Marine collagen powder, collagen dermal filler, collagen beauty shot…in 2018, there are more options than ever of how to replenish the 1% collagen skin loses every year as it ages.
There’s a sea of collagen waters, powders, pills and clinical injectables from different sources – from marine to bovine - to navigate.
Let’s break down the different options for the most vital skin protein of all.
collagen in liquid form typically comes from a marine source
Drink it
Drinkable collagen, as a shot, blended with Vitamin C, or pure collagen in liquid form typically comes from a marine source. Makers promise this collagen is ingested and absorbed by the body and carried to the dermis through blood vessels, to work from within to restore and nourish.
here are some clinical evidence to suggest drinkable collagen may lead to an increase in collagen density and skin firmness.(1)
One study found a noticeable reduction in skin dryness, wrinkles, and nasolabial fold depth, in other words, the brand of drinkable collagen tested actually counteracted signs of natural aging.
The collagen in that study was obtained from the cartilage of fish, which also contains skin-friendly low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, plus certain vitamins and minerals.
Pop it
Hydrolyzed collagen (when collagen fibers have been broken down to be better absorbed) abounds in tablet and power form. Promising improvements to skin, scientists have sought to establish whether ingested collagen does reach the dermis. One 2015 study suggests it does. After 8 weeks of an oral collagen peptide supplement, researchers found collagen density in the dermis significantly increased. Further ex vivo experiments demonstrated that collagen peptides induce collagen as well as glycosaminoglycan production, (another component of the skin’s extracellular matrix support network) offering a mechanical reason for those observed clinical effects.(2)
Inject it
Since the 70s, injectable collagen, often made from a bovine source, has been available as a wrinkle filler.(3) Unlike the drinkable and pill forms, injectable collagen targets specific zones of the face. Strict clinical conditions must be met and the procedure is not usually permanent, however there are claims that these injections can stimulate the body's own production of collagen.(4)
Smooth it
There’s a reason you don’t need to look for “Collagen” on the ingredients list in your anti-ageing skincare. Collagen is a big protein, its fibers are larger than our pores and so cannot be absorbed into the skin.
Yet collagen itself doesn’t have to be inside the skincare formula to have a positive impact on the collagen inside skin. Instead, there are known ingredients that can be readily absorbed – and which have a tried-and-tested action on collagen production, literally communicating to skin cells to make more. One of the most powerful ones are peptides – the super-actives clinically proven in vitro to boost collagen synthesis and stop its decrease.
LiftActiv Collagen Specialist fills skin with peptides to target visible signs of collagen loss on skin: wrinkles, sagginess, loss of firmness and tonicity with proven cumulative efficacy over time.