Can collagen supplements REALLY MAKE YOU LOOK YOUNGER?

Beauty editor Stephanie Maylor investigates the effects of ingestible collagen on ageing and shares six supplements that really work

- Stephanie Maylor

Better skin doesn't just come from a jar. It's now recognised that ingestible beauty supplements - which claim to make skin look and behave younger - can help too. Collagen, a protein that makes up around 70-75% of our skin, is one of the most popular. Collagen is responsible for skin's plumpness, elasticity and structure, but levels start to deplete from the age of 25. By 50, we will have lost around half of our collagen, which can result in wrinkles and sagging. But can popping a pill really top up our natural collagen levels? 'I take an inside-out approach to skin health and love collagen supplements,' admits aesthetic doctor, Dr Sophie Shotter. But how do they work? 'Hydrolysed collagen is broken into fragments, making it easy for the body to absorb, explains Dr Shotter. 'These collagen peptides pass through the gut lining and are absorbed into the bloodstream, where they stimulate fibroblast cells to produce more collagen, so skin becomes smoother, less lined and more radiant.'

BEST FOR BRIGHTNESS

New Nordic Collagen Shot, £29.99 for 15 sachets, newnordic.co.uk