You can't scroll through skincare content without encountering collagen. Collagen supplements, collagen-infused creams, collagen-boosting serums—the obsession is everywhere, and for good reason. Collagen is the primary structural protein in your skin, responsible for firmness, smoothness, and that plump quality we associate with youth.
But here's what much of the collagen marketing won't tell you: most topical collagen products don't actually increase the collagen in your skin. The collagen molecule is too large to penetrate effectively. You're essentially applying expensive moisturizer.
The real question isn't how to add collagen from outside. It's how to support your skin's ability to produce collagen from within. And that's where colostrum becomes genuinely useful.
Understanding Collagen Production
Collagen is produced by cells called fibroblasts that live in the dermis—the deeper layer of your skin. These fibroblasts are little factories, synthesizing collagen fibers that provide structural support. When you're young, fibroblasts are active and efficient. As you age, they slow down, produce less collagen, and the collagen they do produce is often lower quality.
This decline isn't just about time. Fibroblasts respond to signals in their environment. Growth factors—messenger proteins—tell fibroblasts when to produce collagen and how much to make. When growth factor signaling decreases, fibroblasts behave as though there's no urgency to maintain production.
How Colostrum Stimulates Fibroblasts
Colostrum contains transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), which has been demonstrated in research to directly stimulate fibroblast activity and collagen synthesis. When TGF-β reaches your fibroblasts, it essentially sends a message: "We need more collagen. Get to work."
But colostrum doesn't stop there. It also contains insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), which supports cell growth and multiplication. More active fibroblasts, producing more collagen, with better capacity for division and renewal—this is the comprehensive effect colostrum can provide.
What makes this different from simply applying synthetic TGF-β is the context. In colostrum, growth factors exist alongside cofactors that enhance their absorption and efficacy. The vitamin A supports skin cell function. The antioxidants protect against damage that impairs collagen production. The fatty acids help these compounds penetrate effectively.
The Fresh Colostrum Advantage
Growth factors are proteins, and proteins are fragile. Heat, light, and time all degrade them. The TGF-β in colostrum powder that's been sitting in a warehouse for months isn't the same as TGF-β in fresh colostrum processed within hours of collection.
This is why sourcing matters so much for colostrum products. On our Washington State farm, we harvest colostrum and process it quickly specifically to preserve these growth factors at their most potent. The difference isn't just philosophical—it's functional. Fresh colostrum delivers biological activity that degraded colostrum cannot.
Our Colostrum Cream is formulated to protect these fragile compounds through manufacturing and storage, but nothing replaces starting with fresh, potent ingredients. You can't preserve what's already lost.
What Increased Collagen Actually Looks Like
More collagen doesn't mean instant wrinkle erasure. Collagen builds slowly, over weeks and months of consistent support. What you'll notice first is texture improvement—skin that feels smoother under your fingers, looks more even in the mirror. Fine lines soften. Skin feels firmer when you press on it gently.
These changes are subtle but real. They're what genuine collagen support looks like, as opposed to the dramatic before-and-after photos that are usually either filtered or fake.
The goal isn't to turn back time. It's to give your fibroblasts the signals and support they need to do their job as effectively as possible, whatever your age. Colostrum provides that support in a way that isolated ingredients simply cannot match.
