In the world of beauty, we often focus on external care—skincare products, treatments, and routines. But lasting beauty starts from within. Restore the building blocks of skin tissue is coming from repairing the collagen bounds and support the elasticity of skin cells, rejuvanate. However, as we age, our natural collagen production decreases—leading to visible signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of skin elasticity.

That’s where Type 1 Collagen comes in. Type 1 is the most abundant form of collagen in the body, making it particularly essential for your skin, hair, and nails. This type of collagen is known for its ability to improve skin’s firmness and elasticity, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and promote overall skin health. ¹ As the human collagen is play a key role at wound healing, fibroblast production and skin, hair and nail wellbeing, still remain as main source of collagen synthesis process.

Avian influenza has restricted the use of avian sources for collagen type I (Col-I) extraction ². In contrast, porcine Col-I closely resembles human Col-I ⁴ and is the most cost-effective option ³. However, its use is associated with a high risk of zoonotic diseases, contamination, and cultural or religious restrictions ⁴. On the other hand, bovine-derived Col-I eliminates concerns about disease transmission and cultural sensitivities, as it is halal-certified, making it both an affordable and high-quality alternative ³. Fish-derived Col-I has higher solubility in diluted acid compared to that extracted from mammals and birds, and it displays a structure that closely matches both the α1 and α2 chains found in other Col-I sources. However, Col-I from fish has a lower denaturation temperature ⁵.

With increasing life expectancy, skin aging concerns are rising, even among younger individuals. As a result, the use of nutricosmetics, especially collagen supplements, has become more popular. This study reviewed scientific evidence from clinical trials on the effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging.

The review included 19 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with a total of 1,125 participants (mostly women) aged 20–70. The studies focused on how oral collagen supplementation impacted skin factors such as hydration, elasticity, wrinkles, and firmness.

The meta-analysis revealed that hydrolyzed collagen significantly improved skin hydration, elasticity, and reduced wrinkles compared to a placebo. These benefits were consistent across different studies. The results suggest that taking hydrolyzed collagen for 90 days can effectively reduce the signs of aging by enhancing skin hydration and elasticity while reducing wrinkles. ⁶ As collagen is highly effective in promoting skin health, the importance of consistent, uninterrupted usage is equally crucial in achieving optimal results.

REFERENCES

1- Hwang, S. J., Kim, S. H., Seo, W.-Y., Jeong, Y., Shin, M. C., Ryu, D., Lee, S. B., Choi, Y. J., & Kim, K. (2021). Effects of human collagen α-1 type I-derived proteins on collagen synthesis and elastin production in human dermal fibroblasts. BMB Reports, 54(6), 329–334. https://doi.org/10.5483/BMBRep.2021.54.6.038

2- Raman, M., & Gopakumar, K. (2018). Fish collagen and its applications in food and pharmaceutical industry: A review. EC Nutrition, 13, 752–767.

3- Rittié, L. (2017). Type I collagen purification from rat tail tendons. In Methods in Molecular Biology (Vol. 1627, pp. 287–308). Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7113-8_21

4- Badnjevic, A., Škrbić, P., & Pokvić, L. G. (2019). Recent advancements and implications in the delivery of collagen. In R. Magjarevic (Ed.), IFMBE Proceedings (Vol. 73, pp. 250–257). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17971-7_39

5- León-López, A., Morales-Peñaloza, A., Martínez-Juárez, V. M., Vargas-Torres, A., Zeugolis, D. I., & Aguirre-Álvarez, G. (2019). Hydrolyzed collagen—Sources and applications. Molecules, 24(22), 4031. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24224031

6- de Miranda, R. B., Weimer, P., Rossi, R. C., Rocha, M. I. U. M., Smaniotto, J., & Silveira, J. T. (2021). Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Dermatology, 61(3), 403–418. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33742704/