7 things UK women over 40 should know before buying another collagen
Most of us have a half-used tub at the back of the cupboard. Here's what to check on the label this time.
If you've bought collagen before, you probably know how it goes. A friend looks well and tells you it's collagen. The ads follow you around Instagram. You buy a tub, take it for a few weeks, and it ends up next to the vitamins you also stopped taking.
Then you read a Mumsnet thread where half the replies call collagen a con, and you start wondering whether you wasted your money.
We make Multi Collagen+. We'd like you to buy it knowing exactly what's in it, so here are seven things worth checking first, whoever you buy from.
1Half of what the sceptics say is true
Collagen you swallow doesn't go straight to your face. Your stomach breaks it down into amino acids, the same as any protein, and anyone who tells you otherwise is overselling.
What the sceptics leave out is that your body makes its own collagen, and vitamin C is part of that.
Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, cartilage and bones.
Every scoop of Multi Collagen+ has 200mg of liposomal vitamin C in it. Have a look at whether your last tub did.
2Find the dose on the back
Turn over the last collagen you bought and look for the milligrams per serving.
One 13g scoop of Multi Collagen+ holds 8,250mg of collagen peptides: 7,500mg grass-fed bovine and 750mg marine. A pouch gives you 20 full scoops.
Multi Collagen+, 260g pouch
3Skin, hair and nails come down to the vitamins and minerals
The approved claims for skin, hair and nails belong to the vitamins and minerals in a formula, so check which ones are in yours. Each scoop of Multi Collagen+ includes zinc and biotin.
Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, nails and skin. Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and skin.
There's 60mg of hyaluronic acid in each scoop as well.
4Your gut is in the same scoop
Each scoop has 120mg of calcium.
Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes.
Alongside it you get 60 million live cultures (Bacillus coagulans), 950mg of chicory root fibre and 500mg of L-glutamine.
5So are your bones
Vitamin D, vitamin K and calcium are needed for the maintenance of normal bones.
All three are in Multi Collagen+, so that's one less tub on the shelf.
6Tired by mid-afternoon?
Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, and so does vitamin C.
You'll find both in every scoop.
7Read the subscription terms before you pay
Read the one-star reviews for the big collagen brands and plenty are about subscriptions: hard to cancel, or a refund window that closes before the first bag is finished.
Multi Collagen+ starts at £19.50 a pouch when you subscribe to 9 pouches at a time, or £39 for one pouch on subscription. You pick how often it arrives, anywhere from every week to every 12 weeks, and you can skip or cancel whenever you like. If it isn't for you, there's a 90 day money back guarantee.
Your first order also comes with up to 4 free gifts worth £74.96.
Try Multi Collagen+
- One scoop a day in your morning coffee, tea, porridge or a smoothie
- Up to 4 free gifts worth £74.96 with your first order: a milk frother, magnesium glycinate, organic matcha capsules and omega 3 softgels
- Free UK delivery
- 90 day money back guarantee
Or £49 for one pouch with no subscription. Takes you to prettysmartfood.com
Questions people ask us
Is collagen a con?
Your body breaks collagen down like any other protein, so be wary of anyone promising it goes straight to your skin. We put vitamin C, zinc, biotin, calcium, vitamin D, K and B12 in the same scoop, and those are the ingredients with approved claims behind them.
I tried collagen before and nothing happened. Why would this be any different?
We can't promise you'll notice a change, and nobody can promise that honestly. What we can do is show you exactly what's in the scoop and give you 90 days to decide.
How long does a pouch last?
20 days at one full 13g scoop a day.
Can I take it with medication?
If you take any medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your GP or pharmacist first. It contains fish and bovine collagen, so it isn't suitable for vegetarians or anyone with a fish allergy.