff" is why earlier, consistent preservation pays off so much later on.
Yet most skincare marketing stays reactive.
"Anti-ageing" creams for lines already visible. Treatments and fixes for existing damage.
Very little about prevention – because prevention isn’t flashy. In fact, it's a bit boring.
Just think about skincare advice talking about using sunscreen - it's not exciting is it?
A preventative approach challenges the whole industry model.
It says that 'boring', consistent daily habits matter more than quick-fix, high-ticket interventions and the constant flow of trending new ingredients, devices and product launches.
While I appreciate innovation I am here for 'boring' and being consistent with it.
The “too late” mindset dominates midlife and menopause skincare.
I regularly hear from women in their 40s, 50s and beyond who believe they’ve missed their chance, that they've left it too late to make a difference.
But this thinking is wrong – and it helps nobody.
Starting at 38, 45 or 53 won't produce the same results as starting at 25, but you can still slow the decline and improve your skin’s trajectory from where you are now.
The key is understanding that results are relative – they depend on your starting point, genetics, skincare history, lifestyle history and current lifestyle choices.
There's so much more to this than just skincare. And it also challenges our self-perception and acceptance to a great extent, another big topic.
The best results I’ve seen come from treating skin as what it truly is: biology first - an organ that’s part of your body’s interconnected systems.
But I think we often forget that skin is exactly that - biology first.
Sleep, nutrition, stress management, and sun protection matter as much as, if not more, than what’s in your bathroom cabinet.
You can’t “out-serum” unhelpful lifestyle choices.
And collagen synthesis itself relies on amino acids, vitamin C, and minerals, nutrients your body gets from food.
That’s why collagen banking is as much about what happens in your kitchen as what happens on your skin.
Most importantly, it’s about consistency over perfection.
Small daily deposits into your skin account compound over time. One-off, dramatic gestures - not so much.
Collagen banking doesn’t give you a dramatic, magazine-worthy “after” shot in six weeks.
Success is quieter. It’s about looking relatively the same in five years while others have visibly aged.
It’s confidence in your reflection. It’s knowing exactly what to do to protect your skin for decades.
The most meaningful measure of skin success is personal satisfaction:
- do you see a difference? (without comparing your 49 year old skin to a 25 year ould)
- do you feel better in your skin?
Collagen and Elastin: Your Skin’s Scaffold and Spring
let's dive into more of the science and the mechanisms in the skin.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your skin, forming strong, rope-like fibres that give it firmness and thickness.
Elastin is less abundant but equally essential, giving your skin the ability to stretch and snap back into place.
As you've seen above - from your mid-20s, collagen production slows by around 1% per year. Elastin production is even more limited — most of your elastin is produced in childhood and adolescence, and very little new elastin is made after puberty. Once damaged, elastin is extremely difficult to replace.
The extracellular matrix (ECM), the network where collagen, elastin, and other components are embedded, is responsible for skin’s structure, firmness, and resilience.
Protecting the ECM is the cornerstone of slowing visible skin ageing.
While much of your skin health is within your control, there’s a powerful natural shift that plays a significant role: the decline of oestrogen during perimenopause and menopause.
Why Oestrogen Matters: Oestrogen helps stimulate collagen synthesis, supports skin hydration, and strengthens the skin barrier. It’s a major factor in maintaining skin density and elasticity.
The Hormonal Drop: Research shows that women can lose up to 30% of their skin’s collagen in the first five years after menopause, followed by a slower but continuous decline. This rapid loss contributes to skin thinning, dryness, sagging, and loss of elasticity.
The Action Plan: This is not a cause for despair (I know "collagen cliff" sounds quite dramatic), but it's time for decisive action if you've not yet started.
By actively building and protecting collagen and elastin reserves through nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted skincare, you can buffer the effects of hormonal changes and help your skin remain stronger for longer.
Collagen is built from chains of amino acids, primarily glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which assemble into a tight triple helix.
