Benefits of Collagen Mask

Collagen masks are especially designed keeping the anatomy of the face in mind i.e.. there are openings in the mask for eyes, nostrils and the mouth. These treatments can be carried out both at home as well as taken at a spa. Let us know a bit more about this so-called anti wrinkle skin care product, by looking at how it works and what are its pros and cons.

Collagen is a naturally occurring, fibrous protein in the body which supports tissues such as the muscles, bones, skin, cartilage, tendons, and certain internal organs. Collagen in combination with keratin, gives the skin its elasticity, firmness, and resilience.

However, once a person starts aging, the collagen in the skin starts depleting, thus causing fine lines, wrinkles, spots, etc. Researches show that degradation of collagen starts at as early as twenty-five.

Now let's move onto know what the cosmetic companies manufacturing collagen lotions, creams and masks claim. According to them, the amount of collagen in the skin can be increased if it is subjected to collagen found in animals such as cows or fish.

They proclaim that their collagen masks contain such ingredients that, if applied regularly on the skin, will increase the natural production of collagen. So, a person has to apply a collagen eye mask or a face mask and leave it on the skin for some time to give it time to absorb the animal collagen.

Experts believe that using this mask in the long run, causes it to become ineffective. For the simple reason that when collagen cream mask or a sheet mask is applied to the skin, the animal collagen in it is unable to penetrate into the skin. The molecules of collagen are very big in size and hence cannot penetrate even in the uppermost layer of the skin.

When the collagen does not enter the skin, there is no way it will help in collagen production or cause any increase in the amount of collagen in the skin. Thus there are no long-term benefits.

Some beauty experts say that a collagen mask can actually be harmful for the skin in the long run. According to them certain masks contain strong, harsh chemicals which can actually irritate the skin. Also, as the collagen in this mask is very different from human collagen, it can actually react negatively and make a person's skin look puffy instead.

On the positive side, using such masks does help in hydrating the skin and keeping it well moisturized temporarily. Another benefit is that for the time they are applied, they temporarily "fill-in" the fine lines and wrinkles and thus make them appear less evident, albeit for a short duration.

As you can see, there are virtually no real positive effects of using collagen masks. So, instead of going after such so-called anti-aging skin care products, try natural methods such as eating healthy, exercising, drinking lots of water, and applying masks prepared from ingredients available in your kitchen like honey, milk, egg yolk, and banana.