Collagen supplements favored skin hydration and elasticity in pooled trials
A review reported improvements in skin measurements, with uncertainty about study bias and how noticeable the changes were.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The pooled results favored oral collagen for measured skin hydration and elasticity. These findings suggest improvements in those specific measurements, but the abstract does not establish whether people noticed a difference in their skin. It also does not show that any particular dose works better than another.
This abstract-based explanation cannot resolve unclear study bias or differences between studies. Most trials could not control weather-related factors, and the authors could not assess publication bias.
What researchers found
Skin hydration
The standardized mean difference (SMD) favored collagen by 1.25 standard deviations, not hydration units or a percentage. Comparator and assessment timeframe are unspecified; the interval's confidence level is also unspecified.
What the measurements tell us
The review examined collagen supplements and signs of skin ageing. Hydration and elasticity improved statistically in the pooled analysis. The abstract does not report participants' judgments of visible improvement.
What dose information leaves unanswered
The authors describe commonly used amounts and a dose range associated with favorable findings. Those descriptions do not establish an optimal dose, because the abstract provides no direct comparison between doses.
The original publication
Effects of collagen-based supplements on skin's hydration and elasticity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Danessa G, Notario D, Regina R
Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40826844
- Record checked
AI-assisted research and writing. This explains one selected publication; it is not a complete review of everything known. Our approach.
One more question, understood.
Keep track of the research you’ve explored.