Japan is the leader in inventive technology in all sorts of areas and in recent years – anti aging products have been a big focus.
What starts in Japanese labs often becomes mainstream in Europe and America in no time at all – or at least in the time it takes to get approval from the authorities that count – like the FDA.
For some time now Japanese women concerned about skin aging have been able to buy anti aging food products – collagen marshmallows for instance – that aren’t available from US manufacturers.
Whether you fancy a collagen marshmallow is debateable but an anti aging drink seems to have more potential. After all what is it but an anti aging supplement in another form?
Shiseido The Collagen
Shiseido – the upmarket cosmetic and skin care company – has recently launched an anti aging collagen drink called “The Collagen” into the Japanese market.
Strange name but Shiseido claim that the drink is a non invasive answer to collagen fillers. They also claim that their product is the best collagen drink available and that it will plump out wrinkles in as little as three days.
Marine collagen tastes fishy!
The anti aging drink contains 1000 mg of low molecular fish collagen and is designed to be knocked back like a shot – or a probiotic yogurt drink if that’s your thing.
Although I haven’t tried this – I have tasted other Japanese marine based collagen drinks with this sort of collagen level and they tend to have an undertone of fish which is definitely not pleasant. Knocking the drink back in one hit is probably the best option!
Shiseido’s new anti aging product also contains hyaluronic acid and the amino acid GABA which is used in many botox alternative face serums and creams.
Do collagen drinks work?
So – if you drink collagen will it really produce an anti aging effect on your skin?
Most of us are aware of collagen and it’s role in acting as a support structure in the skin.
You may not know that there are 11 types of collagen – five of which are more important than the others and each of them working in different areas of the body. Collagen I is the collagen that supports the structure of your skin as well as tendons, capillaries, veins, bone and organs. Collagen IV is also important to your skin as it supports the cell membrane.
Collagen is a common substance in the body and vital for the youthfulness of our skin but there is no evidence that drinking collagen – or eating it in any other form can make you look younger.
Whilst the jury may be out on whether anti aging drinks in general could work – science seems to indicate that a collagen drink would not. Collagen is a protein which we produce naturally within our bodies. We can increase the production of collagen by eating the things that help the process – vitamin C for instance.
The collagen in a drink or any other food product will be broken down by our digestive juices and absorbed as associated amino acids – it cannot remain intact and be used as collagen by the skin or any other connective tissue.
Drinking collagen and appearing magically younger and wrinkle free sounds like a nice idea but the science is very shaky. Even worse – if you examine the amount of sugar in your collagen drink you may find you are making your wrinkles worse by loading your system with glucose.
Boost collagen production through diet
Changing or improving your diet is the key to getting all the collagen your skin needs to protect you from premature wrinkling.
Antioxidants are the key to boosting collagen production. Take a look at your diet for collagen friendly foods – eat lots of green leafy vegetables, highly colored fruits and vegetables like red peppers, beets and tomatoes and plenty of omega 3 through fish and avocados or an omega 3 supplement.
If you wonder whether the smooth unwrinkled skin of many Japanese women is down to the collagen they drink – take a look at what they eat. Raw fish and lightly cooked vegetables are at the heart of Japanese cooking!
About Eileen
Just wanna share some of my very own experience with the collagen powder/drink/capsules. =)
I have been taking collagen in form of soft gel capsules since the age of 25. There is a great improvement of skin condition on my face, less oily; smaller pores; easier to apply foundation etc.. I stop for a few years due to pregnancy and breast feeding as to play safe that I am very unsure of any side effects….
But I have started taking back collagen drinks; powder lately and the brand are all from Japan. Currently I am taking Fancl collagen drink which has the most positive reviews compared to other Japanese brand.
Those very popular ones selling in my country are Fancl, Shiseido, DHC, Milcolla, Meiji, Lotte etc. The Japanese collagen powder are in low molecularizes 100% fish collagen!
Evonne – thanks for sharing your experience with collagen products – I know drinks and powders are incredibly popular in your part of the world – here it is quite a new market so it is very useful to get some feedback.
