Our skin is one of our most important organs and requires consistent care to preserve. Our skin protects us from the elements and prevents us from walking around with our organs and musculature exposed. Despite the work our skin does to protect us, some people fail to take proper care of it, and it deteriorates. While this can be a problem, a more concerning issue can affect those of us who take excellent care of our skin. 

Skin conditions like eczema can strike anytime, regardless of our skincare routine. While many quickly discount eczema as a condition that impacts vanity, the disease poses a risk to our overall health. Tending to eczema symptoms can be one of the more important skincare routines you adopt, but it will not be easy. 

To protect yourself against eczema and prevent it from causing further complications, you will need resources that treat the condition's root cause. One resource that might be of value is collagen supplements, though you might be interested in finding out how a supplement can combat one of the more common skin conditions in modern medicine.

What is Eczema?

While you might have heard of eczema in passing, you might not understand some of the finer details surrounding the condition. Atopic dermatitis, known colloquially as eczema, is a skin condition that primarily affects children but can manifest in adults. It is one of the more uncomfortable conditions, with symptoms ranging from minor to severe depending on the extent of the condition. 

Generally, eczema is genetic and involves a gene variation that inhibits the protective nature of our dermal layer. This reduced functionality of our skin makes it more difficult for it to retain moisture and rehydrate itself. It also minimizes our protection against bacteria, allergens, environmental hazards, etc. While most eczema cases are genetic, they can be caused by poor skincare.

Typically, eczema symptoms begin around age 5 and persist through adulthood, usually reaching an apex around the teen years. In some cases, the condition flares before clearing up for indeterminate periods. Sometimes, eczema symptoms can clear up for years before recurring, but that does not diminish the discomfort the condition induces. The symptoms of eczema are highly unpleasant but can serve as a useful indicator that you are suffering from it.

Not everyone with eczema shares the same experience, but the most common symptoms include the following:

• Dry or cracked skin.
• Itchy skin.
• Rash.
• Crusting of the skin.
• Oozing from the skin.
• Darkened skin around the eyes.

While these symptoms are not necessarily the most devastating, signs of eczema should never be ignored. If left unattended, eczema can lead to further health complications since our natural barrier against contaminants and bacteria is compromised. Untreated eczema can result in conditions like asthma or skin infections, while other cases result in scaly skin or sleep disruption. 

The complications eczema can cause are surprisingly extensive for a condition some people view as a cosmetic issue rather than a health concern. Finding tools and techniques to counteract eczema is important regardless of the misconceptions. One of the proposed methods involves collagen supplements, but the question of whether collagen can help remains.

Collagen is Responsible for Dermal Development

Collagen is a protein that is present during our development in the womb and is directly responsible for the creation of our skin. After birth, collagen remains the most common protein in our bodies since it is present in almost all of our connective tissue. Collagen even plays a role in keratin production, which allows our hair and nails to grow. The role collagen plays in our development is what produces our initial dermal layer and hair strands, but it continues to contribute after we are born. After birth, the collagen in our body helps rejuvenate the skin and grows new layers as needed.

Collagen is only an ingredient, but our bodies would lack a vital resource without it. The process is imperfect since, over time, our collagen levels deplete, and our skin begins showing signs of age since the collagen cannot rehydrate as effectively. Collagen also helps maintain the skin's elasticity, which is why wrinkles develop as we age. Despite this, we have enough collagen to keep our dermal layer intact our entire lives.

However, skin conditions like eczema can tax our collagen supply and cause us to use more trying to combat the issue. While this can affect our collagen supply, it is because collagen is designed to try and repair the dermal layer.

Collagen is responsible for our skin's initial development, making it the perfect resource to try and repair it when a chronic condition like eczema presents itself. Nevertheless, you might be wondering what else collagen brings to the table aside from being one of the key ingredients in the skin. Fortunately, collagen can offer a lot more due to some additional effects that have turned it into an extremely popular health supplement.

Collagen is an Anti-Inflammatory

Despite the discomfort associated with inflammation, it is an essential part of our body's ability to heal and repair itself. Inflammation results from our immune system deploying cells to a part of our body where bacteria or an injury is present. These cells fight against foreign bodies and work to repair the injuries so our bodies can heal to their original state. 

The discomfort associated with inflammation is essentially a warning bell telling us that there is an injury or infection our body is trying to fight. Despite this ingenious function of biology, inflammation is a double-edged sword. Certain conditions cause chronic inflammation, which can further damage our health or undo the healing attempt. Inflammation is meant to be temporary, but illnesses or infections cause the inflammation to persist. 

This results in consistent irritation and pain that can adversely affect our health and quality of life. One condition known to induce inflammation is eczema, as previously mentioned.

Chronic inflammation induced by eczema can yield serious issues for your skin health and lead to permanent damage if not treated. Fortunately, we can use anti-inflammatory substances to reduce the symptom and minimize the chance of complications. While you already have an anti-inflammatory substance locked and loaded, collagen supplements might be worth considering. 

