Oh, the wonders of collagen…

By contributor Allie White.

These days, it seems you can’t swing a trendy-neon-fanny-pack-worn-across-the-chest-as-a-purse without seeing, hearing, or reading about collagen. The hero ingredient in a serum or oil; the word that stands out in a write-up on bone broth; the desert-island product of everyone you care about. And while its prevalence is well-deserved, should you decide to embark on your own collagen adventure, it’s important to remember a few things:

Not all collagen is created equal.
Every collagen formulation is different.
The delivery method of your collagen is crucial.

We’ll get to numbers one and two in a bit, but for now, let’s focus on number three: delivery method. (And if you need a refresher on what collagen is and why it’s so important for your overall well-being, check this out.)

The thing about collagen is that its molecular structure is too big to be absorbed through the skin. Sure, a topical product like a collagen-infused serum, oil, or moisturizer will be effective at hydrating and temporarily plumping, but the real collagen magic happens inside your body, which leads me to ingestibles. These forms of collagen have smaller, more absorbable molecules that get right to the point, stimulating and amping up the natural collagen production your body is already doing. So whether you’re sipping on lemon-flavored collagen water, stirring collagen creamer into your morning cup of coffee, or popping a daily capsule, the most reliable, most effective way to get a regular dose of collagen is via your mouth.

Since the market is truly flooded with the stuff, here’s a small roundup of favorites that are beyond easy to incorporate into your daily wellness practice, as well as some *truly* sage advice and wisdom from one founder, collagen queen Casey Gouveia.

If you want to be refreshed and hydrated:

Calling it now: GoBeYou’s Bone Broth Collagen Powder is about to become your Drink of Summer™. As a “super pro-lemon” individual, Gouveia decided to incorporate lemon’s alkalizing properties into her collagen powder, not only to help balance pH and keep the body alkalized but also because it’s straight-up delicious. Mix a scoop into your water, add some ice and fresh mint or ginger — it’ll be gone before you can say hydrolyzed collagen structural protein.

If you’re into collagen on the go:

The award for Most Convenient Collagen goes to Vida Glow’s Collagen Sticks, which are ingeniously packaged in single-serving sachets so you can toss a bunch into your bag for on-the-go joint health. Unlike some of the others on this list, Vida Glow uses marine collagen from sustainably-sourced fish skin, so it’s safe if you’re a pescatarian (and also, if you want something flavored: their peach and blueberry versions are flavored with real fruit).

If your mantra is “coffee before anything else”:

Caffeineate and collagen-ate in a single cup? Sign me up. Interestingly, this coffee supercharger doesn’t include collagen on its ingredient list. Rather, it relies on just three things — silver ear mushroom, tocos, and hyaluronic acid — to provide the essential nutrition cells need to preserve the body’s natural collagen supply.

If smoothies are your love language:

One of the biggest complaints people have about collagen powder is that even when it’s labeled as flavorless, it still has a pretty distinct taste. But not collagen+ from mindbodygreen. True to its name, this stuff is absolutely undetectable when mixed with something else, making it perfect for smoothies.

If you’ve got space in your day-of-the-week supplement box:

Admittedly, not everyone loves drinking water throughout the day or filling up on liquids, which makes the Collagen Love supplements from HUM Nutrition an excellent option for anyone who prefers supplements in pill form. The blend also features two types of collagen, I and III, the latter of which is less common in supplements but just as important since it’s found in major structural organs like large blood vessels, the uterus and bowels.

And now, a word from our collagen queen, Casey Gouveia, the founder of GoBeYou, a genuinely glowing human, and a walking billboard for the benefits of collagen. (Seriously, she has the skin, energy, and cheery disposition of a kindergartener who sleeps 12 hours a night.)

Tell us about GoBeYou.
I’ve been a makeup artist for 40 years, working with people, hearing their stories, looking at and working with skin. I came to a point where I felt like I wanted to do more than just make people look better. As life’s stressors got to me, I thought, “I really want to dial in more to health for myself and others, and how I can help [people] who don’t have the knowledge or life experiences I do.

Working in the beauty industry for so long, I’ve seen so many women try to desperately hold onto youth or be someone they aren’t. So the name — GoBeYou — comes from the idea of, “yeah, go be YOU. Everyone else is taken.” I want everyone to live in vibrancy and joy, and inspire women to think that at any age, they can be living their best.

What is collagen? Why do our bodies need it?
Collagen cushions your joints and keeps your connective tissues connected. It’s in your skin, hair, nails, joints. Think of a rubber band: if you stretch it too much, it stops bouncing back; collagen is like the spring in that rubber band.

The body naturally produces collagen, but less and less as we age. So if you’re in your 20s or 30s, start taking it! When you go through menopause, you lose up to 30% of the collagen in your face [which can lead to] looking tired and worn out.

Is there a right or wrong way to choose and use collagen products?
There are different types of collagen and different ways the collagen peptides are hydrolyzed to make them more bioavailable. My GoBeYou collagen is bovine type I* — it’s the most common in our body and more rapidly distributed to our connected tissue. It’s really about the molecule size: When the peptides have a lower molecular weight, they’re more easily [absorbed].

People take collagen but what they don’t realize is that it’s not all being [absorbed]. Collagen needs amino acids to work, it needs vitamin C to work. GoBeYou’s Bone Broth Collagen Powder includes so many other things [besides] the collagen peptides: vitamin C, which works to help heal connective tissue, repair with aging, and collagen synthesis; glutamine, which is great for the gut; glucosamine reduces joint pain and wrinkles; aloe vera, which is really good for leaky gut; biotin, which is great for skin, hair and nails; bamboo, which is like silicon and helps connective tissues, wound healing, and arteries. A lot of people take these as individual supplements but the nice thing about our collagen powder is that you can get all of it in one.

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And if you’re going to drink collagen, you need to do it consistently. Don’t drink it for a week and say, “I don’t see any difference!” It’s like your diet: you can’t eat junk for two weeks, a rainbow for one day, and expect to suddenly feel great. Consistency is important and it sends your body a message that the good stuff is coming and your body starts to respond."

So much in the beauty and self-care space is dedicated to terms like “anti-aging,” but you are emphatically pro-aging. What does “aging” mean to you?

You can’t stop the tide from coming in, no matter how much you try. To be able to age is a privilege and not everyone gets that privilege. I want to be positive about growing up and getting older, to accept it as a gift I’ve been given, to share all the positive things I’ve learned in my life because I’m aging. You spend all these years where your identity is about your beauty, whether or not you realize it. Then you get older. You could think, “my flower is wilted.” Or you could say, “I’m ok with passing the baton” because now I see that my beauty comes from within — so does everyone’s.

*Bovine type I collagen found in the flesh and connective tissues of cows.

**Please consult your doctor or primary care physician before incorporating collagen into your diet/routine.