Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but natural enzymes in your body are constantly breaking down collagen. There's also a whole of host of environmental and lifestyle factors -- UV exposure, pollution, smoking -- that accelerate that breakdown. As the collagen degrades, you end up with wrinkles. Luckily, your body is simultaneously producing new collagen, and the right topicals and treatments can help stimulate this production and/or preserve the collagen that's already there, points out MacGregor. Without further ado, these are the seven standouts that can help.

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Retinoids, a class of vitamin-A derivatives, easily get the gold star for their tried-and-true anti-aging benefits. "Topical retinoids have the strongest and best evidence for slowing down collagen breakdown in many different ways," says MacGregor. And as if that weren't enough, they also stimulate the production of new collagen, she adds. Since the potent ingredient does have some potentially irritating side-effects (redness, dryness, flaking), be sure to apply only a pea-size drop of any retinoid-containing product on your entire face. You can also try using it every other night to help minimize irritation. FYI, the "night" part is important; the sun inactivates the ingredient, so reserve these products solely for your evening regimen.

One to try: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, $24.99

"Peptides are the individual building blocks that link up to create protein," explains MacGregor. As you recall, collagen is a protein, so, in theory, more peptides equal more collagen. There's no shortage of different types of peptides out there, all of which do have varying degrees of efficacy, MacGregor notes. Still, the nice thing is that they're relatively well-tolerated in almost all skin types, and, unlike retinoids, are safe to use during pregnancy (though of course check with your doctor).

The BareMinerals Ageless Genius Firming & Wrinkle Smoothing Serum, $60, touts an anti-aging peptide, antioxidants, and beech bud extract, also known for its collagen supporting properties.

You probably pop it whenever you feel a cold coming on, but turns out vitamin C can ward off wrinkles, too. The major multi-tasker works to protect collagen a few different ways: "Not only is it a co-factor for the enzymes that directly produce new collagen, it also helps block UV-induced collagen breakdown," says MacGregor. Plus, it's a powerful antioxidant that counteracts free radical-induced inflammation, which is known to damage collagen, she adds. Get in the habit of layering a vitamin C-based serum under your sunscreen every morning.

Our current fave: Image Skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum, $60. And don't just apply your vitamin C, eat it, too! Studies have shown that ingesting the vitamin also has collagen-boosting effects, so load up on fruits and veggies like kiwi, red peppers, and Brussels sprouts.

As the saying goes, the best offense is a good defense. OBVIOUSLY you should be wearing sunscreen daily (a broad-spectrum with at least SPF 30, please) to help shield skin from the damaging UV rays that speed up collagen breakdown. But even if your sunscreen application is textbook perfection, the truth is your skin is still going to be exposed to some amount of sun and pollutants, which will create free radicals. That's when antioxidants come in, acting like little Pac-Men to scavenger up these skin-damaging bad boys.

Per our point about vitamin C above, you can definitely layer an antioxidant product underneath your sunscreen, or, find one product that contains both, like La Roche-Posay Anthelios AOX Daily Antioxidant Serum with Sunscreen SPF 50, $42.50.