Do Collagen Supplements Actually Improve Your Skin and Joint Health? (2025)

As you get older, you body gradually produces less collagen, which can lead to facial volume loss, mobility issues, and joint pain.

Many collagen supplements claim to restore or boost collagen production, but do they actually work?

What Does Research Say About Collagen Supplements?

There is some scientific evidence to back up the effectiveness of collagen supplementation.

A meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Dermatology in 2021 concluded that 90 days of collagen supplementation can reduce wrinkles and improve skin hydration and elasticity.

A 2022 study with 100 participants showed that the oral supplementation of low-molecular-weight collagen could improve wrinkles, elasticity, hydration, and barrier integrity of photoaged facial skin without adverse effects.

Which Form of Collagen Is Best for Your Skin?

Collagen supplements can come in powders, capsules, and liquids.

There's no conclusive evidence about the ideal form of collagen supplementation yet, said Kristina Collins, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Austin.

The most common form is hydrolyzed collagen, also known as collagen peptides, which has been broken down into smaller fragments that are easier for the body to digest and absorb. However, it's unclear how much the body can actually absorb collagen and its peptide components through the digestive process, Collins added.

What Other Supplements Can Boost Collagen?

Collagen is derived from animal sources. While it can't be derived from plants, there are plant-based alternatives made of minerals that may support the body's own production of collagen.

Oral supplements containing vitamin C, zinc, manganese, coenzyme Q10, glycine, proline, and copper can help create new collagen, Collins said.

These ingredients—called “cofactors”—are molecules that need to be present for collagen production to occur. Plus, these simpler molecules can be absorbed through the GI tract more easily, she added.

What About Collagen in Skin Care Products?

Facial collagen moisturizers or creams are “completely useless” because the molecule of collagen is too large to make it past the skin carrier, Collins explained.

“We can’t absorb collagen through the skin, but we can absorb many types of molecules that both support collagen synthesis and downregulate collagen degradation,” she said.

Topical vitamin C, combined with ferulic acid and vitamin E, may be a better combination for skin care products, according to Kunal Malik, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City.

“These three ingredients have a synergistic antioxidant effect and protect against UV irradiation, which causes not only photoaging but also skin cancer,” Malik said. “The effect is even stronger when Vitamin C and E and ferulic are combined with SPF.”

What Can You Use Instead of Collagen?

UV damage from sun exposure can cause collagen to break down a lot faster than the normal aging process, Malik said, so wearing a minimum of SPF 30 daily offers great protection against collagen degradation.

Collins recommends choosing anti-aging skin care products that contain vitamin A derivatives, such as retinol, retinoate, and anything with “retin." Peptides are shorter amino acid chains that serve as building blocks for collagen, while hyaluronic acid act as the “glue” between the amino acid building blocks.

Niacinamide and coenzyme Q10 are also great collagen-boosting minerals that can be absorbed through the skin, Collins added.

“Good sleep hygiene and stress reduction are also helpful for maintaining the cellular processes that regulate our collagen synthesis or breakdown,” Collins asid.