Consuming Collagen - What Are the Actual Effects on Skin?

Consuming Collagen - What Are the Actual Effects on Skin?

There are a myriad of grandiose claims in the skincare world - marketers can pretty much say anything in order to entice you to buy their products. While some have the scientific grounding to market such claims, unfortunately, more often than not, these claims can mislead consumers from the truth.

At The Dermal Diary, we're all about cutting through the noise within the industry to provide consumers education that empowers them to make wiser purchasing decisions.

Our target today is the widely touted skincare trend on the market right now that's making billions - collagen supplements.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a protein that supplies the skin with elasticity and strength. As we age, collagen production slows down due to various factors such as sun exposure and stress levels. This can lead to wrinkles and sagging skin by making the skin less supple. To combat this problem, collagen supplements have been introduced into the market. But do these actually work for improving one's skin appearance? Get our (somewhat controversial) stance below...

Are you ready to hear our thoughts?

At The Dermal Diary, we do not endorse the use of collagen supplementation.

Why?

There is simply not enough evidence to support the claims.

Of the thousands of available studies on collagen supplements, there are really only 19 recent high-quality studies conducted on 1,125 human subjects specifically in the field of dermatology. 

One such study was a review in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology on oral collagen supplementation, which found preliminary results confirming collagen supplements increased skin elasticity, collagen density and overall hydration.

While the potential for this supplement is exciting - there needs to be a lot more evidence to support the effectiveness for the skin as 19 studies on 1,125 participants is not enough to medically back the lofty claims these companies are making.

So what does this mean for collagen and real skin care? There’s also very little conclusive evidence that collagen can be absorbed through the skin as the molecule is too large. It also can't be ingested, as it doesn't go to the fibroblast - which is the only cell that produces collagen and elastin. Its kind of like opening the bonnet of a car and pouring petrol all over the engine but not into the tank.This means that ingested collagen will never reach or influence the fibroblast in a way that stimulates collagen production.

Our Founder Isabella Loneragan appeared as a guest on Sunrise to discuss this very topic - you can watch the full interview here.

We always recommend to our clients that they do their own research before making a skincare investment. Whilst the benefits of collagen are enticing, there's simply not enough scientific evidence to back up its effectiveness at this point in time - so we don't recommend it as an investment for now. Instead, our recommendation for where to spend your money is in high-quality products and bespoke skin treatments from skin therapists who can go deeper than what you can achieve with at home products. 

Book yourself into The Dermal Diary today and see how your skin could be transformed by experts!