10 Benefits of Marine Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body.⁹ Collagen is what gives your skin, hair and nails their structure, elasticity and firmness. But from your mid-20s, as part of the natural ageing process, collagen production begins to slow. ¹⁰ As this happens, hair starts to thin, more lines and wrinkles appear, and muscles become weaker.

But it’s not all bad news. There is a scientifically proven way to supplement the collagen you lose – ingestible marine collagen.

What is marine collagen?

Marine collagen is a collagen supplement derived from the skin of fish. Vida Glow’s Natural Marine Collagen is made from sustainably sourced fish skin. More specifically, our collagen is made using the discarded skin of responsibly farmed fish. This avoids placing too much demand on one species.

Vida Glow marine collagen comes as a powder which is dissolved in water and available in a range of different flavours including our unflavoured original, blueberry, mango, peach and cranberry & lime to name a few.

How does marine collagen work?

Marine collagen works from within to boost skin health. When ingested, it delivers essential amino acids to the dermis (the deeper layer of the skin) to stimulate fresh collagen production. ¹¹

Vida Glow’s Natural Marine Collagen is activated so your body can actually use it. It’s put through a process called hydrolysation, which transforms the fish skin into collagen peptides. The smaller the collagen peptide, the easier it is for your body to absorb. And better absorption means more visible results.

For best results, it's important to know how much collagen per day is right for you. Marine collagen is designed to be taken every day. Consistency is key to maximise its beauty-boosting properties. If you stop taking collagen regularly, the body’s production of collagen will slowly revert back to its natural rate.

Results aren't instant, and you may wonder how long does collagen take to work. While every individual is different, most people start seeing visible improvements in skin, hair, and nails after a few weeks of regular supplementation.

10 Benefits of Marine Collagen

Marine collagen supplements can help you maintain the benefits of collagen as your body’s own stores and production levels start to wind down.

Clinical trials show that marine collagen can improve skin tone and texture, promote skin firmness, increase elasticity and smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Studies have also shown marine collagen benefits hair and nails too, significantly improving their quality, strength and growth.

1. Reduce skin dryness

If your skin tends to feel dry or dehydrated, incorporating a daily marine collagen sachet into your routine can help reduce dryness. Marine collagen supplementation works by replenishing your skin's water content and enhancing its structure, helping your skin stay hydrated and healthy. ¹

2. Boost skin elasticity

Collagen and elastin work hand-in-hand to maintain youthful skin. But just like collagen, our elastin degrades with age, and a creeping effect appears around our eyes and lips. Regular marine collagen intake has been shown to restore skin elasticity, smooth fine lines, and give your skin a ‘bouncy’ feel.⁵ Our Pro Collagen+ is ideal if improving elasticity and deep wrinkles is your main concern.

3. Smooth out fine lines

Marine collagen supplements replenish lost collagen and strengthen your skin's collagen matrix. This process helps smooth fine lines, delivering visible, clinically-proven results in just a few weeks, ³ making it one of the top benefits of collagen supplementation.

4. Minimise visible wrinkles

As collagen rebuilds skin strength and elasticity, visible wrinkles start to fade. ³ Marine collagen is so effective in reducing wrinkles that leading cosmetic experts, such as Dr. Ewoma, recommend it as part of a comprehensive skincare regimen. Adding anti-ageing marine collagen supplements is an easy way to complement other anti-ageing treatments.

5. Promote radiant skin

Whether you’re seeing deeper wrinkles or just want to maintain a youthful complexion, collagen benefits include the promotion of glowing skin. If you’re new to collagen or starting to notice early signs of ageing, adding a daily liquid marine collagen can restore your skin’s natural radiance. ⁵ For maximum glow and reduced wrinkles, increase your intake to two or three servings per day.

