When it comes to anti-aging, skin-care lovers everywhere know that collagen is one of the most sought-after ingredients for keeping skin youthful, healthy and radiant. We also know that once we hit our 20s, the collagen in our skin begins a steady and significant decline, making collagen-enhancing and promoting products a hot commodity in the anti-aging industry.
Featured Experts
- Angelo Landriscina, MD is a dermatologist and TikTok sensation
- Joel Schlessinger, MD is a dermatologist in Omaha, NE
What if you could get ahead of the dreaded collagen decline, enhancing and bolstering your natural collagen before you lose it? Enter collagen banking: one of the buzziest new skin-care trends. Last month, I got to attend the launch event for Neutrogena’s latest and already highly rated Collagen Bank Facial Moisturizer ($26) and Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 30 ($29) and hear all about the brand’s new collagen banking technology. But before you shop it (or after, no judgment!), let’s break down the basics: what exactly is collagen banking? Keep reading to find out.
What Is Collagen Banking and How Does It Differ From Collagen-Boosting Products and Treatments?
“Starting in our 20s, our skin produces less collagen naturally,” begins Dr. Landriscina, “The concept of collagen banking comes from cosmetic dermatology. With this strategy, we use collagen-induction modalities like radiofrequency or microneedling to build up or ‘bank’ collagen in the skin before major signs of aging start to show up. You can think of it like saving for retirement—the more you have in the bank, the more security you have later on.”
“I love how the new Neutrogena Collagen Bank line adapts this concept to skin care,” Dr. Landriscina continues. “This can be thought of as a ‘pre-aging’ line that supports skin’s firmness using micro-peptide technology, which was developed with dermatologists to specifically target five components that are critical for preserving the skin’s firming support matrix: elastin, pro-collagen, hyaluronic acid, fibronectin, and decorin. This proprietary micro-peptide technology has been shown to penetrate 10 cell layers deep in vitro.”
Is Collagen Banking Legit?
Like any skin-care trend, it can be hard to decipher if new concepts like collagen banking are truly effective or differ fundamentally from the collagen treatments of the past. As Dr. Schlessinger notes, collagen banking does have promising qualities, but it is important to note that there is little clinical data on the efficacy of the practice.
“There are some aspects of collagen banking that offer an immediate boost, such as microneedling and vitamin C intake, as well as obvious interventions like avoidance of sunlight that will result in fewer wrinkles later on in life,” says Dr. Schlessinger. “The question that remains is whether taking collagen by mouth or slathering collagen on the face will actually stimulate growth of internal collagen. These are questions that won’t be resolved now or in the near future as any legitimate study would take decades to perform.”
What Is the Best Age to Start Collagen Banking?
While we may not know the scientific benefits of collagen banking for some time, practicing skin-care habits that protect and bank your natural collagen before you start to lose it can’t hurt. “Since we start to produce less collagen in our 20s, I think that’s a great time to start collagen banking,” says Dr. Landriscina, “I also love that the Neutrogena Collagen Bank line can be used along with other anti-aging treatments like their Rapid Wrinkle Repair line with retinol. In this way, users can continue seeing the benefits of collagen banking as they age.”