I am 28 years old but I do not have wrinkles (the last time I checked that is!) I have combination skin, oily on the tzones, dry cheeks. I chose Made from Earth Vitamin Enhanced Face Firming Serum because of the good reviews I saw from different online sites. They say it is easier to prevent wrinkles than actually curing them when you get it. I wash my face first before putting the serum.
I have used the Vitamin Enhanced Face Firming Serum for almost two weeks and I have not experienced any rashes, breakouts or red spots. I have no complaints at all. I would use their Vitamin Enhanced Moisturizer also but I think I have to finish up my Oil of Olay stash first. I will definitely use more Made from Earth products.
Hattie – Thanks for the recommendations – I haven’t used either of these products but I would tend to go for good skin care and a great diet over an anti aging drink!
I thought that the review you mentioned was in liquid form- But I see “The Collagen” has liquid, powder and tablet form. I didn’t realize. Which kind do you think is better?
I found this listing…
http://akinaistore.com/index.php?route=product/search&keyword=%22The%20collagen%22&category_id=0
Alexandria – thanks for the comment and the useful link for Shisheido’s collagen products. I wasn’t aware that they had expanded the range to include powder and tablets. My feeling is that the tablet would be the best bet as it is unlikely to contain added sugar like the collagen drink – the collagen powder may be something you mix with water which probably means it also contains substantial amounts of added sugar. The collagen tablets have been around for some time from other manufacturers as collagen supplements. Research suggests that ingesting collagen is unlikely to work as an anti aging skin booster – but the best way is to try and see if it works for you.
The Japanese really do seem to be on top of these beauty things don’t they…
I looked into the Japanese collagen products and I decided to try Shiseido too except I bought collagen in Tablet form called ‘Pure White W’. I just started taking it so I will report back if I have any results!
Alexandria – thanks for the update – I would be very interested to hear how you get on and what you think. Shisheido certainly has a great name in skin care and beauty so hopefully they know what they are doing with collagen supplements too!
Hi, I was doing a search for Shiseido The Collagen line and found your site. I am currently living in Japan and yesterday I went to a pharamacy that was having a promotion for this product. I tried a bottle of it and it was delicious. I don’t read Japanese and I only tried the one bottle so I can’t speak to the effectiveness. The counter worker told me they had recently reformulated it to make the body asbsorb more of itso maybe they improved the flavor as well? So if you are worried about fishy taste, don’t be. It was a nice plum taste, a bit sweet and sour. I found it very appealing for a supplement. The bottle I tried was a deep purple color.
Jennifer – many thanks for the comments – it is really good to get direct feedback from someone who has actually tried Shisheido’s collagen drink. At least one possible negative eliminated – no fishy taste! Interesting too what the assistant told you about reformulating the product – one of the drawbacks as I understand it is the body’s limited capacity to absorb and utilize collagen in oral supplement form. Maybe they have been working on that – I think an update article may be a good idea!
Well, hmm so far I don’t really notice much difference in my achy knees and back. Maybe it will take longer, but I was hoping for more result by now. I’ll give this product a little more time. Does anyone have good results with a collagen supplement for aching joints?
Thanks!
Joyce – thanks for the update – supplements often take a while to build up in the body but the science does indicate collagen may not work through oral supplementation
I have started taking a liquid collagen protein supplement, the maker is “Pronutri”, it’s called Amino Complete. I thought I would give it a try for my bad knees. There is NO SUGAR, it’s sweetened with Stevia, and it tastes like concentrated orange juice. Pretty yummy.
I am waiting to see if it’s going to work, but I see there may be other benefits as well… sweet!
Joyce – thanks for your comments. The supplement you mention seems to be the right combination of collagen and protein. Stevia is a great alternative to sugar for taking the bad taste from a collagen drink or supplement without damaging your skin or raising blood sugar levels.
my sister lost a lot of hair due to a shock caused by the knowledge of being diagnosed with lupus. i got her some collagen pills and she saw a dramatic effect! her hair, nails grew faster and her skin was glowing all throughout the time she was on them. i have also done a fair bit of research to see if collagen has any side effects and found that it doesn’t have any! its a naturally occuring protein in our body that is ingestible as well as absorbed easily into our digestive system, hence our blood stream. an excess would pass in your urine as i assume. 30% of our body is made of collagen- a connective tissue and as we age, this percentage weakens. ingesting collagen helps strengthen this percentage and therefore keep the growth process continued. i wish there were more collagen products in the US that are not in pill form.
