Do you ever wonder why children's skin is so soft, firm and bounces back instantly?Do you ever wonder why children's skin is so soft, firm and bounces back instantly?

There are two remarkable proteins that work quietly beneath the surface—collagen and elastin. They are often mentioned together in beauty and wellness products but many people still wonder about elastin vs collagen and whether one is better than the other.

The truth is they are not competitors; they are partners.

Your skin is like a mattress.

Collagen is the strong frame that gives the mattress its shape and strength. "Without it things start to droop. What is the elastin in the mattress that helps it bend, stretch and spring back to its original form? Remove either one, and the mattress just won't work properly.

Our skin is much the same.

Collagen gives structure, firmness and support to the skin. It is also present in bones, joints, tendons and ligaments, making it one of the most important structural proteins of the body. Elastin gives flexibility. It allows your skin to stretch when you smile, laugh or make facial expressions and then bounce back softly to its original shape.

This is where the real difference between elastin vs collagen can be seen. One gives strength, the other elasticity.

With age, our bodies naturally produce less of both proteins.  Sun exposure, pollution, stress and everyday wear on the skin can accelerate the drop in collagen, and can lead to wrinkles, loss of firmness and elasticity of the skin.

When people compare the benefits of collagen vs elastin they are often surprised to find that the two are at their best when they work together.  Collagen is a solid smooth structure and elastin keeps skin elastic and springy. Together they provide a younger and healthier looking skin.

And that’s also the reason many premium beauty products and supplements combine these powerful skin elasticity ingredients rather than picking one over the other.  Marine collagen and marine elastin are increasingly being incorporated into beauty-from-within formulations, skincare and functional nutrition to promote healthy aging in many ways.

So which should you choose, collagen or elastin?

The better question is: Why choose one when your skin naturally depends on both?

It’s not a case of choosing collagen over elastin. It’s about understanding how these two proteins work together, one providing strength and the other flexibility, to help keep skin firm, smooth and resilient throughout life.

Healthy, youthful skin is built with more than collagen, more than elastin. It's made through the perfect balance of both.