Does Edible Collagen Really Help Your Skin?

The verdict is out!

How do you guys feel about eating your skincare?  Into it or pass?  As with most nutraceuticals, the ingestible collagen trend has me skeptical of its efficacy, yet intrigued.  I've been receiving pitches from publicists about the hot topic for a while now and after getting hooked on Sakara Life's Beauty Chocolates, decided it was time to dig in and find out they really work.  Here, Dr. Mona Gohara gives an honest answer.  

"The jury is still out on edible collagen," comments Dr. Gohara.  Collagen makes up about 25 percent of our body mass and decreases by about 1 percent each year starting at age 20.  Thinking about that at almost 35, I've already lost about 15% of my collagen!  

Dr. Gohara goes on, "Although the ingestible form may help augment collagen depletion in other organ systems, the skin is not a sure bet. There are studies that point in a positive direction but more need to be obtained."

Of course collagen repletion and preventing depletion is key, but there are other ways to go about doing so that are scientifically proven and therefore, much more efficacious for now.  Dr. Gohara recommends using topical retinols, procedures such as microneedling, and judicious sun protection to get the job done. 

So the choice is yours.  It seems ingestible collagen can't hurt, but is it going to make you look younger?  Probably not.