Why We’re Bringing Collagen Back Into Our Clinic

Collagen has been talked about in the beauty and wellness world for years. But as clinicians, we want to be

careful about recommending supplements simply because they’re popular.

So what changed our mind about collagen? The evidence.

A recent large review brought together the results of 113 randomized controlled trials involving almost

8,000 people to look at what collagen supplementation can actually do. The findings were encouraging,

particularly when it comes to skin health.

What did the research find?

The strongest findings were around skin hydration and elasticity.

In simple terms, people taking collagen supplements showed improvements in how well-hydrated and

how elastic their skin was. Elasticity is important because it reflects the skin’s ability to stretch and return to its original shape.

The review also found benefits in areas of musculoskeletal health, including osteoarthritis symptoms, with

some more modest benefits reported for muscle and tendon health.

Importantly, though, this isn’t a magic pill and the study didn’t find a significant improvement in skin

roughness, so we’re not going to tell you that collagen will erase wrinkles.

Instead, we see it as one piece of the bigger picture when it comes to supporting healthy skin as we age.

Why have we reintroduced collagen at the clinic?

We’ve always taken a fairly evidence-based approach to supplements. When the evidence is weak, we

don’t feel comfortable recommending something just because it’s trending.

This newer research gave us a much stronger reason to reconsider collagen.

We’re now stocking Bend Beauty Marine Collagen + Co-Factors, a Canadian brand that we really like.

There are a few reasons we chose Bend. It’s a Canadian company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and its

Marine Collagen + Co-Factors formula provides hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides along with vitamin C

and silicon.

We also like that it’s marine-sourced rather than bovine-sourced, and the collagen is sourced from wild

fish with Marine Stewardship Council certification.

The bottom line

Collagen isn’t a substitute for good skincare, sun protection, adequate protein, sleep or a healthy lifestyle

and it certainly isn’t going to stop the ageing process.

But the latest evidence suggests that consistent collagen supplementation can support skin hydration

and elasticity, making it a reasonable addition to a broader skin-health routine.

And that’s really how we look at supplements in the clinic: not as miracles, but as tools that may provide

a measurable benefit when the evidence supports their use.

If you’ve been curious about collagen, we’ve brought Bend Beauty back into the clinic and we’re happy to

chat with you about whether it makes sense for you.