Vitamin C gets all the credit for collagen, and fairly so: it makes the collagen. But that's only half the story. Fresh collagen is still soft, and only becomes firm, strong tissue once copper links it together, a second step that's rarely mentioned and needs a completely different nutrient. Two steps, two nutrients, and your skin, hair, and nails rely on both.

How the mechanism works

Vitamin C builds the strands

Vitamin C activates two enzymes, prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase, which chemically modify the amino acids in collagen so they can fold into collagen's signature triple-helix structure. Research shows that vitamin C also directly activates the genes responsible for collagen production, and that a deficiency leads to declining collagen synthesis within just two weeks.

Copper ties them together

Loose collagen strands only become strong once they're linked together, and that job belongs to copper, not vitamin C. Copper is the cofactor for the enzyme lysyl oxidase, which forms the covalent crosslinks between collagen fibers that give them tensile strength. A useful comparison from the literature: vitamin C builds the individual collagen ropes, copper ties them together into a cable. Research into the enzyme's structure confirms that without the copper atom at the active site of lysyl oxidase, crosslink formation simply doesn't proceed.

Zinc plays a third role

Zinc contributes during tissue repair by regulating how collagen gets deposited into the extracellular matrix, and by stimulating cell migration to repair sites. Three nutrients, three different steps in the same process.

Why this matters for skin, hair, and nails

Skin, hair, and nails share the same building blocks: collagen for structure and elasticity, keratin (rich in sulphur-containing amino acids like cysteine) for strength. That's why this formula contains not just vitamin C, copper, and zinc, but also L-cysteine and MSM, a sulphur source involved in keratin formation, alongside bamboo silica, traditionally associated with connective tissue strength.

What's in Keanto Skin & Hair

Alongside vitamin C, copper (bisglycinate), and zinc (citrate), the formula contains biotin, folic acid, selenium, bamboo silica, grape seed extract, nettle root extract, L-cysteine, L-lysine, L-arginine, and MSM.

Structure from within, not just shine from without.

This information is provided as general background and is not a medical claim. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied diet.

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Sources

• Does Vitamin C Make Collagen? What the Science Says (2026). ScienceInsights. Read
• Copper, lysyl oxidase and extracellular matrix protein cross-linking. ScienceDirect. Read
• Copper and the synthesis of elastin and collagen. PubMed. Read

Note: the underlying enzyme mechanism (vitamin C and copper as cofactors) is well established biochemically. Most research into visible skin and hair effects of supplements is still limited in scale; individual results may vary.