Debunking Collagen Myths: Creams, Supporting Nutrients & Collagen Production

When it comes to collagen, there is a sea of products out there promising to do wonders for the skin. From creams and serums to oral supplements, it can be difficult to navigate and understand how all the different products work. 

And once you have chosen your collagen supplement, it's not just about the amount of collagen, but the formulation needs to be considered as well. 

Myth 9: Collagen Creams are an Effective Way to Stimulate Collagen Production. 

For external collagen to work effectively it needs to be orally ingested. This is because the deeper layers of the skin where collagen works can not be reached by topical application.

Topical vs. Collagen Drinks

Many topical products such as creams that contain collagen are unable to reach the dermis to increase levels of skin collagen.  

This is because the active ingredients have a large molecular size and cannot penetrate (>0.5 kDa) the skin’s surface (epidermis) as it acts as a protective barrier.

Liquid hydrolysed collagen drinks take a different approach. Rather than applying an ingredient to the skin, it provides collagen in a form that reach the dermis of the skin. 

This distinction is important when considering what you want a product to achieve. A topical product and a liquid collagen drink are not necessarily competing solutions  They can both serve different purposes and form a part of a 360° approach to skin health for a more radiant, healthier you.

Myth 10: Collagen Without Supporting Ingredients is Effective 

This is not true. Collagen itself is not easy to produce and requires many steps with help from a lot of nutrients. Vitamin C and Zinc are the bare minimum supplementary ingredients to help synthesise healthy collagen fibers. This is due to their contribution to enzymes which sculpt the collagen fibers.

Look Beyond the Headline Ingredient

It can be tempting to choose a supplement solely on the number of grams listed on the front of the product.  But the quantity of the collagen is only one part of the formulation.

This is where the complete ingredient list comes in . Before making your final selection, consider what other active ingredients have been added to the formula, such as Vitamin C, Zinc or Copper to name a few. 

This is important when comparing collagen products. Two products may contain collagen but have very different formulations, quantities and combination of supporting ingredients. 

What to Remember

There isn't one single ingredient that will tell you everything you need to know about collagen. The delivery, quantity and formulation should all be considered when deciding on the best fit for you. 

Look behind the hero claim and understand what's in the formulation, delivery mechanism, and what the complete product is designed to support.