Study: Collagen Improves Skin Health, Not Wrinkles

Collagen supplements do improve skin hydration and elasticity — but they won’t erase your wrinkles. That’s the finding of a large umbrella review published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, led by researchers at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). The review analysed evidence from 16 existing reviews and 113 trials involving close to 8,000 patients worldwide.

Collagen has an interesting history in the supplement world. For years, it sat squarely in the gym bag alongside whey and creatine, with many lifters using it as a protein source to support muscle growth. The problem: collagen is a poor choice for that goal. It lacks the essential amino acids — specifically leucine and the branched-chain amino acids — that drive muscle protein synthesis. Whey protein consistently outperforms it for building muscle. Collagen’s real value was always elsewhere, and this new research confirms exactly where that is: skin and joint health.

The ARU team found that taking collagen supplements consistently over a long period is linked to meaningful improvements in skin elasticity and hydration, as well as a reduction in symptoms of osteoarthritis — the most common form of joint disease, characterised by cartilage breakdown and stiffness. What it didn’t significantly affect was skin roughness, and it produced no notable reduction in wrinkle depth. That directly contradicts the “full-body anti-ageing” promises that many supplement brands have built marketing campaigns around.

Prof Lee Smith, one of the lead investigators at ARU, put it plainly: the study “brings together the strongest evidence to date on collagen supplementation.” He added that bold claims have been made by manufacturers, and that the research is now in a position to separate fact from marketing. Crucially, the review received no industry funding — a distinction that matters, given that a separate 2025 meta-analysis in the American Journal of Medicine found that industry-funded collagen studies were significantly more likely to show positive results than independent ones.

The researchers suggest that collagen is best understood not as an anti-ageing quick fix, but as what they call “foundational dermal support” — a base-level supplement for people who want to maintain skin quality over time. They highlight post-menopausal women — skin loses around a third of its collagen around the menopause — and people with UV-damaged skin as groups who stand to benefit most. The review couldn’t determine whether marine, bovine or vegan collagen types differ in effectiveness, so the evidence doesn’t yet point to one source over another.

Speaking to the BBC, Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, noted that diet also plays a role. Vitamin C — found in citrus fruits, berries, peppers and green vegetables — supports collagen formation, as does zinc from meat, cheese, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. For those on plant-based diets, the body can produce its own collagen from amino acids found in protein sources like beans and lentils, and vegan supplements are also available.

Dr Tamara Griffiths, president of the British Association of Dermatologists, welcomed the research but called for more targeted dermatological trials to build on its findings.

For supplement users, the takeaway is fairly clear. If you’ve been adding collagen to your shakes expecting muscle gains, it won’t deliver the way whey will. But if skin hydration, elasticity, and joint comfort are your goals, there’s now solid independent evidence that collagen can help — provided you’re consistent and realistic about what it does.

One practical caveat: cost. Sky News spoke to Shefalee Loth, a nutritionist at consumer group Which?, who points out that most collagen supplements run to at least £25 a month for daily use — and the evidence suggests they need to be taken consistently to see results. There are also no approved health claims for collagen on the UK’s nutrition and health claims register. Worth factoring in before committing long-term.

The full study is available via the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum.