Collagen supplements are one of the more controversial tools within the beauty and wellness worlds. In the search for effective ways to help boost vitality, the suggestion of simply sipping a drink, chewing a gummy or popping a powder into your smoothie sounds tempting, but we all want to know whether ingestible collagen can really boost beauty from the inside-out.

Here, experts answer the key questions around collagen supplements and discuss whether or not you'd benefit from incorporating them into your wellness regime.

What is collagen?

"Collagen is a multi-functioning protein in the human body and the building block of the skin," explains consultant dermatologist Dr Alia Ahmed. "It plays a major role in the skin's structure, providing its elasticity, hydration, and strength." As collagen is what keeps our skin from sagging, it in turn dictates how smooth and plump it looks.

Do we need to supplement our natural collagen levels?

Our collagen levels deplete as we age, and especially for women once entering the menopause, which leads to the lack of firmness seen in mature skin.

"Our natural collagen production slows down from our early 20s by 1-to-1.5 per cent every year and by age 50, most individuals will have lost about half of the collagen in their skin," reveals the plastic surgeon Dr Paul Banwell. "This can lead to sagging, thinning and wrinkles," he confirms.

Collagen depletion, however, does not happen at the same rate for everyone. "The rate will depend on various lifestyle factors, such as diet, sun exposure, sleep and stress levels plus genetics and hormones," Daisy Whitbread, a nutritionist specialising in anti-ageing and beauty, explains.

That means wearing daily sunscreen and limiting your time in the sun, as well as having a healthy, balanced lifestyle, can help protect against prematurely dropping collagen levels. However, such actions are unable to reversethe process.

How do collagen supplements work?

Enter collagen supplements, which are designed to help 'top up' your natural collagen levels, potentially minimising the effects of collagen depletion.

Crucially, though, it's key to understand that collagen supplements do not add the collagen peptides you ingest directly to the dermis, “but rather the collagen peptides act as a feedback mechanism to trigger your own natural collagen production,” explains Dr Banwell.

“It’s believed that the presence of the collagen fragments sends false signals to the body, indicating that collagen destruction has occurred. This stimulates the collagen-producing cells, called fibroblasts, to produce more of your own natural collagen,” says Whitbread. “The formulation of elastin (which gives skin elasticity) and hyaluronic acid (for hydration) are also stimulated.”

The result, arguably, is an increase in your body's collagen levels, which in turn means a healthier, firmer complexion over time.

Isn't collagen too large to be absorbed into the bloodstream?

“Collagen molecules are indeed too large to be absorbed into the bloodstream, but the collagen in specialist drinks and other supplement formulations is mostly hydrolysed,” explains Tariq Karim, doctoral research fellow at Santi London, who works with Skinade. This means that the collagen molecules have been broken into smaller pieces, called peptides, which have a very low molecular weight, making them more easily absorbed in the gut.

What is the difference between the varying types of collagen supplements?

Dr Ahmed explains: “When looking at oral collagen supplementation, it’s important to look at the collagen source (whether it's marine or bovine), the type (hydrolysed, dipeptide, or tripeptide), the dose per day, and delivery (capsule or liquid form) when making your choice. This all determines its efficacy – type 1 hydrolysed marine collagen has been scientifically proven to be the most bioavailable to the body.”

She recommends Revive Collagen which includes some of the highest doses of type 1 liquid marine collagen available. "Their products include from 8,500 – 10,000mg of marine collagen as well as added ingredients, including essential vitamins and aloe vera – an anti-inflammatory”.

What is the ideal daily dose of collagen via supplements?

To enjoy the other health benefits of collagen – which in addition to boosted skin are said to include enhanced hair and nail growth, reduction of bone loss, improved heart health, increased muscle mass, and reduced joint pain – studies recommend that adults consume between 2.5 to 15 grams of collagen per day.

Is there clinical research behind collagen supplements?

There is, as Dr Ahmed refers to above. Although some are often the result of clinical research conducted via the brands themselves – which is not necessarily a problem, but know that there is a big difference between consumer testing and clinical data, explains Dr Sophie Shotter – skin and aesthetics expert, and founder of Illuminate Skin Clinic. “A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study is the top tier of data,” she says, “which should ideally be published in a peer-reviewed publication”.

In this vein, “one randomised, double-blind placebo study showed that after eight weeks of taking collagen, participants experienced increased skin moisture, and after 12 weeks saw decreased collagen disintegration,” registered nutritionist Clarissa Lenherr tells us here. Dr Banwell adds that: “In two independent clinical studies, it been proven that the type of collagen peptides used in Skinade are absorbed into the bloodstream and in a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled case study, participants saw an increase in collagen density, skin hydration and skin elasticity after drinking Skinade for 90 days, compared to a control group.” Meanwhile, Dr Shotter recommends Absolute Collagen which is said to have conducted the most robust research on a collagen supplement ever. During their gold-standard clinical trial on Absolute Collagen, 100 per cent of participants experienced improvements in clinical measures of skin quality, and upwards of 60 per cent reported smoother, thicker, and glossier hair.

