by Dr.Xiao-Tong Huang

Did you find the loss of collagen increases with age? If in the meantime, you’re experiencing an unbalanced diet, circadian misalignment, high stress and frequent exposure to the sun, the loss of collagen is only going to go up. Collagen deficiency will turn your face sallow and dry, depriving the skin of radiance and elasticity. You’ll be tired-looking with dull and pale skin. Even putting on makeup cannot save the day!

“Collagen” is the main source that keeps the skin supple and plump. It acts as a “supportive” role, helping the skin maintain elasticity and making us look youthful and radiant! Apart from diligently applying sunscreen and skin care every day, acquiring collagen by taking supplements to restore plump and glowing skin is also a good method. Achieve the best result through a duo care of “external treatment and oral supplements!” The following are tips that I follow when choosing collagen supplements:

✔️Molecular Weight

The smaller the molecular weight, the faster collagen peptides are absorbed. A molecular weight smaller than 5000 Da is preferred. It is best if the product is clinically proven to be detectable in the body after consumption. That means the ingredient is effectively absorbed!

✔️Source of Raw Material

Select collagen material backed by research studies to show that the product is conducive to the skin’s health with traceable sources and qualified by patents or certifications. It’ll give you more assurance when taking the product.

✔️Complemented by Vitamin C or Not

Vitamin C plays a critical role in the synthesis of collagen. When it is deficient in the body, no amount of collagen peptides is enough for the replenishment.

✔️Free of Chemical Additives

Some vendors add many sweeteners, artificial flavors, binders and so on to make the taste more pleasant. Yet, taking in too many of these unnecessary chemical additives might cause burdens on the body instead.

✔️Dosage Form and Packaging

Compared to collagen products in the forms of tablets and liquids, the ingredients of powder collagen are much simpler. Without too many chemical additives, you can eat it without concerns! Furthermore, it is more convenient to carry when the product is individually packaged in small packets. Small packets can also prevent the content from being dampened and guarantee its quality.

You’ve probably heard that there are many types of collagen in the human body, such as type I, type II, type III, etc. In fact, the type of collagen you need to replenish is different based on needs! If you want to maintain youthful and glowing skin, choose type I collagen. Fish, pork, beef, viscera, bone broth are all food sources of type I collagen. Since the molecular weight of fish collagen is smaller, it is a more common source of collagen supplements. If you’re looking to improve physical agility, choose type II collagen instead. Common sources include chicken and fish cartilages. Don’t mix up the two and replenish the wrong type!

The amount of collagen you replenish is also key. Since the capacity of absorption is not limitless, taking more than the body can absorb is not only useless but also wasteful and burdensome to your metabolism. Replenishing less than required also fails to deliver the full beautifying effects or even achieve no effect at all. Replenishing at least 5000 mg of collagen daily is recommended to meet the requirements of maintaining radiant skin. Taking a “moderate” amount is the wise thing to do.😉 Additionally, apart from marine collagen, there is also porcine collagen on the market. How do you choose between the two? I usually go for marine collagen, which is sourced from fish scales or skin. Since the collagen molecules are more refined, it features a higher absorption rate. Yet, if you are allergic to seafood, I do not recommend it! Choosing porcine collagen is more appropriate!

The recommended timing to take collagen is before bedtime on an empty stomach or 30 minutes before breakfast after waking up. Eating it with room temperature or cold water is better for absorption. Even though a lot of collagen products have improved the taste of collagen pretty well, some people are more sensitive and want to avoid any unpleasant odor. Thus, they like to add it into juice, milk and yogurt. This is also a good way of taking collagen! Yet, if you can stand the smell, I’d still suggest that you take collagen on an empty stomach, since absorption rate is my priority. 😎

Furthermore, I hope that you’ll not take replenishing collagen as a compensation for mindless gorging and binge drinking or poor sleep habits. As the Western diet has become more popular, most people nowadays are not taking in balanced nutrition due to diets gravitating towards more deep-fried, oily, refined foods and less vegetables and fruits. This left the body without enough materials to synthesize collagen. On top of that, when piled up with high stress, and bad living habits such as smoking and staying up late, the speed of collagen loss increases even more! In this case, no amount of collagen taken is enough. Usually, I eat extra servings of fruits rich in vitamin C such as guava, kiwi, strawberries and citrus, to help promote collagen production. This is one of my secret steps to stay beautiful and confident.

Collagen is after all not a drug; it requires long-term and continued replenishment to help our skin become radiant, plump and rosy. In the meantime, it is just as important to develop good eating and sleeping habits, exercise regularly and give your skin sufficient sun protection and treatment to restore youthful skin and remain beautiful!

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