Collagen Water Will Change Your Life, Here’s Why

Our bodies start producing less collagen around ages 20-25. That said, collagen water may be a good investment for you to look into if you fall in that age range. Today we’re here to talk everything collagen water — the benefits, and why it’s a great option to help your body produce more collagen throughout the years so that you can keep your skin looking young and fresh.

What does collagen do?

Collagen (which provides skin firmness) is very important to the body. After the age of 20, a person produces about 1 percent less collagen in the skin each year. As a result, the skin becomes thinner and more fragile with age. There is also diminished functioning of the sweat and oil glands, less elastin production, and less GAG formation. Wrinkle formation as a result of intrinsic aging is inevitable.

Our natural collagen levels deplete as we age, especially when a woman reaches the menopause stage, which leads to wrinkles and a lack of skin firmness. Our natural collagen production slows down from our early 20s by 1-1.5 percent every year, which means by the time you turn 50 you will most likely have lost about 50 percent of the collagen in your skin. 

The rate of collagen depletion can also depend on various lifestyle factors including diet, sun exposure, sleep and stress levels, and genetics and hormones. So this means wearing sunscreen, limiting your time in the sun, and living a healthy lifestyle can help protect your skin from prematurely dropping collagen levels. And now supposedly collagen water can help as well.

What is collagen water?

Collagen water is water that contains bioavailable collagen peptide powder and usually a fruit extract which makes the beverage extra refreshing. Its purpose is to strengthen nails, hair, skin, bones and joints and support digestive health. However, collagen water is most well-known for the anti-aging benefits it has on the skin, and this benefit is what’s made it super trendy in recent years.

Is collagen water a good financial option?

Most collagen drinks cost around $11 to $30 per bottle. According to two independent clinical studies, it has been proven that the type of collagen peptides used in collagen water are absorbed into the bloodstream and in a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled case study, participants saw an increase in collagen density, skin hydration and skin elasticity after drinking collagen water for 90 days, compared to a controlled group. So to answer the question, yes! Collagen water definitely works. Collagen water is also an excellent source of protein, packing in more protein per calorie than other sources while containing less sodium and sugar. And there is evidence suggesting it may improve body composition, joint health, and healing rates.

Collagen has also been known to act as a powerful wound healer, able to stop bleeding, recruit immune and skin cells, and stimulate new blood vessel formations. One study of 89 long-term care residents with pressure ulcers concluded with proof that those who took collagen supplements three times a day for 8 weeks saw their wounds heal twice as fast. Another study that was conducted of eight patients who had a small surgical skin biopsy, found that daily topical collagen healed their wounds as well as sutures. While research is mixed, a few studies have also shown that collagen supplements will help with arthritis pain and sports-related joint pain.

EXTRA TIP

When buying collagen based products: Be sure to look for companies that get their bones and tissues (which are in collagen based products) from cage-free, free-range, and antibiotic-free sources. Look for a trusted brand with a third-party label like NSF or USP. And check out the company’s website to see what it’s doing to keep heavy metals and other contaminants out of their products.

What about collagen creams compared to drinks/supplements?

Research shows that taking collagen orally enhances its availability compared with applying it in a cream. The positive effects of oral collagen are also proven to be longer lasting than collagen based face creams. This is because collagen taken orally impacts is able to go into deeper layers of the skin, targeting the dermal layer, which is where collagen loss occurs. Creams, however, tend to have their effects primarily on the epidermis which is the top layer of the skin. The visible improvements observed with creams are actually due to increased hydration as opposed to the deeper structural changes achieved with collagen supplementation.

When should you start taking collagen supplements/water?

The short answer is ASAP. Even if you have already started to notice wrinkles forming on your skin, it’s never too late to fix it with collagen supplements or water. However, if you are still young, aim to start taking collagen supplements/water around 20-25 as this is the time period in which your skin slowly begins to lose collagen. You need to ingest 6,000mg of collagen peptides daily to trigger fibroblast activity in the dermis, so be sure to keep this in mind when looking at collagen water.

What about bone broth for collagen?

There has not been enough scientific research to back up the idea that the collagen in bone broth is helping people in any way. Just because bone broth contains collagen does not mean your body will use it to build up your bones. Through digestion, scientists have explained, your body will break down the collagen and use its amino acids wherever they are needed. Furthermore, most of the health claims made about collagen in bone broth have relied entirely on studies of individual nutrients in supplement form. Basically, you would have to eat a lot of bone broth to get as much collagen as you would in a supplement or in collagen water.

Did You Know? There are vegan and nonvegan collagen waters, so be sure to check the ingredients before purchasing if you are vegan or vegetarian.

To wrap up:

I recommend only investing in collagen water and collagen supplements as a solution to anti aging and to help produce more collagen in your skin. I do not recommend trying collagen based creams as they cannot reach the deep layers of your skin necessary to help your body produce more collagen. I also do not recommend using bone broth to try to produce more collagen in your skin as there is simply not enough collagen in broth itself.

We Tried Collagen Water, And Here’s Our Thoughts:

This week I tried Vital Proteins Collagen Water in 4 different flavors! I was able to locate a store that carried them via Vital Proteins website. I picked them up at our local Ralph’s, they were located near the Gatorade and Vitamin Water. They can be hard to find, so they’re also available online at the link below. I tried one out as soon as I left the store, and would not recommend consuming them at room temperature. It is substantially more refreshing and yummy once it’s chilled! The taste of the drinks is not overly sweet, nor does it have a weird medicinal taste. I also noticed that they are only sold individually in-store, so look online if you want to buy in bulk. Overall, I would recommend these drinks to anyone looking to add more collagen into their lives. This is a much easier way of getting your collagen intake versus the powder form Vital Proteins is known for.

SHOP HERE FOR VITAL PROTEINS COLLAGEN WATER

Have you tried collagen water before? Has it had any positive effects on your skin? Let us know in the comments!

For More From Beauty, You Should Read:

Soothing Gua Sha Beauty Tools That Will Rejuvenate Your Skin

How Estrogen Targeted Skincare Can Keep You Looking Fabulous Into Your 50’s