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WHICH PRODUCT FOR ME?

Colladeen Original
This is our original Colladeen® formula which has been shown to help women who retain too much fluid, a leading cause of weight gain, abdominal bloating and puffy ankles.
• Shown to help tackle fluid retention, naturally
• Impressive results after just 8 weeks
• A significant number reported less heaviness in their legs
• Most customers who buy Colladeen® Original are repeat purchasers

Find out more about Colladeen® Original

Colladeen Original
Same strength as Colladeen® Original plus lutein and green tea, to provide nutrients known to support the body’s defences against sun damage to skin.
• Clinically proven sun protection factor spf 15
• 50% reduction in spider veins
• Reduction in wrinkle depth and appearance
• Measurable improvements in skin elasticity and firmness

Find out more about Colladeen® Visage

RESEARCH

Colladeen® Original Ground-breaking study
Researchers at Reading University set out to investigate the effects of giving a group of women suffering from fluid retention a combination of natural anthocyanidins. The volunteers were supplied with tablets providing 320mg of natural anthocyanidins each day (Colladeen® Original), for 16 weeks (4 months). The women were asked to attend the university clinic for regular assessments of fluid retention, including leg circumference measures, whilst they kept daily records of their symptoms. The women assessed in this study displayed a wide range of symptoms and varying degrees of distress and discomfort. However, a common characteristic among all sufferers, was the fact that friends and family were rarely aware that the sufferer had a problem - only the sufferers themselves knew what was ‘normal’ physically, and when the area in question (i.e. legs, bust or abdomen) wasn’t quite right. Some volunteers said that their symptoms made them feel less confident, depressed and in some cases, prevented them wearing clothes that were revealing.

Colladeen Visage study
We measured the level of skin elasticity of 60 adults, aged 50 to 70 years old, at the start of the studies using a validated method involving an instrument called a cutometer. Half the group then took two tablets of Colladeen Visage a day; the other half took identical looking dummy placebo pills. We then measured skin elasticity at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and at 12 weeks (also at 24 weeks in the second study) and compared the results between the two groups.

PROTECTIVE PLANT COMPOUNDS

Any plant that grows in bright sunshine has to protect its delicate DNA from sun damage and they have evolved special compounds and pigments. Many of these are important nutrients for us, which we obtain when we eat leafy green vegetables, berries and fruits. Many of these nutrients are classified as antioxidants and include vitamins C and E and the body uses these to neutralise very reactive, potentially damaging chemicals called free radicals which are produced in large amounts when we get too much sun.

Sun Protection from within
Other nutrients from plants, increasingly mentioned in the news, such as lutein, flavonoids, lycopene, anthocyanidins, and carotenes can also act as antioxidants. But we now know that some of these ‘phytochemicals’ provide protection against sun damage in other ways.

Lutein for example, which is a carotenoid pigment obtained when we eat leafy greens such as kale, is deposited in the macula of the eye where it filters out the dangerous wavelengths of light thereby preventing the delicate photoreceptor cells from being damaged.

Recent research now indicates that the body also uses lutein to provide protection against sun damage to the skin as well as the eyes. In fact other phytochemicals, particularly the anthocyanidins have been shown to offer the same kind of protection. Investigations in to the mechanism of how the protection works has shown a complex effect on skin chemistry and raised the prospects that these compounds may be able to actually reverse pre-existing sun damage.

SKIN STRUCTURE

Skin is our body’s largest organ, weighing in at over 3kg, and what an amazing job it does for us. It acts as a waterproof barrier to prevent water loss, insulates the body against extremes of temperature, protects tissues from damaging sunlight, and is our first defence against bacterial infection. It can stretch when we move, and when it gets damaged it can heal itself. So a quick look at the structure of skin might be interesting:

Skin structure
1. EPIDERMIS: This outermost layer consists of dead cells that are continuously being shed and replaced by new cells produced in the basal level, which are hardened with a protein called keratin before moving to the surface.

2. DERMIS: This is the thickest layer and is made up of a strong matrix of two types of protein fibres called collagen and elastin. Collagen is responsible for the skin’s firmness and makes up 70% of the dermis, whilst elastin gives skin its elasticity.

3. CAPILLARIES: Healthy skin relies on a mass of tiny blood capillaries to oxygenate and nourish the cells and a healthy circulation ensures the skin remains hydrated and healthy.

4. SUBCUTIS: This base layer has a seam of subcutaneous fat which can be used as fuel but also works as insulation against heat loss and cushions the body against bumps.

5. COLLAGEN & ELASTIN: These two types of protein fibres are made by cells in the dermis in a process of continuous regeneration, with old worn out fibres being broken down and then replaced with fresh collagen and elastin fibres. This balance involves enzymes, called Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP’s), which break down the protein fibres, but their action is carefully controlled.

WHY SKIN AGES

It’s inevitable, our skin will gradually change as we get older, and we use these telltale changes to help us judge someone’s age. For some lucky people these changes take longer to appear, and they are said to ‘look great for their age’. So what are the reasons for this, and what can we do to keep our skin looking young?

Your genes play a part
As we age the production of collagen and elastin fibres slows down, and also the skin loses some of its underlying layer of fat. This results in the skin losing its plumpness; it starts to sag and also becomes drier. These inevitable changes are called intrinsic ageing and the rate it occurs is largely dependent on our genes. Which of course we can’t change!

External factors
Most people now understand that their lifestyle greatly influences their skin health. These extrinsic factors play a huge role in the rate at which skin ages, and include sunlight damage, smoking, air pollution and a poor diet. These are factors we can change, and the sooner we do so, the younger we’ll stay.

...especially sun damage

A special mention is needed for sun damage as this is responsible for so many changes to the skin on our face. Just compare the soft smooth skin under your chin, where sunlight hardly touches, with the ‘crow’s feet’ area around your eyes to appreciate just how much the sun ages skin. Avoiding direct exposure will help, and protecting yourself with sun cream will reduce the damage but even so, your face will still receive enough reflected light to initiate the ageing process.

Formation of wrinkles
As collagen and elastin production declines, the dermis starts to lose its elasticity and becomes thinner. Folds or fine lines start to appear and eventually turn into wrinkles which are permanently visible.
Colladeen - Why skin ages, image of skin section