Firm skin: what really determines firmness and why we lose it with age

When we talk about skin firmness, one word usually comes to mind immediately: collagen.

More collagen, firmer skin. Less collagen, sagging.

It is a simple explanation. And it is partly true. But firmness depends on a much more complex system involving collagen, elastin, extracellular matrix, fibroblasts and the architecture of the dermis itself.

And with age, it is not only the amount of collagen we produce that changes. Its organisation changes, the environment around it changes, and so do the cells responsible for maintaining it.

So perhaps the right question is not simply how to produce more collagen, but rather:

what actually keeps our skin firm?

What does it mean to have firm skin?

In cosmetics, we often use firmness and elasticity almost as if they meant the same thing.

They do not exactly.

Firmness is related to the skin’s ability to maintain its structure and resist deformation.

Elasticity describes its ability to deform and then return to its original shape.

They are connected, but both rely on an entire biological architecture.

And to understand it, we need to move beneath the surface, into the dermis.

The dermis: much more than collagen

The dermis lies beneath the epidermis and contains a complex network of cells and structural components.

Among them are two familiar names in any conversation about skin ageing: collagen and elastin.

Collagen contributes to support and mechanical resistance. Elastin helps the tissue deform and then recover its configuration.

But neither works in isolation.

They are part of the extracellular matrix, a three-dimensional network of proteins and other molecules surrounding cells and contributing to the organisation and mechanical properties of the tissue.

You can think of it as part of the framework that supports the dermis.

And that framework needs maintenance.

Fibroblasts: behind collagen there are cells

This is where fibroblasts come in.

They are dermal cells involved in the production, organisation and remodelling of components of the extracellular matrix.

And that changes the way we think about firmness.

For years, collagen has often been described almost like a reserve: we have plenty when we are young, we progressively lose it, and the solution is simply to produce more.

Reality is far more dynamic.

The extracellular matrix is in constant interaction with the cells that maintain it.

The fibroblast influences the matrix. But the matrix also influences the fibroblast.

So when the dermis ages, it is not only the amount of certain components that changes. The whole system of interactions changes too.

→ If you want to understand how skin regeneration and fibroblast behaviour change with age, read Skin regeneration: what it means and how it changes with age.

Why do we lose firmness with age?

There is no single cause.

Over time, changes occur in the synthesis, organisation and degradation of collagen. Elastic fibres also change, particularly after significant cumulative sun exposure.

And fibroblasts change too.

With age, they may alter their activity, morphology and proliferative capacity. Some can also enter cellular senescence, a state in which they stop dividing and change the way they function and communicate with their environment.

If the team responsible for maintaining the structure changes, it makes sense that the structure itself changes too.

But something even more interesting happens.

Fibroblasts are constantly interacting with the matrix around them. When that matrix becomes altered and fragmented, the mechanical and biological signals received by the cells can also change.

This creates a two-way relationship:

An ageing matrix affects the fibroblast, and a fibroblast that behaves differently affects the matrix.

Loss of firmness is therefore much more than simply “having less collagen”.

→ In Cellular senescence and skin: what it is and how it relates to ageing, we explain in more detail what happens when certain cells enter senescence.

The sun also has quite a lot to say

Chronological age explains only part of how our skin ages.

The other major factor is our history of sun exposure.

Cumulative UV radiation contributes to photoageing, promoting processes associated with oxidative stress and degradation of extracellular matrix components.

That is why two people of the same age can show very different degrees of firmness loss, wrinkles or pigmentation changes.

And that is why there is one anti-ageing strategy far less novel than any peptide or exosome, but absolutely fundamental:

photoprotection.

It does not sound particularly futuristic.

It works.

So, how can we improve skin firmness?

Producing more collagen may be part of the strategy.

But it should not be the whole strategy.

If we understand firmness as the result of a biological architecture, it makes more sense to think about several different fronts:

• protecting the existing matrix, especially against factors that promote its deterioration;
• supporting processes related to its production and remodelling;
• acting on the cells involved in maintaining it;
• maintaining an effective skin barrier;
• using technologies with specific evidence for the mechanisms we want to target.

This is where certain cosmetic technologies start to become particularly interesting.

Peptides and firmness: what is the connection?

Peptides are short chains of amino acids. Some have been studied for their ability to act as signals associated with specific cellular responses.

Among them are peptides linked to mechanisms involved in the synthesis and remodelling of extracellular matrix components.

But not all peptides do the same thing.

Saying that a cosmetic “contains peptides” does not prove that it will improve firmness. What matters is which peptides are present, how they are formulated and what evidence exists for them.

→ If you want to understand the different types of peptides and why Cell Reversa combines biomimetic peptides with the peptides present in Centella Reversa™, read Peptides for skin: what they are, how they work and why they are not all the same.

Can we act on aged fibroblasts?

This is precisely one of the areas currently being explored in cosmetic research.

Vytrus Biotech studied Centella Reversa™, a technology obtained from Centella asiatica cell cultures, on human dermal fibroblasts.

