If you’ve ever stood by a shelf or paused mid-scroll to debate the merits of collagen vs. collagen peptides, welcome to the club. Ever since the role of collagen—a key protein in the skin that effectively serves as its scaffolding, keeping it firm and smooth—came to the forefront, it’s become a sought-after ingredient in both topical skin-care products and oral supplements alike. That’s because your own natural stores of collagen break down over time, destroyed by years of sun exposure, sugar consumption, and natural wear-and-tear. It’s understandable, then, that you might want to replace it.
However, re-upping your skin’s natural supply of collagen isn’t quite as simple as ingesting or slathering oneself in more collagen. Here’s what you can do to bolster your skin’s natural stores of the sought-after protein.
Vogue’s Favorite Products to Stimulate Collagen Production
Which is better to take, collagen or collagen peptides?
Experts have long been reluctant to wholeheartedly endorse collagen supplements, but the tide may finally be turning. “I’ve become more open to collagen supplementation as the research has accumulated,” says Melanie Palm, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in La Jolla, CA. While there haven’t been any strong or definitive studies showing that oral collagen—which itself is a large molecule and likely gets broken down into amino acids and other byproducts in the gut—has any impact on skin, the evidence on collagen peptides is more compelling.
Unlike collagen supplements, collagen peptides typically use “hydrolyzed” collagen, meaning it’s been broken down into peptides (molecules that, in general, are important for stimulating collagen and elastin production, boosting hyaluronic acid levels, and carrying out other tasks in skin). And “several studies and reviews have found that hydrolyzed collagen peptides taken consistently may modestly improve skin hydration and elasticity and, in some studies, the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles,” says Dr. Palm. However, she adds, the key word is “modestly.” Drinking collagen for a month won’t transform your skin.
It helps to know what happens when you actually take a collagen supplement. Once you drink it, your digestive system breaks down that collagen, “providing the body with amino acids that can be used as building blocks for collagen synthesis,” says Jenna Queller, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Boca Raton, FL. Your body can then use those building blocks to renew and strengthen your skin, your muscle, your bones, or other tissues—but there’s no guarantee that they’ll go straight to your laugh lines, for example.
As a result, both dermatologists stress that collagen peptide supplements are nowhere near a substitute for a thoughtful skin-care and wellness routine. “I consider it an adjunct, not a replacement for a balanced diet, sunscreen, retinoids, or other evidence-based skincare,” says Dr. Palm.
How to Get More Collagen
If you’re aiming for firmer skin, your best bet is to pair collagen peptide supplements with a collagen-minded skin-care routine. However, it’s worth being discerning in this arena as well. “Collagen molecules are generally too large to penetrate deeply into the skin and directly replace the collagen that is lost with aging,” explains Dr. Queller. Again, hydrolyzed collagen is more likely to absorb—but even so, these ingredients “are primarily supporting hydration and the appearance of the skin rather than rebuilding the deeper collagen matrix,” she says.
