Researchers at the University of Kiel in Germany tested whether taking collagen protein by mouth, rather than rubbing something on, could change how skin behaved over two months.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 69 women took either 2.5 grams or 5 grams of collagen peptides daily, or a placebo, for eight weeks. Both collagen doses produced a statistically significant improvement in skin elasticity compared with placebo, with no side effects reported in any group.
Four weeks after the women stopped taking the peptides, the older participants still showed significantly higher skin elasticity than the placebo group, a sign the effect could outlast the supplement. Moisture and water loss showed favorable trends but did not reach statistical significance, and exactly how an oral peptide changes a skin property from the inside is still being worked out.
Read the original study
Proksch et al., Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2014 · doi.org/10.1159/000351376
A protein taken by mouth, measured on the skin.
Source
- Proksch, E., Segger, D., Degwert, J., Schunck, M., Zague, V., & Oesser, S. (2014). Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 27(1), 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1159/000351376