Nancy – thanks for taking time to post about your sister. Sometimes the evidence from experience is the best we have to go on and occasionally science tells us something different. If it works for you then go for it! Have you tried Life Extension Foundation or Stop Aging Now as a source for collagen supplements – both are excellent online sites offering specialist and high quality products.
i started consuming collagen pills when i was about to reach 40 and i am now mid 40s. its a wonderful product. i am not worried about the sugar content at all coz the effect on my skin is fabulous. its my friends who kept on noticing the texture and my glow and i made it a point to monitor the progress and made sure there was no interference wth any other pills etc…btw, i do not own any collagen companies nor am i a stockist or distributor. jus an honest person who feels that a certain product has worked for her.
Maz – thanks for giving us the benefit of your experience with collagen drinks. I’m glad it has had a great anti aging effect on your skin and looks but I still think it is best to avoid the sugar hit if possible.
I started drinking liquid collagen for my bad knees, and felt it worked much better that glucosamine. I also noticed my skin looked good. I really like collagen, and as with all supplements liquids seem to work better for me.
Michelle – glucosamine supplements for joint stiffness are often combined with collagen because it helps regenerate connective tissue. Interesting that you noticed the improvement in your skin. One thing that occurs to me is that you are taking a simple collagen supplement not a collagen drink so the downsides of the added sugar (in the drink) is not an issue. Whatever works for you is always best!
hi!! have you heard about the potion IVI collagen drink? i have read some research and comments about that product. is it really effective? im 24 and i really want to keep my skin look young. i hope you could help.
thanks and regards.
-jen
Jen – I haven’t heard of this collagen drink but my comments still apply. There is no proof taking collagen orally will work but if the drink is sweetened you are defeating the object due to the effect of glycation on the skin. At 24 you shouldn’t need to worry too much about the effects of aging on your skin but you are right to think about prevention. More important IMO are things like diet (leafy greens, high colored fruits and vegetables, not smoking and getting a good amount of exercise. Taking a high strength fish oil capsule will do wonders for skin moisture levels and preventing premature wrinkles.
Collagen by definition is a large molecule that needs to be broken down before it can be absorbed. In fact in its natural form it is not soluble in water. However, collagen peptides with molecular weight between 3000–10,000 has been demonstrated in both animal and human trials to be absorbed quickly through intestine, and enter the collagen synthesis pathways with a “salutory effect”, that is, body will use these collagen parts preferentially in metabolism of natural collagen, for whatever organ happens to be needing replacements. Numerous publications are available on this phenomena in wound-healing medical studies. Collagen drink developer are aware of this and their products have taken these science into consideration. Skin health have been demonstrated to be improved in many double-blind placebo conrolled studies. Although many are in Japanese. Western medical communities are only too slow in picking up this wealth of information.
William – thanks for this information. It sounds like you know what you are talking about here. When I did the research I found it very difficult to come up with any study that supported the view that collagen could be taken orally and make a difference to skin health. One thing you can’t get round though is the amount of sugar in many of these drinks. Any benefit from a collagen drink will surely be undermined by the damage added sugar does to skin through glycation.
My concern regarding collagen suplements is.. does the body get lazy in the production of its own collagen, if you keep providing it with a certain external amount?
Maika – I don’t think collagen supplements make any difference to the body’s own production. The jury is still out on whether supplementation actually works but one thing is for sure a sugary sweet collagen drink is not the way to go to reduce skin aging!
Hi,are there any side effects on too much intake of collagen?
Geraldine – none as far as I’m aware but keep to any recommended guidelines on a good supplement. Whether taking collage supplements will actually help as far as wrinkles are concerned is not proven so don’t expect miracles.
i’m currently doing research about usage of collagen nowadays. can i know, if there any bad side effect if we overdose using collagen.
Yonjie – I am sure going mad with collagen supplements is not a good idea – but the amounts quoted in the article are quite high and there are no side effects noted.