In one of its in vitro studies, Centella Reversa™ reached values equivalent to 134% of control for procollagen I and 126% for elastin.

The research also examined fibroblasts subjected to replicative senescence, evaluating different parameters related to their behaviour and regenerative capacity.

In a scratch test, the technology achieved 72% regenerated area after 48 hours under the experimental conditions.

Precision matters here:

these are in vitro results obtained on cells in a laboratory. They do not mean that a cream regenerates 72% of the skin in 48 hours.

What is interesting is the approach: studying firmness not only in terms of how much collagen can be produced, but also in terms of how the cells responsible for maintaining dermal architecture function.

→ You can learn how this technology is obtained in Centella Reversa™: what it is and how it differs from conventional Centella asiatica.

From ingredient to finished formula: what happens with Cell Reversa?

Studies carried out on an ingredient help us understand its possible mechanisms of action.

But there is a second question that is just as important:

what happens when that ingredient becomes part of a complete cosmetic formula and that formula is used on skin?

Cell Reversa was evaluated over 56 days of use in a study completed by 24 women.

The results combine instrumental measurements with participant perception, two different and complementary ways of assessing how skin responds.

After 56 days, 95.83% of participants reported feeling that their skin was firmer and 91.67% perceived greater elasticity.

The study also showed a significant instrumental improvement in the appearance of wrinkles: the average roughness of the analysed wrinkle decreased by 9%, and 96% of participants showed an improvement in this parameter.

100% also perceived an improvement in skin texture and hydration.

These results help move the research from mechanism to something much more tangible: how the appearance and perception of skin change after continued use of the finished formula.

This logic sits behind Cell Reversa Firming Cream: combining Centella Reversa™, with its complex profile of peptides and plant extracellular vesicles, with biomimetic peptides selected for complementary mechanisms, without losing sight of skin barrier function.

Discover Cell Reversa and explore the full formula.

Exosomes and cellular communication: another piece of the system

Centella Reversa™ also introduces another element: plant-derived extracellular vesicles, including a fraction characterised as exosomal.

These vesicles participate in cellular communication systems and may carry or be associated with different molecules, including peptides.

That does not automatically make an exosome a “firming active”. Its relevance depends on what it contains, where it comes from and what evidence exists for the specific technology.

This is precisely why simply saying that a cream “contains exosomes” tells us very little.

→ We explain this in more detail in Exosomes in cosmetics: what they are and what benefits they may offer the skin.

Firmness, wrinkles, texture and pigmentation: ageing is not one single process

Skin may lose firmness and at the same time develop wrinkles, changes in texture, pigmentation or loss of radiance.

And not all of these signs respond to exactly the same mechanisms.

That is why it does not make much sense to expect one ingredient — or one cream — to solve everything that happens to our skin as it ages.

This is where one combination can make sense: Cell Reversa + Royal Bakuchiol.

Not because “more actives” automatically means “better results”, but because they allow us to address complementary areas of skin ageing.

Royal Bakuchiol Perfecting Serum combines 1.5% bakuchiol with 5% niacinamide.

Bakuchiol has research supporting its use for different signs associated with photoageing, while niacinamide is a multifunctional ingredient of particular interest for its relationship with skin barrier function, tone uniformity and other parameters associated with overall skin quality.

Cell Reversa, meanwhile, focuses its formulation particularly on regeneration, firmness, elasticity and extracellular matrix, combining Centella Reversa™ with biomimetic peptides.

They are not two formulas trying to do exactly the same thing.

And that is precisely why they can make sense as complementary treatments when skin has multiple needs.

→ If you want to learn more about this ingredient, read 5 benefits of bakuchiol in skincare.

Can skin firmness be restored?

It is worth adjusting expectations.

A cosmetic can improve certain parameters related to firmness, elasticity and the overall appearance of the skin.

But it cannot stop ageing or completely return dermal architecture to the state it had decades ago.

And that probably should not be the promise either.

A sensible strategy combines photoprotection, skin barrier care and cosmetic technologies supported by evidence, chosen according to the real needs of each skin.

Because caring for how we age makes much more sense than promising that we will not.

And when skin has multiple needs, it can also make sense to combine treatments that work through different mechanisms.

A strategy combining Cell Reversa and Royal Bakuchiol, for example, can address regeneration, firmness and elasticity alongside other signs associated with ageing and photoageing, such as wrinkles, texture and uneven tone.

Because firm skin does not depend on one single ingredient. And a well-built ageing strategy should not either.

About the author

Pharmacist and co-founder of UMOA Cosmetics, Mafalda Soto has more than 15 years of experience researching and caring for one of the most delicate skin types in the world: the skin of people with albinism. Her career is closely linked to the health and inclusion of people with albinism in Africa, where she founded Beyond Suncare, recognised by the United Nations as a “Best Practice”.

At UMOA, she promotes effective, respectful and purpose-driven skincare: science, empathy and real impact.

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