The Benefits of Drinking Collagen Everyday | Vogue

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The promised benefits of drinking collagen beauty ampoules include firmer, hydrated skin, so naturally I was intrigued. After all, it’s no secret that I’m a fan of supplements. As a beauty editor, I often get to try capsules, potions, and powders—and I love beauty products that work both inside and out. But up until recently, collagen drink ampoules were something I had yet to try.

Although I’m in my mid-twenties and don’t have many wrinkles, the promise of plumper, radiant, and more hydrated skin caught my attention. So, I researched the best collagen products and decided to test products from the German beauty company Elasten. “Thanks to its remarkable swelling capacity, collagen is excellent at storing moisture, which in turn plumps up, smoothes and firms the skin from the inside,” the notes on the Elasten website explained about the benefits of drinking collagen. “Sunlight, smoking, hormonal changes and diet can all affect the body’s collagen balance. In addition, collagen production slows down from the age of 25 and continues to decline over the course of life.” Okay, sold—sign me up!

Here’s what I discovered about the benefits of drinking collagen after three months.

Because the skin renews itself approximately every 28 days, it takes at least that long to see the first results. The collagen preparation I chose is based on bovine collagen and is meant to be taken daily with (or after) breakfast. Since I usually have breakfast at the office, I found the individually-packaged shots practical—I always had one on me and never missed a morning collagen shot.

The shots contain a cocktail of collagen peptides, vitamins, zinc, and acerola fruit extract. Contrary to my expectations, the flavor was not at all gamey or animal-like, but rather fruity-sweet.

After one month, I actually felt that my otherwise very dry skin needed less extra moisture than usual. While I normally use a toner, a hyaluronic acid serum, and a moisturizer, I found that I only needed the serum and I started applying my sunscreen without moisturizer. After the full three months, I actually found that my skin looked a little plumper and I noticed that my fingernails were breaking less—an effect that Elasten also promises.

I generally have a healthy lifestyle; I try to eat well, exercise, and drink at least two liters of water a day—all of which are meant to naturally contribute to healthy blood circulation in the skin and boost collagen synthesis. Still, I have definitely noticed a difference in my skin’s radiance since I’ve been taking the supplement.

The collagen drink that I tested is based on the [HC] Collagen Complex®, which has been tested in clinical studies.. The collagen peptide from bovine collagen contained in the product is very similar to human collagen. The bioavailability of bovine collagen is generally considered to be particularly good, but if you don’t eat meat and want to avoid consuming mammal-derived collagen, there are marine preparations available. The collagen peptides produced from these contain an amino acid profile that provides ideal nourishment for human collagen synthesis at night. However, the science on marine collagen is not as deeply researched as other forms of collagen, but it is very promising. In fact, some science suggests that marine collagen could be even more beneficial for skin than land-mammal collagen.

“It is evident that marine collagen sources are significantly more advantageous than land animal sources,” one recent scientific review found after analyzing several studies. “The ability of marine collagen to promote skin re-epithelization, vascularization, fibroblast migration, and overall faster wound healing rates has been demonstrated. Furthermore, the anti-aging effects of marine collagen related to greater skin elasticity and wrinkle reduction are highly promising for the cosmetic industry…Therefore, there should be continued investigation and discoveries of marine collagen sources, as they have thus far proven extremely beneficial.”

If my initial three-month self-test is any proof, it seems the the benefits of drinking collagen—bovine or otherwise —should not be ignored.

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