Collagen Supplements
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A miraculous beauty saviour or another misleading marketing move?
Collagen, the new “IT girl” of the beauty world, promises radiant skin, stronger nails, and healthier hair. Collagen supplements seem to have taken the beauty industry by storm as social media brims with success stories, but is this the real deal or just another marketing ploy? Curious, I took matters into my own hands and decided to put collagen supplements to the test for a week.
So what exactly is Collagen? It's not just a buzzword; it's a crucial structural protein in our bodies, aiding in the production of Keratin for hair, nails, and skin. Naturally occurring, collagen is found in protein-rich foods like bone broth, meat, and fish. Naturally, the beauty industry capitalises on our collective fear of ageing as collagen production decreases by 1% each year after hitting 20, leading to wrinkles.
Venturing into Whole Foods to find the right supplements for me, I started contemplating the recent posts I’ve seen on social media. Lately, social media feels like stepping onto a beauty battlefield. At 21, I'm bombarded with the idea that I should be investing in products to stop time in its tracks. Everytime I open Instagram, suddenly, my feed is flooded with celebrities promoting their latest supplements, or ads telling me I need "baby botox," and that my collagen is apparently on vacation. Over past months I had seen an extreme hype around this topic and when I set foot inside Whole Foods, I realised just how much the rest of the world was caught up in this frenzy too.
Shelves and shelves of beauty supplements surrounded me, collagen taking the spotlight with various forms – Marine Collagen, White Collagen Peptides, Pure Vegan Collagen – you name it! My liquid collagen journey kicked off with optimism, choosing Zooki for its ease of consumption and reasonable price (£27.99 for 14 sachets). Collagen supplements usually range from £20-£200 depending on the type and brand, so Zooki falls under the more affordable options. Despite studies suggesting limited effects, I hoped for a subtle glow. Sadly, that wasn’t the case at all.
To optimise results I stuck to the basics: didn’t change my skincare routine, ate protein rich food, worked out, all the while taking the collagen supplements. Day 1 and 2 were nothing out of the ordinary, and there was no subtle glow from the collagen or in fact anything suggesting it was actually doing something to my skin, but then day 3 rolled around. My liquid collagen adventure hit a snag – a surprise breakout. From day 3 onward, my skin decided to throw a curveball with breakouts I'd never experienced. Yet, I pressed on, diligently downing my collagen sachets after lunch until day 7. By the end of the week, the clear verdict was in – the marketing maestros won this one.
After a week of delving into the collagen craze, it’s safe to say that the promises made fell flat. In general collagen supplements are far from a miraculous beauty saviour. Perhaps it’s best to actually consume foods that contain collagen naturally, while reducing alcohol and smoking which decrease its production. As the beauty industry continues to spin its tales, my experience led me to the realisation that authentic beauty thrives in simplicity.