Michelle Obama, Sandra Bullock swear by it – but is collagen really the fountain of youth?
From bird’s nest soup to smoothies, collagen is being consumed in various forms but the jury is still out on whether it can really turn back time
Collagen has long been part of the white noise of cosmetics marketing for me. However, the buzz has become so loud I had to see what all the fuss was about.
The most abundant protein in the human body’s connective and conjunctive tissues, collagen is the scaffolding for our skin, joints, muscles, tendons, bones, teeth, nails and hair. With age and environmental factors, collagen production decreases and natural enzymes break it down. Our skin loses elasticity, wrinkles appear and sagging begins around our 20s. It’s no wonder, then, that collagen is being touted as the fountain of youth.
You’ve probably seen masks, creams, lip plumpers and serums containing collagen. Oprah Winfrey, 65, is said to use SkinMedica’s TNS Recovery Complex, a gel that goes on after cleansing and before moisturising and which promises a host of benefits, including improved skin elasticity. But it’s not just about face cream. Collagen has been used as an injectable skin plumper for decades, although it has been eclipsed by more effective wrinkle eradicators. It’s big business, with beauty retailers such as Sephora listing more than 360 collagen products.
Excitement over ingestible collagen hit fever pitch last year, with beauty bloggers waxing lyrical about powders added to their smoothies, and even coffee creamers. Former American first lady Michelle Obama, whose skin is perpetually glowing, apparently uses collagen, too. The 55-year-old’s facialist, Jennifer Brodeur, espouses the virtues of collagen supplements, such as withinUs’ TruMarine Collagen. It is the latest ingredient to fuel the multibillion-dollar beauty supplements market.
