Collagen boosting products suddenly seem to be everywhere we look and have taken over the beauty circuit by storm, and by good reason.
What is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. In your skin, collagen makes up a whopping 75-80% of your complexion. It’s the glue that holds your skin together and is the key to keeping your skin clear and glowing.
We lose about 1% of our collagen each year from our mid-twenties. As our collagen depletes, our complexion begins to sag, increasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Collagen supplements have been all the rave promising to help you get rid of forehead winkles, marionette lines and all the other imperfections that come with age. But should we actually take a collagen supplement? And what sort of benefits should we expect?
Benefits of Collagen Powder?
1. Collagen for skin
As you get older and your collagen depletes, your skin begins to lose its firmness and tone. The best way to ‘reinforce’ your skin is by supplementing with a complete collagen – i.e. a supplement that provides the full repertoire of nutrients to build collagen. This can help reduce skin sagging and plump and firm the skin by working directly to support your skin’s structures from within.
Collagen boosting supplements have been shown to help smooth fine lines - particularly when they include a range of powerful plant-based ingredients with high antioxidant and ORAC content. Pure collagen can also help restore volume and improve the youthful appearance of your complexion.
2. Collagen for nail growth
 A huge benefits of collagen supplementation, as opposed to applying collagen topically in creams, is that it can benefit your entire body, and not just your skin. Your nails are an extension of your skin and are mainly comprised of keratin, a protein found within collagen. So increasing collagen production will also increase keratin production, helping your nails grow long and strong.
3. Collagen for hair
Like your nails, the benefits of collagen extend to your hair as well. Collagen is a skin protein and your hair is an extension of your skin, so increasing collagen production in your skin will help strengthen the roots of your hair follicles that are embedded in your scalp skin, reducing hair fall and helping your grow stronger, thicker and longer hair.
The best collagen for hair growth provide essential amino acids that can be used to not only help grow hair, but also are full of antioxidants that can fight free radicals that could damage hair follicles.
4. Collagen for joints
The health benefits of collagen extend far past just your skin, hair and nails. Just like the collagen in your skin, you lose collagen in the cartilage in your joints with time as well.
Cartledge is responsible for keeping your joints smooth and lubricated so don’t click and clack every time you move. One of the biggest benefits of taking collagen is keeping your joints well lubricated, stopping your bones from rubbing against each other, helping you move freely without any issues or pain.
5. Collagen for gut and wellness
The amino acids used to produce collagen can also help strengthen your intestinal wall. In the 21st century, getting clean, additive free food is becoming increasingly difficult, and these additives are doing no favours to your gut lining.Â
A huge benefit of drinking collagen is its ability to strengthen your gut wall, helping you digest and absorb nutrients from food much more effectively. The added benefits of vegan collagen are that these boosters are usually free of any additives and require minimal processing, providing wholefood nutrients to your gut in a way that can be easily digested (because your skin knows how to break down a raspberry as opposed to fish skins).
Additionally, they are packed full of plant fibre, helping to keep your gut clean, and fuller for longer (reducing your appetite which has a very positive effect on your waistline!).
Benefits of collagen during pregnancy
Your skin, like the rest of your body goes through a whirlwind of changes as your hormones go crazy within you. Taking a pregnancy friendly collagen supplement (like Raw beauty Lab’s Mama Glow Collagen Supplement) can work wonders on your skin health and overall wellbeing.
For example, one of the benefits of collagen for women during pregnancy is controlling breakouts and keeping your skin clear amongst the hot mess your hormones are making. Additionally, one of the biggest benefits of plant collagen is its ability to naturally increase energy levels, which during pregnancy and breastfeeding is a Godsend!
Find out more about Raw Beauty Lab’s pregnancy friendly mama glow vegan collagen supplement and the benefits of collagen while breastfeeding and pregnant here.
Collagen powder vs tablets
Collagen comes in many forms, so you might be wondering is collagen best in powder or pills form? While collagen tablets may be more convenient to take, the bioavailability of collagen is much higher when taking a collagen powder.
This is mainly because your body doesn’t have to breakdown the product first, and the larger surface area the collagen powder provides means you can reap the benefits of collagen supplements much faster if they are in powder form. Hopefully this puts to rest the argument of whether collagen powder or tablets better?
Best Time to Take a Collagen Supplement
If you’re wondering when you should take collagen to gain the maximum benefits of collagen supplementation, there isn’t really one specified time. Taking it in the morning or evening can be beneficial, depending on your lifestyle.
The important thing to note is that the key to gaining the benefits of collagen is remaining consistent with your collagen supplement. Make sure you take it every day at a time that suits you, as building collagen takes while – but the results are definitely worth the wait!
