The search for an effective and natural anti-aging product that promises to turn back the clock is one that women across the country will be familiar with. It can be a challenge to find something that works, but there is a new skincare fix which has been causing waves in the industry – collagen . This occurs naturally in the human body, but after a certain age, we stop producing as much as we did when we were young, and we may need to replenish our levels of this vital protein with supplements and skincare for healthy skin. However, from fish collagen to bovine collagen (and even vegetarian collagen), there are a lot of options out there and it can be hard to know what is the best collagen supplement for you. So with that in mind, we’ve created the ultimate guide to help you know what collagen is, what the benefits of collagen are, how to use it and how to find the best collagen product for you to achieve your best ever skin.
What are the benefits of collagen supplements?
Collagen is responsible for skin elasticity, and plays an important role in joint and bone health and connective tissue. Collagen itself is a protein consisting of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that is found all over the body, including in the structure of the skin and blood vessels. Seventy percent of your skin is made from collagen, which is the main component of the dermis. Yet sadly, from the age of 21, the body’s production of new collagen starts to decrease, with existing collagen beginning to break down. This can lead to signs of ageing, such as wrinkles and fine lines, and a loss of elasticity and radiance, but there are ways to combat this.
Easy ways to boost your collagen formation levels include staying hydrated, having regular facial massages to stimulate collagen production, or you could also try cutting out excess sugar as this causes inflammation in the body which produces enzymes that break down collagen. Some foods contain collagen, but to gain collagen’s skin benefits, it may be worth looking into supplements and skincare to increase your intake and help improve your skin health and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Upping your intake with a collagen supplement could also lead to other body benefits, such as less joint pain and promoting muscle mass and growth, which is important in later life. Some research suggests that collagen can support gut health too, decreasing your risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome.
Can collagen supplements really give you better skin?
Collagen is vital for your skin’s structure, but according to PubMed Central , you can lose up to one percent of your body’s collagen per year. And it’s not just this natural process that causes a lack of collagen or a collagen breakdown. Other factors, including your diet, smoking, drinking alcohol and too much sun exposure can all lead to lower levels of your body’s collagen, too. This all may sound worrying, but you can boost your body’s collagen level production yourself and improve your skin health by taking supplements, as well as improving your diet, avoiding alcohol and smoking and seeking shade and covering up on sunny days. There are also skincare products available that are designed to help plump the appearance of skin and reduce the appearance of aging.
There are 28 different types of collagen, but if you’re looking to improve your skin’s appearance, type I is the best. This is because it’s the most abundant type in our skin (in fact, 90 percent of the collagen in our bodies is type I), and is the one that needs replenishing in order to reverse the effects of ageing, such as fine lines and wrinkles, so keep an eye out for that when you’re looking for supplements and powders. If, on the other hand, you’re more concerned about improving your overall joint and bone health, choose collagen supplements containing type II collagen, as this is one of the main proteins in cartilage and will help to increase the levels in your body.
Still wondering if it’ll work for you? There is a lot of research into the effects of collagen on the appearance of skin. For example, a small study, published in PubMed , found that supplementation with collagen peptides for eight weeks significantly improved skin hydration and increased collagen density in the skin. Another study, also published in PubMed , revealed that daily oral supplementation with fish collagen resulted in a significant improvement in skin elasticity (based on subjective participant reports as well as objective analysis of skin biopsies).
Collagen for hair growth and nails
Collagen may be a bit of a wonder ingredient when it comes to boosting your skin’s appearance and improving your overall joint and bone health, but what about your hair and nails? The answer is that collagen may help to boost your hair health, and although it’s not been proven absolutely that it can improve hair growth, it certainly provides many benefits. Firstly, collagen is rich in the amino acids that your body needs to create keratin, which is what hair is made from. Collagen also helps to fight damage to hair follicles, it may prevent hair thinning and hair loss associated with aging and it may slow greying.
Meanwhile, supplementing with collagen may help to increase the strength of your nails by preventing brittleness, so they’ll be less likely to break, and may stimulate them to grow longer, too.
How long does it take for collagen supplements to work?
Most collagen supplements will take around 30 days to have an effect, so it’s definitely a time investment and you can’t expect to see results immediately. As well as that, you will have to continue supplementing collagen on a long-term basis, or you’ll lose the impact that it’s had on your complexion and body, so that’s something else to bear in mind before you decide to add it to your diet.
What types of collagen supplements are there?
There are a wide variety of collagen supplements available, from collagen for hair to collagen protein powder. Here are some of our favourites…
What are the best collagen drinks and powders?
Looking for liquid collagen? Skinade , an ingestible collagen drink, is made with hydrolysed marine collagen peptides, sustainably-sourced from fresh water fish, and is one of the best marine collagen products on the market. If you’d prefer a marine collagen powder, you could try Rejuvenated Collagen Shots . Wondering about collagen powder benefits and how they would work for you? Rejuvenated Collagen Shots’ reviews are high on websites such as Cult Beauty . If you’re worried about the taste (the thought of fish may understandably put you off), you’re in luck as Bare Biology Collagen has you covered. Its Skinful Marine Collagen Plus Vitamin C is available in a delicious strawberry flavour and provides an impressive 4,354mg type I marine collagen peptides and 50mg Vitamin C per serving.
Although ingestible collagen drinks and collagen powder may be more easily absorbed than other types of collagen supplements, there are also marine collagen tablets available, which can be more convenient to take than a powder or drink, particularly when you’re on the go. Popular choices include Holland & Barrett’s Marine Collagen with Vitamin C and Healthspan’s Marine Collagen . If you’re looking for a daily lift, you could try Bioglan Collagen, which has many varieties, including its popular Beauty Collagen Gummies . These are even simpler to take than the drinks, powders and tablets, as they require no water, they’re easier to swallow, and they’re available in a delicious strawberry flavour.
Marine collagen benefits over bovine (cow) collagen include the fact that it has superior bioavailability, meaning that the body is better able to absorb and use it. As well as that, marine collagen may have less of an impact on the environment than bovine collagen, and marine collagen is suitable for those following a pescetarian diet.
Collagen peptides
Collagen peptides are very small pieces of collagen, which makes it highly absorbable. If you’re interested in trying them for yourself, Youtheory’s collagen peptide formula is suitable for boosting collagen levels in your skin, hair and nails, boasting 6,000mg of hydrolyzed collagen per serving.
Collagen coffee
Yes, you read that right! You really can buy collagen coffee, which can make it even easier to up your intake. Bulk’s Collagen Coffee Black contains 18g of protein and 100mg caffeine per cup, while Ancient + Brave’s Coffee + Collagen contains 2,000mg grass-fed bovine type 1 collagen peptides in every serving, as well as fibre and nootropic natural caffeine and ashwagandha for energy, focus and performance. More of a tea person? You can try SkinTe’s Sparkling Collagen Tea , which is available in a variety of flavours, including Green Tea and Grapefruit and White Tea and Ginger and contains 3,000mg of collagen. That said, there is some debate on the efficacy of consuming collagen in this way. Collagen breaks apart at temperatures that are higher than body temperature (around 37 degrees Celsius), so mixing it into hot water may reduce its benefits.
Somewhat unbelievably, you can even buy gin containing collagen. Collagin , as it’s called, is available in three different varieties: Original, Lavender & Elderflower and Collagin Rose, and features a dose of bovine collagen in every glass. That’s certainly one original way to up your collagen intake!
Vegetarian collagen
After all this talk of bovine and marine collagen, those of you following a vegan or vegetarian diet may be worried that there are no collagen options available for you. Happily, this isn’t the case. While it is true that it’s easier for meat eaters to consume collagen in their diets, there are lots of plant-based collagen supplements on the market for you to choose from. Some vegetarian collagen supplements, such as these ones from Holland & Barrett, use egg shell as their source of collagen. There are vegan supplements too, such as the WeightWorld Vegan Collagen Advance supplements , which contain vitamin C to help boost the body’s production of collagen.
This of course doesn’t feature any actual collagen though, so are there any truly vegan sources of collagen? New research , published in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology , suggests that collagen can now be made by using genetically modified yeast and bacteria. The researchers found that the bacteria P. pastoris is the most effective. While it’s not yet available on the market, it’s certainly an exciting development. In the meantime, as a vegan, you can give yourself a collagen boost by eating foods that are high in amino acids, such as tofu, kidney beans and various nuts and seeds.
Collagen in skincare
While you can increase your intake of collagen through oral collagen supplementation, you can also boost your skin’s levels through your skincare regime. The first step to improving your skin’s levels of collagen is to wear a high SPF every day, even in winter. This protects your complexion from the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays that can have a huge impact on your body’s levels of collagen production. Not applying sunscreen can actually mean that your other skincare products have less of an effect.
