Collagen supplements are on a roll right now, from creamers to add to your coffee or liquid to boost your smoothie. However, confusion reigns when it comes to how much is enough and doers it directly benefits the skin? Read on to decide, by Trudi Brewer.
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Collagen supplements are on a roll right now, from creamers to add to your coffee or liquid to boost your smoothie. How much is enough? We looked into it for you. The claims are marvellous. Supposedly, you can enjoy younger-looking skin, longer, more robust hair and nails, and pain-free joints when taking collagen supplements daily. But according to top cosmetic medicine doctor Joanna Romanowska from Clinic 42, collagen supplements are not exactly miraculous. We can't control what our bodies do with collagen once we ingest it. Depending on your health status, it could help build muscles, support the keratin in your hair or nails, or go into the connective tissues around muscles or internal organs. When asked if collagen is a hero or a hoax, she believes, “Is it a hero in that it will go straight to your skin and make your face look amazing or the back of your hands appear less lined, no. But is it detrimental? Absolutely not.” She adds, “There are other ways of accessing protein rather than in powder forms, such as eating a high protein diet, including eggs, fish and meat. When asked if collagen supplements are a hero or a hoax, she believes, “Is it a hero in that it will go straight to your skin and make your face look amazing or the back of your hands appear less lined, no. But is it detrimental? Absolutely, not.” She adds, “There are other ways of accessing protein rather than in powder forms, such as eating a high protein diet, including eggs, fish and meat. For anyone who doesn’t have a balanced diet, a collagen or protein powder could be beneficial.”
So what is collagen?
Collagen is a type of protein, and all proteins are made up of tiny molecules called amino acids. When you eat protein, such as eggs, fish or meat, your body breaks it down into individual amino acids or building blocks your body needs to make new protein. Like a glue that holds the connective tissues together, collagen is abundant in the skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, and cartilage. More and more brands are talking about plant-based protein, typically extracted from hemp, soy, and peas, so you do not have to avoid collagen supplements if you are vegan. The team at BeautyEQ team tried and rated a range of collagen supplements to help make your research a little easier. Read on to learn what we found.
Dose & Co Collagen Creamer, $42.
Founded by NZ nutritionist Libby Matthews, Dose & Co collagen supplements are now backed by plenty of cash (owned by the billionaire Mowbray siblings) and a celebrity face. Khloé Kardashian has jumped on board as a shareholder, claiming, "The glow is unlike anything else."
What’s in it?
In terms of the collagen content, Dose & Co's product bats well above many other brands by offering a whopping 10.5 grams per serve, 20-gram serve. Made with bovine collagen, NZ milk powder, vanilla flavour, and monk fruit for sweetness, this collagen supplement is free from gluten, sugar, and GMOs. There are ten flavours and variants, including dairy-free with coconut milk, marine collagen, and vegan plant-based pea protein powders.
How to take it: Use 20g per serve. Our preferred method to take Dose & Co collagen supplements is to add the creamer powder to our coffee. However, all the variants can be added to smoothies, cereal, and baking.
The Beauty Chef COLLAGEN Inner Beauty Boost Supercharged, $50.
Vegans will love this plant-based collagen option. Vitamin C (also our favourite secret ingredient in anti-ageing creams is the main ingredient in this formula, as it is an antioxidant that human bodies use to support natural collagen production. There is no doubt that vegan collagen supplements are effective to an extent, and this one has a generous helping of vitamin C-boosted antioxidants. It is great for helping gut issues and positively affecting the skin - which makes sense when you consider that the gut and the skin are sister organs.
What’s in it?
Fermented papaya fruit juice, blueberry juice concentrate, queen garnet plum puree, goji berry, grape seed extract, zinc and vitamin C. Lactic acid (sour milk), and a fermented flora culture probiotic to feed the good bacteria in your gut.
How to take it: 15mls daily. The berry flavour makes it ideal for drinking water or adding to a smoothie.
Swisse Beauty Collagen Glow Powder, $33.
One of our editor's favourites, this collagen supplement comes in powder form - an iridescent, sparkly formula that adds a little magic to any smoothie, with hydrolysed collagen and a good dose of vitamin C.
What’s in it?
There ‘ 2.5 grams of collagen peptides in each serve, bolstered by vitamins E & C, acai, Himalayan goji, and grape seed. The antioxidant blend in these oral collagen supplements supports skin elasticity and firmness plus helps your body fight free radicals. The formula is free from gluten, yeast, and eggs.
How to take it: Use the enclosed scoop, add one level scoop to water, and drink immediately after a meal. One of our editor’s faves, this sparkly (the iridescent formula) puts the magic in any smoothie with hydrolysed collagen and a good dose of vitamin C.
Adashiko Collagen Pure, $85.
Tasteless, odourless, and potent, these collagen supplements are known as "super collagen" because of their incredibly small molecule size. This pharmaceutical-grade pure, porcine collagen has the smallest molecular weight of 3000 Daltons (molecular mass unit), making it ready to absorb in the bloodstream. Other Adashiko collagen supplements available are Collagen Joint and Collagen Ultra.
What’s in it?
100 per cent pure porcine collagen peptides plus 50mg of vitamin C per serve.
How to take it: One tablespoon or two scoops with the scoop provided in hot or cold drinks, baking we have even served it in a summery mimosa.
Beauty Ceutical Co Collagen Beauty Milk, $50.
Start your day with this creamy, collagen proteins-boosted oat milk in your morning coffee or smoothie. One per cent of collagen supplements sales from Beauty Ceautical Co go to equality and human rights initiatives.
What's in it?
A blend of both, type one and type three bovine collagen peptides with oat milk powder and vanilla bean to add flavour. These collagen supplements contain gluten from oats.
How to take it: one heaped tablespoon or 10 grams of collagen per serve.
DR LEWINN’S MARINE COLLAGEN PEPTIDE POWDER, $60.
First of all, this is by far the most travel-friendly of all the collagen supplements we have tried. This six-gram sachet provides a potent shot for supporting skin health and boosting hair and nail growth.
What's in it?
These collagen supplements are stacked with sustainably sourced hydrolysed marine collagen (3000 grams to be exact), red quinoa extract vitamin C, spinach powder, acerola berry, yeast, and black tea extracts.
How to take it: Blend one sachet with 250ml of water, juice, or a smoothie. As it is berry flavoured, it’s also great sprinkled onto cereal.
If you want to boost your skin health and bone mineral density and ease joint pain, collagen dietary supplements could be what you need. Stay up to date with all our latest beauty and style tips, and subscribe to BeautyEQ today.
For any summer soiree.