Oh man, the things we do for beauty.
Vampire facials, chemical peels, glitter creams, and even kitty litter face masks.
We’ve been programmed to believe that external beauty is more important than anything else in this world and that our value in life lies in being merely decorative.
That’s why none of us bat an eyelid when the beauty industry charges us $240 for a tiny tub of face cream or suggests we literally rub cat sh*t on our faces.
I’m not against looking good and taking care of my skin, but I’m also not in any crazy rush to run out and try the latest fad.
My Oil of Olay (or Oil of Ulan as it was once named when I was but a wee sprig of a gal), has done the job just fine all these years, and even now, I still get questioned about my skin secrets and regularly have my I.D. checked.
As we all know, the beauty industry can only survive by throwing out a new fad at the wall every few months and seeing what sticks.
There’s no topic bigger than self-care and beauty preservation, and right now, the term de jour just so happens to be ‘collagen’.
Collagen takes care of our hair, skin and nails – keeping us young, firm, and glossy.
The problem is, collagen starts disappearing pretty much around the time we hit our early twenties because our bodies literally stop producing it.
Whaa! It sucks.
But what if we could restore this collagen? Stop our bodies from losing it in the first place, and reverse the clock to restore something that’s naturally in our system anyway?
What if there was something we could drink that would halt the aging process in its tracks?
I always assumed this scene would eventually become a reality one day…
Well, the answer to our skin prayers is here. Kind of.
There’s a relatively recent argument that drinking collagen can give you more of that glow and even soften those wrinkles. How? By acting as a hydrator for your skin.
Sounds awesome, right?
There’s just one problem. All these collagen powders and supplements we’re putting into our smoothies every morning aren’t actually regulated.
There’s also no proof they even make it past the acid in your digestive tract to do the job they’re meant to do.
Yep, not everything we swallow actually retains its original form and purpose when we’re digesting it. The pH changes in the gut won’t allow it because it’s just not how our bodies work.
The ‘miracle’ collagen anti-aging cure could actually just be a powdery lie created by big corporations to help you waste more of your precious money, while reinforcing the the perpetual need to tackle a never-ending battle against natural ageing.
What’s worse, most of the collagen supplements on the market are made from crushed animal bits, and are sourced from beef collagen while being sprinkled with heavy metals.
Every morning in front of the mirror…
The moral here is to make sure you’re not overdoing it, and that you’re researching the brands you’re using.
Unless they’re certified – put the collagen down and just stick with lots of water, a good retinol product, and a diet full of vegetables and healthy fats.
Oh, and you know, stay out of the sun, don’t get stressed, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t have a life, and live in a bubble because good skin is more important than living life.
Girl opposite me in the office is drinking collagen and I am necking a full fat flat white, wonder who is happier?! ??♀️
— Singleton Tales (@singletontales) May 1, 2018