Collagen is made using the amino acid glycine, a natural anti-inflammatory compound in humans. Because of the collagen concentration in our bodies, glycine is equally abundant, which translates to supplements.

Taking collagen supplements helps reinforce the effects of the collagen native to our bodies, including the effects of the glycine that creates it. This means collagen supplements can reinforce the anti-inflammatory effects of your body's native glycine concentration. Most of the studies surrounding collagen's anti-inflammatory effects relate to joint pain and arthritis, but the effects are not limited to our joints. Combining a natural anti-inflammatory like glycine with a skin-producing protein like collagen makes it an effective option for treating skin irritation and inflammation.

There have also been studies confirming that collagen supplements can reduce inflammation from eczema symptoms. Taking collagen supplements can help reduce eczema-induced inflammation, but that is only one facet of how collagen can manage eczema symptoms. There are other, more direct methods that collagen uses for skin health.

Collagen Rehydrates the Skin

One of the signature symptoms of eczema is the drying and cracking of skin that damages it and results in other symptoms. You are likely aware that our skin is not meant to dry out and is kept smooth and moisturized by our bodies. This function is a standard part of human biology but is not always reliable. 

Eczema inhibits our body's ability to rehydrate our skin and maintain elasticity, making our skin dry out and crack or blister in most cases. Some people have natural issues that inhibit their skin's hydration regardless of eczema, leading to several moisturizers that people can add to their skincare routine. While most moisturizers are lotions rubbed into the skin, it is possible to get similar effects from common supplements.

The best supplement for rehydrating your skin is collagen since collagen is what manages skin moisture in the body. The hydrating effects of collagen are less noticeable when observing a healthy individual with normal collagen production. Though the effects become more noticeable with age, few people realize collagen's role in keeping our skin healthy against conditions like eczema.

Collagen supplements have proven hydration effects that rejuvenate the skin and protect against conditions like eczema that damage it. While not a direct study on collagen's ability to treat eczema, several studies were conducted on women whose skin had lost hydration and elasticity due to age. These studies were subjected to a review that was compiled and assessed to determine the research's validity.

On average, the studies lasted 69 days, and the subjects were divided into test and control groups to measure the effect collagen had on their skin health. The subjects in the test group were given 3 to 10 grams of collagen daily for the study, while the subjects in the control group received a placebo. 

When the studies ended, the subjects in the test group had improved skin elasticity and hydration. This effect is thanks to the new collagen from the supplements, increasing what the body has to work with and ensuring there is enough to address your body's base needs and the symptoms of conditions like eczema.

That Catch

Collagen supplements offer significant benefits to the health and well-being of human skin, making them a popular supplement among many. These benefits help keep our skin as well hydrated as possible, though certain factors limit the efficacy of the supplements. Insofar as eczema is concerned, collagen can be a beneficial tool, but there is a catch.

Thus far, there is little evidence to suggest that collagen is viable as a frontline treatment for eczema. Due to the complexity of the condition, namely in how it manifests and its status as an external issue, collagen cannot eliminate the root cause of eczema. Ultimately, collagen is best used as a secondary treatment to help repair the damage caused by eczema. 

Ideally, you would take collagen supplements and other standard skincare products to treat your eczema. Unfortunately, genetic eczema tends to be a lifelong issue that never goes away. In severe cases, eczema might warrant medical treatment due to compromised tissue in the dermal layer or the aforementioned complications. Nevertheless, collagen supplements can be an excellent tool for restoring your skin and mitigating certain eczema symptoms.

Finding the Right Blend

While collagen alone will not be sufficient to treat eczema properly, it is a powerful supplement that can minimize the risk of permanent damage. Collagen supplementation is a common resource for those who want to improve their health or retain their youthful complexion. 

Attempting to use collagen as your primary treatment for eczema will likely lead to disappointment since the effects of the condition are too extensive to be resolved with supplements. Most supplements are easy to use and acquire, though identifying a supplement from a reliable vendor is challenging. The key to effective supplementation is finding a safe and reliable product.

We at Teami can help address that detail and provide collagen supplements that are effective and reliable. We offer two primary collagen supplements that allow you to use as you see fit or suit your specific needs. If you prefer to drink your supplements, our Beauty Butterfly Collagen supplement comes in powder form, so you can add it to water and drink your supplement while on the move. 

For those who prefer a little more flavor, our Beauty + Collagen supplements pack the protein into a tasty gummy treat that is easy and enjoyable to use. If you want to introduce collagen to your routine and use its natural benefits to mitigate the effects of conditions like eczema, feel free to visit our website and try our products. After all, finding the right blend is a Teami effort!

If you ever have any questions about our line of products, please don't hesitate to ask! We'd be more than happy to provide as much information as we can so that you can make a knowledgeable purchase!