When should I start taking collagen supplements?

"As with most things in life, a preventative approach is best, so the earlier you start taking collagen supplements the better. I would recommend starting in your late 20s to early 30s to get the best results," states Whitbread.

"It’s dependent on what your own objectives are and your lifestyle, but generally taking the drinks in your 30s would be beneficial both in terms of enhancement and prevention," Karim concurs.

Is ingestible collagen suitable for everyone?

A lot of collagen drinks are not vegetarian or vegan, because "collagen is mainly derived from either fish [marine collagen] or pigs [bovine collagen]", explains Karim. "It is often not very clear which types of collagen are used in different products and what their origin is – you often have to refer to the small print to find out," adds Dr Banwell.

However, there are vegan alternatives, such as the SkinGlo Vegan Collagen Support which we recommend as it was proven to work better than non-vegan alternatives in a test. Renowned clinic Santi London conducted a three month trial of 34 people split into three: one cohort taking this, another taking marine collagen, and a control group. Using the innovative Templar Skin Lab, participants had their collagen levels measured using ultrasound technology with the group taking the vegan supplement reporting a 16 per cent increase, while those taking the marine collagen exhibiting a 14 per cent increase in collagen score.

Some collagen supplements are safe for use in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, though it is formulation dependant – and therefore important to check with each individual brand and a health practitioner if you're unsure.

How can you tell if collagen supplements really work?

Reading up on successful trials featuring your chosen supplement is one thing, but knowing whether they're having the same effects on you personally is another. This is where technology like Santi London's Templar Skin Lab can provide invaluable insight.

Offering a skin MOT, the advanced tech uses seven different parameters to provide a range of data relating to different aspects of your skin’s health, one of which being your collagen levels. Periodic checks can help assess the efficacy of any supplements, or collagen stimulating treatments you may be investing in.

Will focusing on a healthy diet work better than supplementation?

“To be clear, collagen supplements are not a replacement for a healthy and balanced lifestyle,” cautions Dr Banwell. “However, a healthy lifestyle does not prevent collagen loss, so it is really two different things. Collagen drinks are designed to trigger a physiological response in the body, irrelevant of lifestyle. It’s a bit like asking if a healthy lifestyle means you don’t need to wear SPF. Of course you do and must! The functionality of collagen supplements cannot be achieved by what you eat.”

As Dr Shotter puts it, “the more we top up” our collagen stores, “the better our skin will age”.

In her opinion, the best results always come from “a multimodal approach”, using a combination of topical and ingestible products alongside professional treatments, such as in-clinic methods designed for collagen stimulation.

Here discover more ways to stimulate collagen production with Dr Shotter’s – and other experts’ – tips.

The best collagen supplements

Absolute Collagen Marine Liquid Collagen

In the largest double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of hydrolysed collagen supplements ever done, Absolute Collagen (containing 8000mg of hydrolysed marine collagen) was found to improve participant's skin evenness, including the appearance of lines and wrinkles, by 100 per cent.

Skinade Collagen Drink

Multi-award winning, Skinade has been proven to deliver an increase in collagen density, skin hydration and skin elasticity after 90 days. The one-a-day drink contains 7,000mg of high-grade collagen from freshwater fish, alongside no artificial flavours or colourings.

Vida Glow Liquid Advance supplements

Vida Glow extensively invest in research to substantiate their claims, including independent clinical trials conducted by dermatologists, and randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trials which demonstrate the marine collagen's effectiveness at smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, increasing skin firmness and enhancing skin elasticity.

Revive Collagen Vegan Collagen Premium Liquid Supplement

Billed as the world's first clinically proven liquid vegan supplement, this formula identically mimics human type 1 collagen. Backed by over 70 independent clinical studies and trials, 80 per cent of users experienced improvements to their skin, with a reduction in wrinkles by 13 per cent and an increase in collagen density of 4.6 per cent seen in just four weeks.

InGenious Beauty Ultimate Collagen+

In 2019 InGenious underwent double-blind and placebo-controlled testing for an independent trial carried out on 116 women. The results were impressive, with 98 per cent of the group experiencing a significant improvement to the quality of their skin in at least one of the clinical measurements (fine lines and wrinkles, facial appearance, skin hydration and skin elasticity). InGenious comes in capsule form making it ideal for those who don't like flavoured ingestibles.

SkinGlo Vegan Collagen Support

In Santi London's three month trial, 34 people were split into three cohorts: one taking SkinGlo Vegan Collagen Support, another taking marine collagen, and a control group. The participants had their collagen levels measured using ultrasound technology before and afterwards, with the group taking this vegan supplement reporting a 16 per cent increase, while those taking the marine collagen exhibited a 14 per cent increase in collagen score.