ATHE_Transcript_Ep 636_The Secret Way to Boost Collagen for Younger Looking Skin

[00:00:00] JJ Virgin: I'm JJ Virgin, Ph. D. dropout. Sorry, mom. Turned four time New York Times bestselling author. Yes, I'm a certified nutrition specialist, fitness hall of famer, and I speak at health conferences and trainings around the globe. But I'm driven by my insatiable curiosity and love of science to keep asking questions, digging for answers, and sharing the information that I uncover with as many people as I can.

[00:00:26] And that's why I created the Well Beyond 40 podcast to synthesize and simplify the science of health into actionable strategies to help you thrive. In each episode, we'll talk about what's working in the world of wellness, from personalized nutrition and healing your metabolism to healthy aging and prescriptive fitness.

[00:00:45] Join me on the journey to better health, so you can love how you look and feel right now and have the energy to play full out at 100.

[00:00:59] Okay, full disclosure, I am a skin treatment junkie, and I have literally tried pretty much everything, at least a lot of different things. Laser, IPL, fillers, Botox, and these can help, but you will get far better results. And you may not even need them if you deploy these little-known strategies I'm going to share.

[00:01:20] Now, I'm betting a few of these that you would never have known about could work to keep your skin looking younger. So, if you've been watching my videos, first of all, you know I'm a big fan of creatine. But you probably think of creatine for strength and for performance. Well, guess what? Creatine is also great for your skin. It can stimulate collagen synthesis. which is, of course, essential for elasticity and firmness and reducing wrinkles and sagging. And it also enhances skin hydration by increasing the water content in skin cells. Now, when you've got well-hydrated skin, it's going to look plumper and smoother, and that will reduce the appearance of fine lines.

[00:02:03] Plus, it provides energy to the skin cells, so they'll function better. This energy boost supports cell turnover and repair, which is going to improve your skin texture and give you a brighter complexion. Plus, creatine can help reduce oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals or indirectly enhancing the body's antioxidant defenses, which may also protect cell membranes from oxidative damage.

[00:02:28] Now, when you think of using creatine, you probably think of resistance training, and guess what? Resistance training can help keep your skin young too. When you start working out and lifting weights, that increase in muscle tension triggers the release of growth factors that support collagen synthesis.

[00:02:47] This also enhances blood flow throughout the body, including the skin. Now, this increased blood circulation, of course, is going to deliver all sorts of essential nutrients and oxygen to skin cells, promote cell regeneration, and a healthy, radiant complexion. As your muscles get stronger, as they become more toned and hydrated from the exercise, they can also help maintain skin hydration by minimizing water loss.

[00:03:12] Now, exercise, resistance training, but also HIIT training, and even just doing some big zone 2 can help the body produce antioxidants and reduce oxidative stress and the damage caused by free radicals. This natural antioxidants defense system contributes to healthier, younger-looking skin by protecting it from premature aging and environmental stressors.

[00:03:35] One of the things I talk a lot about is bone broth, and of course, when you're doing bone broth, you're getting collagen. I'm using it because it's great for your connective tissue. I use it for recovering from a workout, but it also provides structural support to the skin. It helps you maintain elasticity and firmness, which can, of course, reduce your fine lines and wrinkles.

[00:03:57] My girlfriend, Dr. Kellyanne Petrucci, has been telling me about this for years because her whole platform is based on using that bone broth. You will have better skin. And she is definitely living proof of that. Collagen supplements can also help improve skin hydration because they attract and retain moisture.

[00:04:16] Bone broth can help there as well. I love bone broth because it has gelatin, which is from collagen, which promotes skin hydration by attracting and retaining moisture. And if you've got warm moisture, you've got plumper, more useful skin. Now, the other cool thing with bone broth is it's got amino acids, glycine, proline, and arginine.

[00:04:37] And these amino acids are essential for skin health as they support collagen and elastin production. These are essential proteins for maintaining skin elasticity and structure. Also, collagen supplements have glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and these are all essential for collagen synthesis. Plus, amino acids and antioxidants are anti-inflammatory. Now, beyond that, bone broth is a source of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, and manganese, and these are all essential for skin repair, regeneration, and protection from oxidative stress. Plus, collagen supplements can strengthen the skin's natural barrier, helping to protect it from environmental stressors and damage caused by UV rays and pollution.

[00:05:27] Now, before I get into the rest of the ways you can boost collagen, I want to make sure that you download my free anti-aging cheat sheet. It's called Inner Wellness, Outer Beauty, and it's a handy reference guide to the best anti-aging foods, supplements, skin care, and more. So go ahead and grab it at jjvirgin.com/antiaging.

[00:05:48] All right, I have a little biohacking lab at home, and one of the things I have in my biohacking lab is a joovv red light, four-panel red light, which I stand in front of for 12 minutes a couple times a week, and my perfect world would be every day because of the benefits of red light.

[00:06:03] It's a non-invasive treatment that uses red or near-infrared light to stimulate cellular activity and promote various health benefits. One of them being younger-looking skin that can stimulate collagen production. Regular sessions of this improve skin tone. makes it look younger and more radiant, improves skin texture, can help you have smoother, softer skin, and can help increase collagen and elastin production, which, of course, can reduce the depth and visibility of fine lines and wrinkles.

[00:06:36] It can also improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to skin cells. And that means you've got better circulation, which, of course, means healthier, more vibrant skin. Now, one of the big reasons I've been using red light is for the anti-inflammatory properties. I've been using it after I work out to help heal, but this can also help soothe irritated skin, and red light can also help repair sun damage caused by UV radiation. It helps with sunspots and photoaging, and it also enhances mitochondrial function in the skin cells. Actually, mitochondria are all over, but we're talking specifically in the skin, where it can increase their energy production, which means you've got better cell turnover, better rejuvenation, and a more useful skin appearance.

