Collagen — I'll Be Ready in Five Minutes

One of my more serious and longstanding obsessions (yes, I'm aware I have many) is skincare. I have now become notorious to my nearest and dearest for the varied amount of potions I apply to my face and body on the daily, along with a long list of things I eat and drink to maintain a healthy bod, and therefore glowy skin. For me, beauty and wellness go hand in hand. When people compliment my skin and ask what makeup I'm wearing, it's a tough question to answer, because the way I look is a result of so much more than the 10 minutes I spent that morning getting ready. We can talk about all my favorite potions later, but if you're looking for a way to get seriously healthy glowing skin, my number one tip is COLLAGEN (and not the kind you inject!!).

I recently got to attend the Natural Expo West - a ginormous trade show of all things with natural ingredients - and one of my favorite discoveries of the day is the 15 different ways you can ingest collagen. I've been adding 2 scoops of Vital Proteins' "collagen peptides" powder to my morning brekky shake for the last year or so and the results are unmistakable: healthy skin, stronger nails, better hair.

Why Collagen?

Collagen is SO important. It is the MOST abundant protein in our body. The peeps over at Vital Proteins even refer to it as "the glue that holds our body together". Kind of hard to ignore, right? While most obvious and well-known benefit of a collagen supplement is younger-looking skin (I mean, duh, collagen and skin go together like avo and toast), there are a few other noteworthy benefits

It increases moisture levels in the skin, which means delayed onset of fine lines
Increases collagen formation, which means actual REVERSAL of existing wrinkles - FYI Collagen production in your skin begins to decrease around the age of 25 (This is not a drill)
Collagen and our digestive tracts are made of the same amino acids, so while other proteins are typically hard to digest, collagen is easily digested AND promotes overall gut health
A lot of skin irritation (redness, uneven tone, acne, eczema) is a result of poor digestion; Collagen helps to heal the stomach and digestive lining, which means skin clarity! Women have even claimed it reduces their cellulite...!
Promotes healthy cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, which means bendier joints (and an easier yoga class)

So now that you're as obsessed with it as I am, let's chat about all the different ways you can get your fix!!

Powder

This has been my go-to for over a year. I make a protein shake every morning so it's all too easy to just throw in two scoops. I use the Vital Proteins collagen peptides, a brand I LOVE! Just make sure you're checking the ingredients - VP only has ONE. Neocell Super Collagen powder is also a great and very popular option. Both can be dissolved in water and claim to have zero taste. I've always just put it in my shakes so I can't attest to the zero taste, but I'm a firm believer that every dish or drink is improved by a squeeze of fresh lemon so I would try that!

Cocktail

First of all, this little baby is called TAUT, so before I even tasted it, I was on board. But I got to sample this cute little cocktail and it is YUM. It has real orange juice and a touch of stevia, so it goes down easy. Along with marine collagen, hyaluronic acid (the absolute BEST moisturizer for skin), and a whole heap of vitamins, this little drink also has chondroitin sulfate in it. Great for joint pain, osteoporosis, and muscle soreness after exercise! Directions say to drink every night for 3-4 weeks for an INTENSE transformation. Um, yes sign me up.

Water

Vital Proteins (can you tell I'm obsessed??) came out with the cutest little Crystal-Light-style packets of beauty goodness. They come in three flavors: Lavender Lemon, Melon Mint, Cucumber Aloe; and you literally just mix them into a glass of water. How's that for easy beauty on the go? They each have 10g of collagen, 120mg of hyaluronic acid, are all gluten free, and have NO added sugars. They haven't hit the shelves yet but won't be long! I'll keep you posted.

Broth

I am so on board with bone broth and equally not on board with people who are grossed out by the word 'bone'. It literally tastes exactly like chicken soup broth! When I lived in Sydney, there were so many little cafes/health food markets who sold it in little paper coffee cups with lids! Literally the cutest. It has a ton of protein in it (which makes it a great in between meals snack, or a superrr light din) and it's choc full of collagen! I buy it at Whole Foods (Brand is Bonafide, in the frozen section) and just heat it up on the stove with a little (okay, a lot of) fresh lemon, cayenne pepper or chili flakes, and fresh garlic. Then I just happily drink out of a mug, knowing that with every sip my skin gets glowier :) However, the peeps over at Vital Proteins just really want us to look our best on the go and did another little Crystal-Light-style packet for bone broth! Just pour into a cup and add hot water! Also available soon.

Supplement

If you're more of a pill-popper and want to add collagen to your morning lineup, you've got options. I met with a supplement manufacturer who let me try the cutest little orange-flavored collagen gummies. Collagen, as an ingredient, works really well with Vitamin C, so you'll notice a lot of flavored options are orange fruit. The ones I tried are super cute (v important) and free of any nasty fillers or additives (V V important). Since he doesn't retail his gummies to normies like you and me, I continued to wander the floor until I had some actual options for you. The stalls that drew the biggest crowds were YouTheory (a sponsor of the whole Expo) and NeoCell. I didn't get to try either of them because both are just regular pills that you swallow, not gummies, which don't make for a very exciting sample. So I can't attest to which is better, only that you should pick one!

Mask

This one only pertains to your skin but who cares since that's our favorite thing to improve anyway! I am no stranger to paper masks and love them for their effectiveness. Before I got the sample below from Taut, I had never used a full face collagen mask - only eye pads (My three favorites are SK-II, Skyn, and Collagen Eye Zone). But let me tell you - Taut lives up to it's name! I like to leave it on as long as possible - like literally until it's dry and falling off my face :) This is more of a quick fix, but hey, sometimes a girl is in a pinch, right? Ideal for looking your best THAT night.