Collagen is one of the fundamental building blocks for your skin, holding it together at a structural level. It gives it tone and firmness, keeping your face looking plump during your youngest years.
However, your body eventually reduces its own collagen production. Fine lines, sagging skin, hollowing around the eyes, and other symptoms are classic signs of… well, natural aging. But it doesn’t have to happen so soon: taking collagen for skin can slow down this process and restore how your face looks and feels.
Both topical and oral collagen peptide supplements have been shown to be effective for reducing and slowing down the signs of aging skin. Below, we’ll go over how you can choose the best collagen for skin for you and what to expect from it.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, making up roughly a third of your total protein content. Collagen peptides show up in tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and, of course, the dermis, where it keeps the skin firm and elastic.
When collagen production is strong, your skin looks plump and youthful. But when collagen peptide production slows down, that framework starts to weaken, and wrinkles, sagging, and a loss of tone start to appear.
Collagen peptides go far beyond skin, though. They play an essential role in maintaining healthy hair and nails, as well as promoting mobility and muscle recovery. Supplementing is pretty much never a bad idea, and it’s deemed a safe daily supplement that rarely causes any side effects.
There are about 28 types of collagen peptides in your body, which differ by how the molecules and cell components are present and where they are used in your body. Type I is by far the most common, making up 90% of your body’s total collagen. It’s the scaffold behind your skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments. Types IV and V are also relevant for your skin, being present in the different layers — although to a lesser extent.
How Are Aging and Collagen Linked?
Your body naturally produces less collagen as you age, and the new collagen peptides it creates are lower in quality than when you were younger. The exact age at which this starts to happen (or noticeably speeds up) is impossible to tell or predict, as it can’t be measured directly. However, among other things, you will notice:
- Wrinkled and/or sagging with reduced skin elasticity
- Stiffer tendons and ligaments
- More frequent muscle pains
- Hollowing around your eyes
You’ll also notice slower recoveries in general: your skin will take longer to come back to its best state after a rough night or a stressful week. After workouts, your muscles and joints will ache for longer and, in some cases, affect your mobility.
These are all completely natural signs of aging, but they can be reduced through supplements and lifestyle changes that increase collagen peptides and amino acids necessary for skin health.
Is Aging the Only Cause for Collagen Reduction?
No, aging is far from the only cause behind collagen reduction. Factors related to your lifestyle habits and decisions can accelerate the natural process brought on by aging.
UV exposure is one of the most common causes outside of aging, breaking down existing collagen proteins and blocking your body from producing new ones. Smoking and heavy alcohol use can also be a crucial factor, starving your skin of the oxygen and nutrients it needs to keep collagen production running.
Diet, to a lesser extent, also impacts the process. Eating habits loaded with sugar and processed food trigger a process called glycation, where excess sugar bonds to collagen fibers and makes them stiff and brittle. Chronic stress and poor sleep both elevate cortisol, a hormone that also actively interferes with collagen synthesis.
Of course, none of this means that one bad week undoes your skincare. But when stacked up for a long period of time, these habits matter just as much as aging itself.
Are Collagen Supplements Effective?
While the reduction in collagen production is completely normal, so is wanting to reduce these side effects. It can’t be absorbed in a whole form (meaning that eating collagen-rich foods won’t affect the reduction), but oral supplements contain amino acids and peptides that can be absorbed through your gastrointestinal tract. Topical supplements are also an alternative if you want to improve skin health and skin elasticity.
Research shows that both oral and topical collagen supplements are effective at reducing and/or delaying skin aging. Both can improve skin elasticity and hydration, while simultaneously reducing skin wrinkling and roughness.
Still, keep in mind that even the best collagen for saggy skin supplements will only work to the extent that you let them. Lifestyle changes such as a better diet and not smoking, along with protection from UV rays, will go just as far (if not farther) as the best collagen for skin on the market.
How to Choose the Right Collagen for Skincare
When looking for collagen for loose skin, consider what kind of supplement you will take and whether you want it flavored or not.
First is the type of supplement: collagen comes in both topical and oral forms. The former is usually used more for its moisturizing and hydrating properties, but it can also promote overall collagen production. Our Protein Peptides Booster, for example, penetrates into the skin to restore and revive collagen production through raw collagen peptides.
Oral collagen supplements, on the other hand, usually come as collagen powder for skin or flavored gummies and contain formulas that your body can absorb directly. Neither is better than the other, but powder tends to be a bit more flexible. It can also be mixed with other ingredients to boost the anti-aging properties of collagen.
Our Men’s Collagen Powder is the perfect example of that, blending together grass-fed collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and ceramides to balance and rejuvenate your skin. It’s unflavored, which allows you to add your scoops to your favorite drink at any time and reap all the benefits of the best collagen supplement for sagging skin.
Implementing Collagen Into Your Routine
Oral collagen supplements work from the inside, but they aren’t a replacement for the basics happening on the surface of your skin. Every solid skincare routine comes down to three basic concepts: cleanse, moisturize, and protect. This leaves a strong foundation for your collagen supplement to build on.
Your routine should start with a thorough cleanse to clear off excess oil buildup and remove external stressors. Our Purifying Charcoal Face Wash controls breakouts and keeps pores clean through a mix of activated charcoal, olive oil, and jojoba.
Then, apply a moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp. Moisturizers lock in hydration rather than letting it evaporate, promoting a clearer and firmer skin texture. Equally as important is sun protection, and Brickell’s Daily Defense Face Moisturizer With SPF 20 combines both steps into one.
Finally, add your collagen powder to whatever beverage kicks off your morning. Our unflavored Men’s Collagen Powder can transform coffee, tea, smoothies, and anything else into the best collagen boosting drinks for skin aging without adding any extra steps to your skincare routine.
Additional skincare products that include vitamin C and hyaluronic acid can contribute to fighting skin aging by promoting skin hydration and skin moisture.
How Much Collagen Should You Take?
One or two scoops of Brickell's unflavored, grass-fed Men’s Collagen Powder is more than enough to cover your daily collagen needs.
However, if you aren’t seeing or feeling the results after a month, feel free to take one or two extra scoops. Collagen supplements are completely safe as long as you don’t go excessively overboard.
If you feel stomach cramps or any other side effects from taking collagen, stop using the supplement immediately. Negative reactions to collagen are very rare, but they’re possible. If the symptoms don’t recede after you stop taking the supplement, make sure to check with a doctor right away.
What Results Can You Expect from Collagen?
As with most supplements, collagen needs some time to start showing an improvement. After a few weeks of taking collagen, you’ll notice brighter, better-hydrated skin. That’s your skin barrier strengthening and moisture retention improving.
Lines and wrinkles will become less noticeable over time. If you’re using topical collagen, moisturizing well, and exfoliating every once in a while, you’ll notice this much faster.
It doesn’t stop there, though: over the next months, you’ll see your skin getting firmer and its texture improving significantly. Hair and nails often benefit right alongside your face, since they’re built from the same structural proteins your skin depends on.
If you lift weights (or stay generally active), you may see joint comfort and recovery time improve too. You don’t need to take extra collagen for this: your body will just use the same supplement you’re already taking for all purposes.
Don't use collagen as your only anti-aging tool. Hyaluronic acid and vitamin C in topical skincare products can also help combat long term UV damage and support skin elasticity. Your goal should be to create an anti skin aging routine that focuses on optimal skin health and skin hydration.
None of this happens on a fixed schedule, though. Your results may vary, but the most important thing is to stay consistent and let the best collagen supplements for skin compound their benefits week over week.
