Derms, Plastic Surgeons & Dietitians Call This Supplement A Winner For Youthful Skin
To truly achieve skin longevity, you need to approach skin health from multiple angles, both topical and internal. A lit-from-within glow starts from within, doesn't it? That being said, make sure your hydration levels are up to par and fill your plate with tons of antioxidant-rich, skin loving foods—and if you need an extra nudge in the nutrition department, perhaps look to beauty supplements.
Collagen, in particular, comes highly recommended by derms, plastic surgeons, and nutritionists. It serves up quite the well-rounded beauty ritual, and below, the experts explain why you should make it a daily habit.
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How collagen can promote youthful skin.
"Traditional doctors will tell you that when you ingest collagen, your stomach acids will break it down, and it doesn't do anything," holistic plastic surgeon Anthony Youn, M.D., says on the mindbodygreen podcast. "But there are studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals1 that do show that people who do take collagen supplements have an increase in the collagen content of their skin. And this is a direct correlation of ingesting collagen supplements."*
Specifically, hydrolyzed collagen peptides have been shown to help promote the body's natural production of collagen2 and other compounds that make up the skin, like elastin and fibrillin.* "There are also studies that do show that people who take collagen supplements do appear to have skin that is more hydrated, has less wrinkles, and looks more youthful,"* notes Youn. Take this 2019 review of oral collagen's effects on the skin, for example, which showed that collagen peptides3 will support skin elasticity and hydration levels and promote youthful texture4.*
And there's plenty more research where that came from. In fact, board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., recently declared on the Healthier Together podcast that collectively, "the science behind collagen would put some of these other trendy skin care ingredients everyone talks about all the time to shame." If you take it consistently over time, "you can absolutely see a difference in your skin," she adds.
Of course, not all collagen supplements are created equal. You'll want to find a powder with a clean, high-quality formula and effective dose—like mindbodygreen's beauty & gut collagen, which contains 17.7 grams of bovine collagen peptides (the premium grass-fed, pasture-raised variety), plus seven other unique bioactives to bolster collagen's actions (including beauty-centric players like hyaluronic acid, biotin, and vitamins C and E).*
It has earned plenty of expert stamps of approval, including registered dietitian Maggie Michalczyk, RDN: "Since incorporating it into my diet, my hair is shiny as ever, my skin feels more hydrated and firm, and my nails are strong and not breaking as easily,"* she writes in a review. "Plus, as someone who has experienced gut issues, I feel good knowing that collagen is beneficial for my gut health, too.*
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The takeaway.
We cannot say enough good things about collagen—and neither can the beauty experts. So long as you snag a science-backed, high-quality formula, taking collagen can seriously enhance your glow. Stir it into your coffee each morning, and say hello to bouncy Jell-O skin.*
Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare. In her role at mbg, she reports on everything from the top beauty industry trends, to the gut-skin connection and the microbiome, to the latest expert makeup hacks. She currently lives in New York City.