6. Enhance hair thickness

Can collagen improve skin? Yes. Collagen isn’t just beneficial for skin; it also supports hair health. Taking marine collagen hair supplements helps improve hair thickness by creating a healthy environment for hair growth, making it stronger and more resilient. ⁶

7. Strengthen fragile nails

Just like it improves skin, marine collagen can also be an excellent treatment for fragile and tear-prone nails. Daily wear and tear or frequent manicures can leave nails vulnerable, but supplementing with marine collagen supports healthier, stronger nails from the inside out. ⁷

8. Support overall skin health

Marine collagen plays a role in maintaining skin health by supporting its structure and elasticity. As we age, natural collagen production decreases, leading to signs of ageing like fine lines, wrinkles, and dryness. Taking skin health supplements helps hydrate the skin, improve elasticity, and strengthen the skin barrier, making your skin more resilient to environmental stressors. ²

9. Reduce hair thinning and shedding

Hair thinning and shedding are common concerns as collagen production declines over time. Marine collagen supports the hair follicles by providing essential amino acids needed for keratin production, the protein that makes up hair. Marine collagen benefits the hair by providing the amino acids needed for keratin production, reducing hair loss and promoting thicker, healthier hair growth. ⁶

10. Accelerate skin regeneration

Collagen helps speed up the skin’s natural repair processes, promoting regeneration and healing from daily damage like UV exposure. ⁸ By stimulating new collagen production, your skin becomes firmer and more even-toned, reducing fine lines and leaving your skin looking rejuvenated and refreshed.

But what do the experts say about marine collagen?

There are plenty of clinical trials, studies and credible evidence on the benefits of collagen, but sometimes you just want to hear it from the source. So, we’ve enlisted a panel of leading health, skin and beauty experts to help explain the benefits and science behind marine collagen.

Dr Michele Squire is a PhD scientist, and a firm believer in the power of hydrolised marine collagen to improve skin.

“There is an ever-increasing body of evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of ingested hydrolysed collagen’s ability to improve skin elasticity, hydration and plump fine lines and wrinkles,” she explains. “There is also some promising evidence of its antioxidant ability, and capacity to reduce signs of UV damage in skin.”

Dermatologist Dr Philip Tong also sees the benefit in marine collagen supplementation as a part of a skin care routine.

“The patients I would recommend collagen supplementation would be those that want to maintain healthy glowing skin and those that would want to reverse signs of premature ageing.”

“There’s early evidence to suggest collagen supplementation has improvements in terms of skin elasticity and hydration and actually has some effects on wound healing as well.”

Impressive, right? So, when do these promising results begin the show? Dr Tong says: “People can expect to see results with consistent daily use of marine collagen in about three to four weeks.”

Sources:

1. Barati, Meisam, et al. "Collagen supplementation for skin health: A mechanistic systematic review" Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, vol. 19, no. 11, 2020, pp. 2820-2829. Wiley Online Library, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jocd.13435.

2. Evans, Malkanthi, et al. "A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study to evaluate the efficacy of a freshwater marine collagen on skin wrinkles and elasticity." Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, vol. 20, no. 3, 2020, pp. 825-834. Wiley Online Library, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.13676.

3. Borumand, Maryam and Sibilla, Sara. "Daily consumption of the collagen supplement Pure Gold Collagen® reduces visible signs of aging." Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, vol. 12, 2019, pp. 67-75. Taylor & Francis Online, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2147/CIA.S65939.

4. Arul, Vettrivel, et al. "Potential Role of Collagen and Its Supplements in Treatment of Skin Aging." ResearchGate, 2023, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vettrivel-Arul/publication/380936966_Potential_role_of_collagen_and_its_supplements_in_treatment_of_skin_ageing/links/6656bad00b0d28457461c5c8/Potential-role-of-collagen-and-its-supplements-in-treatment-of-skin-ageing.pdf.

5. Rahman, Azizur, et al. "Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of Marine Collagen: A Scientific Exploration for Delaying Skin Aging" Marine Drugs, vol. 22, no. 4, 2024, p. 159. MDPI, https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/22/4/159.

6. Igielska-Kalwat,Joanna, et al. "The Use of Natural Collagen Obtained from Fish Waste in Hair Styling and Care." Polymers, vol. 14, no. 4, 2022, p. 749, MDPI, https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/4/749. 

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