When I first started to see collagen pills and powders coming across my desk about a year ago, I thought, This is total beauty BS. But the collagen supplements didn't stop coming, and then the trend hit the mainstream. Now some of my friends are stirring collagen supplements into their coffee and smoothies. That’s when I decided to do a little more digging to see if drinking collagen can really give you younger-looking, firmer skin. Turns out, my first reaction wasn't so off the mark.
As a beauty editor, I know that collagen is an important building block of healthy skin. “Collagen is the main structural protein in the skin, giving it strength and shape,” says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital. “Collagen is like the frame of your mattress, while elastin is the springs and hyaluronic acid is the padding.” Like most things in the skin, collagen diminishes as we age, which is why skin can start to droop and sag. Around age 30, natural collagen production starts to slow down. I can totally understand why some people are pouring the powders in order to stop this from happening. But, in general, beauty supplements don’t live up to the hype, so I wasn't confident these would, either.
“Supplements are the Wild West,” says Dendy Engelman, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC. “They are not well regulated, so you can pretty much claim a lot of things that aren’t substantiated in science or in proof.” Why would these collagen supplements—drinks that cost $11 to $30 per bottle or pills and powders that can run up to $50—be different?
Dr. Zeichner thinks they're not. He guesses that while they could offer some marginal (and indirect) help, the collagen you're eating or drinking is almost definitely not getting to your skin. “Collagen is broken down into amino acids in your GI tract after being ingested,” he tells SELF. “It is unlikely that any whole collagen makes it to your bloodstream. However, amino acids may, and they serve as the building blocks for healthy skin cell functioning. So, ingestible collagen may provide an indirect benefit to the skin.”
There is evidence that chains of amino acids can make it to the bloodstream after ingesting collagen, if the ingredient is in a form that can be broken down and absorbed by your body. But that doesn't mean they make it from there to your skin. Zhaoping Li, M.D., director and division chief at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, doesn't think it's particularly likely that your skin is going to be getting much help. She explains that the amino acids derived from breaking down ingested collagen (like any other protein you might eat) are distributed throughout the body based on which area needs them the most. Major muscles like the heart, diaphragm, and brain are the first on the list since they are necessary to function. Skin is a much lower priority. “If you have a deficiency, then your skin will get it,” says Dr. Li. “If you don’t have a deficiency, then your skin won’t get it.” And chances are that if you eat a decently healthy diet, you don't have a deficiency, even if your skin is significantly less plump than it used to be.
Dr. Li says elderly patients may be deficient in collagen and therefore see some benefit from ingestible supplements. “A lot of elderly don’t take adequate protein,” she says. “Supplements of collagen are beneficial overall and will stop [them] from losing muscle and connective tissue under skin.”
Dr. Engelman does recommend collagen supplements to her patients regularly, especially to her elderly patients that have a lot of bruising and purple splotches on the skin. “I recommend them to my patients who are old and prone to bruising because the skin is so thin,” she says. “You’re not going to prescribe expensive serums and retinoids for them to put on from head to toe, so that’s a great way to build collagen all over and help for overall skin health.”
Research has shown skin improvements from products containing collagen, but “it is unclear whether it is the collagen component, or any other ingredient, like an antioxidant, in the supplement that explains the benefit,” Dr. Zeichner says. Keep in mind that, like any dietary supplement, ingestible collagen products are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so the quality and safety of these supplements may vary.
Since supplements aren’t hugely effective unless your collagen supply is already low, it’s better to take preventive action with topical products. But note: Creams and serums that claim to include collagen are not very useful. “The collagen molecule in topical form is very big, so it’s hard to be absorbed through the epidermis and get to the dermis where it needs to live,” says Dr. Engelman.
Instead, look for products that can protect the collagen you have from breaking down or help your cells create more collagen naturally. “Daily sunscreen protects collagen to keep the skin foundation as strong as possible, and topical antioxidants are like fire extinguishers that put out inflammation that cause damage to collagen,” says Dr. Zeichner.
Retinol can help support collagen production. “Vitamin A derivatives like retinol and retinoids send nuclear signaling to the cell that up-regulate the formation of collagen,” says Dr. Engelman. “It’s like kicking the hamster wheel saying, ‘Hey, you need to work harder and make more collagen for us.’”
The takeaway: Sipping on collagen supplements daily isn't a reliable route to better skin. You’re better off using sunscreen and retinol on a regular basis.
