Hydrolyzed Collagen Improves Skin Elasticity and Hydration

by | Jun 8, 2023 | 2023, Skin Health

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Results of the meta-analysis of 26 RCTs and 1721 participants shows that hydrolyzed collagen supplementation significantly improved skin elasticity (p < 0.00001) and hydration (p < 0.00001). 

women's health skin healthSkin, like any other organ, undergoes progressive decline in its physiological, morphological, and functional features during aging1. The human skin is constantly exposed to internal and external stimuli that have an impact on its functionality with the progression of the age, manifesting as wrinkling, dry skin, a reduced barrier integrity and thinning of the epidermis2. Factors besides age that contribute to skin aging include ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure, environmental exposures, and diet3.

Collagen accounts for around 30% of the protein composition of the human body and aging elicits the reduction of 1% of collagen content yearly4. Collagen in its hydrolyzed form is a popular antioxidant ingredient for skin health5. Various research has shown the beneficial effect of collagen peptides on skin elasticity, such as reducing wrinkles or increasing collagen deposition in the dermis6.

Pu et al. conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effects of collagen supplementation on skin hydration and elasticity. Study inclusion consisted of following a randomized clinical trial (RCT) design, with healthy adults aged ≥18 years, including subjects who received hydrolyzed collagen (HC). A sensitivity analysis was utilized to negate the effect of potentially influential studies. Furthermore, the Cochrane risk of bias 2.0 tool was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies.

A total of 26 RCTs including 1721 participants were included in the meta-analysis. HC supplementation duration ranged from 2 to 12 weeks. 14 RCTs focused on marine collagen, one focused on bovine collagen, one focused on collagen extracted from chicken, two focused on porcine collagen, and nine studies did not state the source of collagen. Skin hydration was measured by a self-report or by using a corneometer or cutometry, which are both non-invasive techniques to assess skin health. Significant findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis are as follows:

  • The overall pooled effect size of 0.63 (95% CI 0.38, 0.88) indicated that HC supplementation significantly improved skin hydration (z = 4.94, p < 0.00001).
  • Results indicate that HC supplementation significantly improved skin elasticity (z = 4.49, p < 0.00001) compared with the placebo group at a pooled effect size of 0.72 (95% CI 0.40, 1.03).
  • The effects of long-term HC use (>8 weeks) (0.59, 95% CI 0.35, 0.83) were more favorable than that of the short-term use (<8 weeks) (0.39, 95% CI 0.15, 0.63).

Results of the study show that supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen significantly improved skin elasticity and hydration. Furthermore, the effects of collagen were more beneficial with long-term use. Study limitations include the small sample sizes of the included RCTs and the use of self-reported measures of skin elasticity in certain instances.

Source: Pu, Szu-Yu, Ya-Li Huang, Chi-Ming Pu, Yi-No Kang, Khanh Dinh Hoang, Kee-Hsin Chen, and Chiehfeng Chen. “Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Nutrients 15, no. 9 (2023): 2080.

© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Posted June 7, 2023.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

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