Be wary of products such as collagen cream and serum that claim big dermatological benefits, because in actual fact they aren’t going to be absorbed by your skin, as each collagen molecule is too big. This means that they won’t have an impact on your skin’s collagen levels and production. That said, other skincare ingredients can signal to your body to boost collagen production , including retinol (vitamin A) and vitamin C. Here at Natural Health , we like Balance Me’s Intensive Wrinkle Repair Cream , which features spilanthes acmella to strengthen collagen and elastin fibres and antioxidant-rich blackberry leaf to boost collagen and protect against premature ageing, or ARK Skincare Age Defy Nourishing Moisturiser , a hydrating peptide moisturiser formulated for mature skin, featuring hyaluronic acid.
Your skin needs vitamin C to help collagen synthesis, so try REN Skincare’s Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream , which is a light moisturiser designed to restore luminosity and hydration to the skin, or Tropic’s Glow Berry Brightening Serum , which will even out skin tone and add a glow to your complexion. Add retinol to your skincare routine with BYBI’s Bakuchiol Booster , a 100 percent natural, vegan-friendly alternative to retinol. A night-time booster to supplement your existing skincare products, this product from BYBI stimulates collagen production and improves the texture of your skin without irritating it.
How else can you boost your collagen levels?
Although there are a lot of ways to supplement collagen through your diet and skincare routine, they may not be suitable for your lifestyle right now, for whatever reason. But you don’t need to panic, as there are plenty of options for gaining the benefits of collagen without a trip to Boots or Holland & Barrett! As well as certain natural collagen boosters , such as getting more sleep, using aloe vera and trying products containing seaweed, you’ll be pleased to know that many foods that you would normally eat day-to-day are high in collagen. Give your skin a boost by adding these collagen-boosting foods to your plate.
Bone broth
“Currently on trend, bone broth is a must to increase glowing skin,” says nutritional therapist Alison Orr . “It is high in collagen, a protein naturally found in the skin which helps maintain elasticity and prevent wrinkles, production of which decreases with age. You’ll also find gelatine in there which helps to keep skin firm, and glutamine, an essential amino acid that helps to support the renewal of muscle fibres and skin cells. Bone broth is full of highly bioavailable minerals such as magnesium and calcium too, meaning they can be absorbed and utilised easily by the body.” Want to make some of the most collagen rich foods for yourself? Simply save the bones from your next roast dinner, or buy some from your local butcher (you can use anything from chicken to beef) and simmer them in water for at least 10-12 hours. Add some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the mixture to extract the most collagen, and then strain. You can then use the broth as a stock to add to soups, and you can easily freeze it in portions so it will keep for a long time.
Vitamin C
There is a link between collagen and vitamin C levels, so it’s wise to increase your intake of this essential vitamin. “Many of us are deficient in vitamin C,” says hormone health specialist Dr Alyssa Burns-Hill . “It is involved in collagen production, protects against oxidative damage, and supports the functioning of our nervous and immune systems. Maintaining good levels can really help to ensure better adrenal support, which in turn boosts your ability to deal with stress.” While we all think of oranges as being the pinnacle of vitamin C content, in actual fact foods such as cauliflower and kiwi contain more! Other foods to add to your diet to increase your levels of vitamin C include Brussels sprouts, spinach and tomatoes.
Vitamins B and E
We all hate hearing it sometimes, but your diet affects everything, including your skin. Eating foods containing antioxidants like vitamins B and E is wonderful for your skin, because they help to prevent free radicals from breaking down your skin’s collagen and elastin. Having enough protein is also important, as it’s something we have less of as we age. So what should you eat to increase your intake of these vitamins? Meat, seafood, eggs, dairy products, legumes, leafy greens and fortified foods are all good sources of vitamin B, while vitamin E can be found in foods such as mango, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin, asparagus and red bell peppers.
What other foods are high in collagen or can boost collagen levels?
“Collagen is a structural protein within the skin and is essential if you’re yearning for naturally glowing skin,” says clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer . Poultry and eggs are the best foods to encourage collagen production, according to Suzie. “Additionally, avocados are rich in vitamin E and berries – specifically strawberries, which are full of alpha hydroxy acid, which helps to get rid of dead skin cells, boost collagen, reduce wrinkles, and lighten skin tone,” says nutritionist Dr Vijay Murthy.