[00:07:22] Now, in my Well Beyond 40 podcast, I have talked to a couple amazing sex experts recently. So, I got to bring this one up. You probably wouldn't have thought I was going to talk about it, but orgasms. Yep. Orgasms can trigger the release of endorphins, which can boost collagen production as well. Plus, we know stress is a well-known contributor to premature aging and skin issues, and guess what is a natural stress reducer? Yep, orgasms. Okay, so let's talk what happens here. Sexual arousal and orgasm: what happens? More blood flow. Your blood flow circulation increases throughout the body, including the skin, and this blood flow brings essential nutrients and oxygen to skin cells, creating a useful and radiant complexion. You get that natural glow. You know what I'm talking about.

[00:08:11] All right, let's talk about being well hydrated. We know that staying well hydrated is critical for fat loss. It's also critical for your skin. Proper hydration keeps your skin cells plump and well moisturized and reduces the appearance of dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles.

[00:08:29] Mild dehydration is stressful to the body and gets the body into a fat-storing process because it actually takes the glycogen from your liver, converts it to glucose, and then converts it to fructose and makes you store fat. So we already know that it does that. We also know that you need to be well hydrated to detoxify well.

[00:08:52] So when you do not have enough fluid, you cannot detoxify well, right? And you'll be holding onto what you have. You need to detoxify well so that you can flush out toxins and waste products from your skin and body. That's going to help promote clear and healthy skin as well. Proper hydration means good blood circulation, which is also critical for collagen synthesis.

[00:09:13] And adequate hydration helps strengthen the skin's natural barrier, which protects it from environmental stressors like pollution and UV radiation. Plus, just a little dehydration, just as it can lead to that fat storage, can also lead to dark circles under the eyes. So, just getting well hydrated, how much does well hydrated mean?

[00:09:36] I tell people to drink half their weight in ounces every single day. Ideally, a lot of that is pure spring water. Also, make sure you have a couple servings of electrolytes, so at least one serving electrolytes a day, more if you're working out. When you're well hydrated, you're going to minimize the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.

[00:09:54] You're going to look more refreshed, and your skin is going to be more elastic. and resilient. It can bounce back from different expressions and movements, which, of course, is also going to reduce your risk of creating wrinkles. Dehydrated skin is going to show more signs of aging, and it's going to increase your risk of developing wrinkles.

[00:10:14] A couple years ago, I gave all of my close friends Blissy pillowcases for the holidays because I found them and fell in love with them. And they are mulberry silk. And one of the best things that you can do is sleep on these silk pillowcases. Sounds so luxurious, but it's really good for your skin. You know, silk is this smooth, soft fabric. And what's important about it is that it has very minimal friction against your skin. When you've got cotton or other materials, you know, they can create a lot of friction. Silk is gentle on your face. So it reduces the risk of friction-induced wrinkles and fine lines.

[00:10:51] And that means you're not going to wake up in the morning and have like those creases on your skin that you can get from other pillowcases. You'll have a smoother complexion when you wake up. Plus, silk has a natural moisture-wicking property that helps maintain the skin's hydration. And when you sleep on silk pillowcases, it can help prevent excessive moisture loss from your skin, which reduces dryness and the appearance of flaky or dull skin. Plus, it also helps reduce potential irritation from allergens or dust mites because silk is hypoallergenic, and it also stops you from excessive sweating because it breathes so well.

[00:11:30] You may not have thought of this one for younger skin, but meditation can make a big difference because it reduces stress and promotes relaxation. It's going to reduce one of the root causes of premature aging, which is stress, right? Just think about it. When you are just calm, peaceful, and content, you just radiate that outward, right? You have that natural, useful glow, and when you are meditating, it's going to help you get better sleep, and sleep is mission-critical for having great skin.

[00:12:04] So, when you have better sleep patterns, you're going to have better skin repair and regeneration. And getting yourself into a regular meditation practice can help promote deeper sleep stages and more restorative REM sleep. And that is so critical—REM sleep—because that's when your body undergoes those processes for skin repair.

[00:12:23] Again, skin, renewed skin cells, collagen production, repair from the damage from UV rays, and environmental toxins. So again, think of meditation to help you with sleep, and then make a commitment that you're gonna focus on your sleep because we think of poor sleep and, “Oh, I'm gonna have dark circles.” But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

[00:12:46] Like, you think about what poor sleep does, and it causes blood vessels to dilate, of course, that leads to that puffiness and dark circles, you know, so you're going to have that problem. Your skin's going to be dehydrated, but when you're not sleeping well, then you're going to have issues with stress.

[00:13:03] Often, you'll have elevated stress levels. You'll have more cortisol, and more cortisol can lead to accelerated aging. It is really important here to prioritize sleep. And also meditation, so that we can handle stress, manage stress, and get good sleep. Those two are like the dynamic duo for looking useful and refreshed.

[00:13:26] Now, who knew that these strategies that help your overall health can support useful skin too? I mean, it's pretty cool. If you'd like to dive deep into more anti-aging-specific strategies, check out my best anti-aging advice video.

[00:13:43] Be sure to join me next time for more tools, tips, and techniques you can incorporate into everyday life to ensure you look and feel great. And more importantly, that you're built to last. Check me out on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and my website, jjvirgin.com, and make sure to follow my podcast so you don't miss a single episode at subscribetojj.com. See you next time!
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