For your skin
The protein your skin loses with age, broken down small enough to absorb. Multiple meta-analyses of RCTs show measurable wins in wrinkles, elasticity, and hydration after ~12 weeks. Most evidence is oral, but topical helps surface hydration too.
Want the science? Keep reading ↓Mechanism of action
Enzymatically cleaved collagen yielding low-MW di- and tri-peptides (Pro-Hyp, Hyp-Gly) that, when ingested, reach dermal fibroblasts and signal upregulated procollagen and hyaluronic acid synthesis; topically acts as a film-forming humectant.
Why we tier this moderate
3 cited papers across 2 countries. The mechanism is well-described and there's at least one controlled trial in the literature, but we tier this Moderate rather than Strong to stay honest about how many specific papers we cite directly.
Cited research
Pu SY et al., Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Nutrients 2023;15(9):2080 — 26 RCTs / 1,721 patients: hydrolyzed collagen significantly improved skin hydration and elasticity vs placebo across multiple collagen sources
de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC, Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis, International Journal of Dermatology 2021 — 19 RCTs / 1,125 participants: 90-day oral hydrolyzed collagen significantly reduced wrinkles and improved skin elasticity and hydration vs placebo
Evans M et al., A randomized triple-blind placebo-controlled parallel study to evaluate the efficacy of a freshwater marine collagen on skin wrinkles and elasticity, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 2021;20(3):825-834 — 12-week RCT: ~35% reduction in wrinkle scores and improved elasticity vs placebo
Sources: PubMed · KCI · J-Stage · CNKI · Wanfang · SFD · MFDS · Cochrane · SCCS · CIR. Every entry points to a specific document. See methodology for what each outcome label means.