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Ingestable beauty is a booming category thanks to our obsession with bridging the gap between beauty and wellness. Call it the Gwyneth effect, but any pill we can swallow, any powder we can dissolve, or any liquid we can drink is on our to-try list, and a firm favourite right now is collagen. As the main protein in our skin, the aim of the game is that ingesting it will help us on our path to a smoother, plumper complexion. As we age, our collagen stores deplete, resulting in a slackening of the skin. Traditionally, it’s also been used for hair, nail, and joint health as well. Given its sudden surge in popularity, brands have caught on, releasing a stack of different products all designed to firm up our face.
The science behind collagen supplementation falls a little in the grey area, with experts like Michelle Wong from Lab Muffin pointing out that while there is some clinical evidence to support them, supplements can vary in their form and quality of ingredients used, indicating that more trials are needed to answer the question of their effectiveness properly. Typically, collagen supplements are either made up of marine collagen from fish, or animal collagen from cows and pigs. Vegan collagen supplements are also becoming widely available – ingestible beauty brand Moon Juice actually use mushrooms in its version.
But with that being said, the rave reviews from some users are often hard to ignore. I personally drink The Beauty Chef’s liquid collagen supplement almost every day, and if I skip it for a few mornings, I feel like I notice a visible difference in the bounciness of my skin. Maybe it’s placebo effect, but at the very least, it encourages me to drink more water. See an edit of top-rated collagen supplements below.
Vida Glow
Australian brand Vida Glow has quickly become a leader in terms of ingestible beauty products, in particular its super-fine marine collagen powder. Founder Anna Lahey discovered collagen in Japan, where it made an incredible difference to how much hair she was loosing. The brand’s unflavoured powder dissolves really well – try adding it to coffee, smoothies, or simply water. The flavoured options are also great if you find plain water a little boring to drink.
Vida Glow Original Collagen Loose Power, $90. SHOP NOW
The Beauty Chef
Australian brand The Beauty Chef is known for its bio-fermented Glow Powder, but the Collagen Inner Beauty Boost liquid is a favourite among beauty editors. It’s a liquid with a sweet, berry taste, so add a dash to a class of water first thing when you wake up in the morning. It’s also vegan, and gluten free.
The Beauty Chef Collagen Inner Beauty Boost, $42. SHOP NOW
Moon Juice
For vegans who want to try a collagen powder, Moon Juice’s is one of the best. Made from rice bran and mushroom extracts, it works well in coffee, hot chocolate made with nut milk, or a smoothie.
Moon Juice Beauty Shroom Vegan Collagen Powder, $58. SHOP NOW
Tile credit: Instagram, The Beauty Chef
