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FYI: This Is Why Your Collagen Supplement Isn't Working

Author:

Hannah Frye

August 25, 2023

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Image by Atolas / Stocksy

August 25, 2023

When you invest in supplements like collagen, it's tempting to look for results right away. However, many collagen supplements take a few weeks (perhaps more, depending on the benefit you're hoping for) to show visible results—so remember, patience is key.

Still, it's only fair to ensure your supplement is actually putting in the work. In short: If your formula has a clinically backed dose and a hydrolyzed form, you should be set. Unfortunately, many brands engage in what we call, "fairy dusting," which can seriously dampen a supplement's efficacy. Allow us to explain.

What "fairy dusting" means in supplements

You may have heard the term "fairy dusting" in the world of skin care before. This simply means including ingredients at such a small amount that they don't really have much of an impact yet advertising them as the hero ingredient.

Take, for example, a peptide serum that's 99.99% glycerin and only 0.01% peptides. (That's an exaggeration, but you get the point.) This same concept can apply to the world of collagen supplements as well. Meaning, a brand might market their collagen as potent, yet the actual dose does next to nothing.

What to look for

So when you're shopping for collagen supplements, you want to make sure you're getting enough of the good stuff, especially hydrolyzed collagen peptides (aka "no fairy dusting" of the main ingredient).

The recommended dosage varies depending on what benefit you're looking for, so keep the following information in mind:

Skin: Studies show that a range of 2.5 to 10 grams per day can be beneficial for skin support 1.
Muscle: Studies show that 15 to 20 grams per day can help muscle mass 2, muscle strength 3, and soreness after exercise 4.
Joint: 2.5 to 5 grams per day has been shown to help joint support 5—however, if you are taking UC-II specifically, you only need 40 milligrams per day 6.
Bone: The available research suggests that 5 grams per day provides bone support 7.

In addition, your collagen supplement should contain vitamin C—especially if you don't take vitamin C supplements separately. Fun fact: Your body cannot effectively produce collagen without 8 this antioxidant.

Vitamin C is actually able to promote fibroblast production 9, tend to damaged collagen DNA, and regulate collagen synthesis 10, or the pathway in which collagen is made. So if you're not getting an adequate amount of vitamin C daily, your collagen production may suffer.

These nuances can be a lot to juggle when you're searching for a collagen supplement. Good news: We did the work for you! Start here, with a curated list of the best options on the market, all backed by a nutrition Ph.D., and no fairy-dusted ingredients.

The takeaway

To avoid "fairy dusting" in collagen supplements, make sure your pick has a large enough dose for the benefit you're after, and always look for a blend that contains vitamin C. (Plus, make sure to actually take it daily, as the research-backed benefits come from daily use.) Want to learn more about why collagen supplementation can be beneficial? Here's a full list of perks.