Do collagen supplements improve skin?

Collagen supplements taken for about 12 weeks improved skin moisture and wrinkles a little in trials, mostly in women. Results on firmness were mixed, and many trials tested branded products.

Who it's for

Mostly middle-aged women wanting small gains in skin moisture; not shown for men.

What to expect

Modest gains in hydration and wrinkles after about 12 weeks of daily use.

Watch out for

Many trials used branded products, so results may be overstated.

What the studies show

• A review that pooled 19 randomized trialsrandomized trials People are assigned by chance to the treatment or a comparison, so a difference in results is likely caused by the treatment itself. (1,125 people, aged 20 to 70, 95% women) found collagen beat a dummy pill (placeboplacebo A dummy treatment that looks like the real one, so people can't tell which they got.) for skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkles after about 90 days1Meta-analysis · 2021 · 1,125 peopleEffects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The findings of improved hydration and elasticity were also confirmed in the subgroup meta-analysis. Based on results, ingestion of hydrolyzed collagen for 90 days is effective in reducing skin aging, as it reduces wrinkles and improves skin elasticity and hydration.Int J Dermatol.
• A review that pooled 26 trials (1,721 people) found clearly better hydration with collagen. The elasticity gain was borderline, so it could be down to chance. The review also noted biases in the included trials and called for larger trials2Meta-analysis · 2023 · 1,721 peopleEffects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The study also identified several biases in the included RCTs. Overall, the findings suggest that HC supplementation can have positive effects on skin health, but further large-scale randomized control trials are necessary to confirm these findings.Nutrients.
• A review of 14 trials (967 people) found better moisture and elasticity than placebo, with benefit seen from about four weeks and a 12-week course favoured4Meta-analysis · 2023 · 967 peopleExploring the Impact of Hydrolyzed Collagen Oral Supplementation on Skin Rejuvenation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.It consistently demonstrated substantial enhancements in skin moisture levels and elasticity compared to the placebo group, a trend robustly corroborated by subgroup analysis. These compelling findings underscore the effectiveness of a 12-week regimen of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation in revitalizing the skin by…Cureus.
• A review of 11 trials (805 people) covered doses of 2.5 to 10 g a day for 8 to 24 weeks. Two trials of a 3 g daily collagen tripeptide found improved elasticity and hydration7Systematic review · 2019 · 805 peopleOral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological ApplicationsPreliminary results are promising for the short and long-term use of oral collagen supplements for wound healing and skin aging. Oral collagen supplements also increase skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density. Collagen supplementation is generally safe with no reported adverse events. Further studies…J Drugs Dermatol.
• A trial of 64 women aged 40 to 60 gave 1,000 mg a day for 12 weeks. Hydration rose by week 6, and wrinkles and elasticity improved by week 12 compared with placebo3Randomized trial · 2018 · 64 peopleOral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkling in Human Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.In terms of the safety of LMWCP, none of the subjects presented adverse symptoms related to the test material during the study period. These results suggest that LMWCP can be used as a health functional food ingredient to improve human skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkling.Nutrients.
• A trial of 72 women aged 35 or older used a drink with 2.5 g of collagen plus vitamins and minerals for 12 weeks. Hydration, elasticity, roughness and density improved, and gains were largely kept 4 weeks after stopping. The added nutrients make the collagen's own effect unclear6Randomized trial · 2019 · 72 peopleA Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study.The measured effects were fully consistent with the subjective assessments of the study participants. The nutraceutical was well tolerated.Nutrients.
• Several trials were small, short, and tested branded products. One 120-person trial used a mix with collagen plus other ingredients, so the benefit can't be pinned on collagen alone10Randomized trial · 2018 · 120 peopleDaily oral supplementation with collagen peptides combined with vitamins and other bioactive compounds improves skin elasticity and has a beneficial effect on joint and general wellbeing.In addition, the consumption of the test product reduced joint pain by -43% and improved joint mobility by +39%. Oral supplementation with collagen bioactive peptides combined with chondroitin sulphate, glucosamine, L-carnitine, vitamins, and minerals significantly improved the clinical parameters related to skin…Nutr Res. A 30-person trial of collagen drinks is registered and still under way11Registered trial · 2025Evaluation of the Skin-Beautifying Effects of Collagen DrinksClinicalTrials.gov.

The review figures compare groups of people, so the gain for one person depends on their starting skin condition.

Key studies

Safety

Trials reported no side effects related to the collagen3Randomized trial · 2018 · 64 peopleOral Intake of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Elasticity, and Wrinkling in Human Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.In terms of the safety of LMWCP, none of the subjects presented adverse symptoms related to the test material during the study period. These results suggest that LMWCP can be used as a health functional food ingredient to improve human skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkling.Nutrients,7Systematic review · 2019 · 805 peopleOral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological ApplicationsPreliminary results are promising for the short and long-term use of oral collagen supplements for wound healing and skin aging. Oral collagen supplements also increase skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density. Collagen supplementation is generally safe with no reported adverse events. Further studies…J Drugs Dermatol,9Randomized trial · 2016Ingestion of bioactive collagen hydrolysates enhance facial skin moisture and elasticity and reduce facial ageing signs in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study.This study demonstrated that the use of the collagen hydrolysate with a higher content of Pro-Hyp and Hyp-Gly led to more improvement in facial skin conditions, including facial skin moisture, elasticity, wrinkles and roughness. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.J Sci Food Agric. Most studies were short, so long-term safety is less clear.

What we don't know

• Whether benefits hold in men, younger adults, or beyond 12 to 24 weeks.
• Whether plain collagen works as well as branded blends, and what the best dose is7Systematic review · 2019 · 805 peopleOral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological ApplicationsPreliminary results are promising for the short and long-term use of oral collagen supplements for wound healing and skin aging. Oral collagen supplements also increase skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density. Collagen supplementation is generally safe with no reported adverse events. Further studies…J Drugs Dermatol.