This helix is what gives collagen its remarkable tensile strength.
The process requires:
Amino acids as raw materials.
Vitamin C (a collagen co-factor) to convert proline and lysine into their hydroxylated forms (hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine) — essential for helix stability.
Minerals such as copper, zinc, and manganese for enzymatic activity.
Fibroblast stimulation from retinoids, peptides, and growth factors to “switch on” collagen production.
Every third amino acid in collagen is glycine — a regular spacing that allows the triple helix to form tightly and remain stable.
Without glycine, the helix would unravel, leaving collagen fibres weak and easily degraded.
Glycine also plays an anti-inflammatory role in the skin, creating a more favourable environment for repair.
Sources: Collagen peptides, gelatin, poultry skin, pork skin, bone broth, and certain plant proteins such as sesame seeds and soy.
I take glycine supplements to support my skin as well as my sleep.
Collagen synthesis depends on both the raw materials and the tools to assemble them.
Proline: Works with glycine to stabilise the triple helix.
Hydroxyproline & Hydroxylysine: Add durability to the collagen molecule.
Vitamin C: Without it, collagen fibres are unstable and break down easily — it is indispensable for synthesis.
Copper: Required for lysyl oxidase, which cross-links collagen and elastin for strength.
Zinc: Supports protein synthesis and cell proliferation.
Manganese: Necessary for the prolidase enzyme in collagen metabolism.
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane): Provides sulphur for collagen cross-linking and has anti-inflammatory benefits.
While collagen molecules in creams cannot penetrate the dermis, certain actives can stimulate fibroblasts and provide the right environment for collagen synthesis.
Retinoids: Retinol, retinal, and hydroxypinacolone retinoate (HPR) are proven to increase procollagen production and reduce collagenase activity.
Vitamin C (and derivatives): L-Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Collagen Peptide examples:
Syn-Coll® (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5):Stimulates collagen synthesis, inhibits breakdown enzymes.
Matrixyl Synthe’6® (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38):Targets six major components
Matrixyl 3000®(Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (and) Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7):Improves dermal density and smoothness.
Copper Peptides (GHK-Cu): Deliver copper while signalling ECM renewal.
Amino Acid Complexes: Supply glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline directly to the skin environment.
Even the most effective building plan will fail if you don’t protect your existing structural proteins.
Daily Broadspectrum SPF: UV light is the number one cause of collagen and elastin degradation.
Antioxidants through nutrition and supplementation (if necessary): Neutralise free radicals that damage fibroblasts and ECM components.
Lifestyle factors: Control excess sugar; refined carbohydrates; alcohol intake (reduces glycation), avoid smoking, manage stress (excess cortisol) and inflammation/inflammaging.
There are professional treatments that can potentially stimulate collagen and improve skin structure — including microneedling, radiofrequency, ultrasound devices, and injectable biostimulators.
These can deliver more dramatic results when used appropriately and with the right expertise. Always do your research and only use registered and qualified practitioners.
However, and this is key; even if you choose to invest in aesthetic treatments, you will still need to support and protect your collagen daily.
Without the ongoing skincare and lifestyle components we’ve covered here, any gains from professional treatments will be short-lived.
Think of treatments as an occasional “lump sum deposit” into your skin’s bank account.
Your topical actives, nutrition, and protective habits are the regular “direct debits” that keep the account healthy long term.
Daily:
Apply a broad-spectrum SPF, every day regardless of the weather
Use a protective topical antioxidant serum (Vitamin C (antioxidant and collagen co-factor) + supporting antioxidants like Green Tea extract, Superoxide Dismutase, Ergothioneine, Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid, Astaxanthin, Reseveratrol; Niacinamide; Coenzyme Q10 (AM)
Include a Retinoid (Vitamin A - Retinol, Retinaldehyde, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoatenand/or a Pro-collagen; multi-peptide-based product in your routine (PM). * Copper peptides also work for collagen synthesis.
