Collagen Supplements Are Superior To Collagen Creams — Here's Why

Collagen is a vital part of our skin structure. It is the reason our skin stays equal parts firm and plump when we are young—essentially it is the structural part that keeps our skin in place. When it declines, that's when we see sagging, wrinkles, and sallowness. 

As you likely know, we lose it slowly over time. This happens naturally starting in our late 20s, and then continues at about a 1% decline every year after that. But it also happens due to lifestyle habits, such as sun exposure, poor diet, stress, and other environmental aggressors. Particularly, individuals who go through menopause see a dramatic decline in their natural collagen production during that time—around 30% in fact.   

It's no wonder people spend so much time, energy, and money trying to figure out how to keep collagen production robust and the collagen we do have in tact.

Let's start off with the the topical versus internal debate. Here at mindbodygreen, we believe in helping your skin from multiple angles. And while some ingredients play double-duty quite well (for example, phytoceramides are great in both topical treatments and supplements), others have a clear avenue of use.* Collagen is one of those ingredients.

"Collagen" as a beauty product marketing tool is fairly common. You'll see it pop up on creams, serums, body washes, and scalp treatments, all in the hopes of younger, healthier-looking skin. And collagen does hydrate when used topically. However, it's not actually doing more than that—and it's certainly not aiding in collagen production. For that, you have to go internal.

"Collagen is a huge molecule that sits on the surface of the skin and cannot be absorbed into the dermis," board-certified dermatologist Dendy Engelman, M.D., previously told us about collagen creams. "When applied topically, it is not possible for collagen to penetrate, which is why we use other actives to stimulate collagen production."

Collagen supplements are your best bet for promoting collagen production.* Here's why: Collagen supplements are actually made with hydrolyzed collagen peptides, or short-chain peptides made of amino acids that can actually be absorbed by the body when ingested.* From there it travels throughout the body; in the case of your skin, the peptides are able to aid your skin's fibroblasts—or what makes collagen and elastin—so your body is able to promote collagen production naturally1.* Science backs this up: Research 2shows that these collagen peptides are able to support skin elasticity and dermal collagen density2.*

So you've decided to try a collagen supplement. Great! Now you have to decide what sort of collagen supplement you'd like to take, as they come in gummies, powders, tonics, drinks, capsules, and so on. If you want the most effective, potent option—the answer is clear: Powder.

Powders are the most likely delivery form to contain a high, potent dosage of collagen itself, and sometimes, synergistic nutrients or bioactives, too. Additionally powders are also very convenient and easy to add to most dishes or drinks: Whether blending into a sweet smoothie with colorful fruits or mixed into your morning coffee or latte. If you prefer other delivery methods—you know, drinks, tonics, capsules, gummies—that's fine; just know that you're not getting as much collagen in these products.