Ensure your diet includes high-quality protein at each meal.
Include Glycine-rich foods, ie.bone broth, chicken skin, and beef cuts with connective tissue, as well as plant-based options like sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, spirulina
Consider additional collagen supplementationto provide amino acids for collagen synthesis
Weekly:
Strength training2–3 times a week to stimulate collagen in skin and muscle.
Always:
Manage/reduce refined sugar, carbohydrates and processed food intake (Glycation affects collagen).
Avoid smoking and limit alcohol.
Prioritise restorative sleep for growth hormone release; stress reduction (to lower cortisol)
Hydrate- topical skincare, as well as internal.
What is Collagen Banking?
Collagen banking is a proactive, long-term strategy for your skin. It involves actively building, protecting, and maintaining your collagen and elastin reserves from a younger age to slow the visible signs of skin ageing. It’s about making consistent “deposits” to ensure you have more to “withdraw” from later in life.
Is Collagen Banking a Myth?
No, collagen banking is a scientifically supported concept. While the term is a popular analogy, the underlying actions - stimulating collagen production with proven ingredients like retinoids and peptides, and protecting existing collagen from damage with daily SPF and antioxidants — are highly effective and backed by dermatological research.
What is the Best Age to Start Collagen Banking?
The best time to start is in your mid-20s, as this is when your body’s natural collagen production begins to slow. However, it’s never too late to start. Adopting a collagen-banking strategy at any age will help preserve your skin’s health and resilience; start from where you are.
What Damages Collagen and Elastin the Most?
The single biggest cause of collagen and elastin breakdown is unprotected UV exposure. Other major factors include a high-sugar diet (glycation), smoking, pollution, and chronic inflammation or stress. Daily, broad-spectrum SPF is the most critical protective measure.
Can You Reverse Collagen Loss?
While you can’t fully reverse significant collagen loss, you can absolutely stimulate new collagen production, improve its quality, and slow its degradation. This helps to improve the skin’s firmness, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and restore a more youthful texture.
You've probably seen the terms "hydration" and "moisture" used interchangeably everywhere, used as if they're the same thing. One adds water to your skin, the other seals it in, and both are essential, especially after 35 when our natural processes start to slow down.
While it may be true that both refers to water levels in the skin, there is a difference in terms of the mechanisms, as well as product formulation practices and ingredient choices - and therefore the product choices in your routine.
If your skin feels tight, dull, or dry no matter what you use, the missing link might be knowing whether you need (more) hydration, moisture, or both.
In this blog guide, I’ll unpack the science and show you how to balance hydration and moisture for smoother, stronger, more radiant skin.
Could hidden inflammation accelerating your skin ageing without you realising it?
In this comprehensive guide, I unpack the science of inflammaging, what it is, how it impacts your skin and overall health, and why it’s especially important for women 35+.
This is following on from the previous blog where I share more about my recent personal exprerience and discoveries.
You’ll discover 9 key triggers behind chronic, low-grade inflammation and 12 practical, evidence-based steps to help calm it.
Small, consistent changes can make a visible difference, building stronger, healthier, more radiant skin from the inside out.
Many women in midlife assume that struggles with weight, energy, and hormones are simply “part of ageing.” But often, there’s something else quietly driving these changes: hidden, low-level inflammation.
This type of silent inflammation doesn’t always show up as obvious skin problems or dramatic allergic reactions. Instead, it works beneath the surface — disrupting hormones, draining energy, locking weight in place, and slowly accelerating the ageing process in both body and skin.
Food intolerances, gut imbalances, and hormonal shifts are all connected. Addressing inflammation and gut health is just as vital as supporting hormones if we want to feel better and protect our skin health in midlife.
This blog explores how hidden inflammation impacts hormones, metabolism, and skin, and what practical steps can help calm it down. If you’ve been doing “all the right things” and still feel stuck, this may be the missing piece.
