Does collagen help with acne + what are some other ways collagen can be an overall health boost?

I never understood the power of collagen….until I was engaging in the healing process for my gut. And then, not only was it helping me with my digestive system journey, but I also uncovered all the other things collagen was doing for overall and optimal health.

And here’s the good news – it’s not just the scientific evidence (which I will present for you today), but it’s also the personal experiences I’ve had with collagen and collagen supplements.

To that extent, let me share with you what I can, and more importantly, how it can also benefit you for a healthier whole body.

Collagen and Gelatin

First, it’s important to remember that while collagen and gelatin are called different things, they are essentially the same. Their difference lies in how they perform when added to hot or cold liquids.

Dr. Amy Myers says that collagen and gelatin are the same exact thing as far as health benefits are concerned.

However, while gelatin will clump in certain situations, collagen will not. And this is probably the number one reason why I choose to supplement with it vs. gelatin. Simply just ease of use.

If you want the full guide to collagen vs. gelatin, check THIS post out.

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Listen to the bite-sized episode all about collagen.

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Does Collagen Help with Acne + 4 Other Ways Collagen Can be an Overall Health Boost

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Did you know?!

Collagen constitutes:

• 75% of skin
• 70% of ligaments
• 65% to 80% of tendons
• 50% of cartilage
• 30% of tooth dentin
• 16% of bone
• 10% to 11% of muscle
• ++ is also part of the structure of arteries and veins

Pretty impressive, yes?

Regardless, the reason many want to know the benefits of collagen is because it is the easier of the two to dissolve in any liquid.

Therefore, the spotlight is on collagen today.

Ready?!

Can improve skin health

I am all about that skincare life (still catching up from years of not caring, btw) and making it a priority in my daily routine.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, playing an important role in overall health, and with appropriate amounts of it, your skin will stay glowing and vibrant. 

“A study published in 2014 randomly chose 46 of 69 women, ages 35-55 years old, to take a collagen hydrolysate supplement. The rest of the group took a placebo. The women who took the collagen showed an improvement in skin elasticity within four weeks.” (source)

And while there is proof that collagen helps with overall health of your skin and skin issues, does it actually help with acne-prone skin?

Let’s get into even more specifics on collagen and acne breakouts.

It’s always my goal to give you the truth, which is always both sides of a coin, so that you can personally make the best decision for your body.

And with that, it’s very clear that the research is not so clear whether collagen actually helps acne sufferers. Here’s the proof:

According to one source,

Collagen is not an effective acne treatment option. Taking collagen supplements may have some benefits for aging skin, but there’s no indication that collagen can prevent blemishes, reduce pimples, or alleviate post-acne scarring. 

But according to Dr. Axe,

Peptides boost skin health by improving tissue repair, reducing inflammation and increasing collagen.

Now, here is the root of acne:

Acne is an inflammatory disorder of the skin, which has sebaceous (oil) glands that connects to the hair follicle, which contains a fine hair. In healthy skin, the sebaceous glands make sebum that empties onto the skin surface through the pore, which is an opening in the follicle. Keratinocytes, a type of skin cell, line the follicle. Normally as the body sheds skin cells, the keratinocytes rise to the surface of the skin. When someone has acne, the hair, sebum, and keratinocytes stick together inside the pore. This prevents the keratinocytes from shedding and keeps the sebum from reaching the surface of the skin. The mixture of oil and cells allows bacteria that normally live on the skin to grow in the plugged follicles and cause inflammation—swelling, redness, heat, and pain. When the wall of the plugged hair follicles break down, it spills the bacteria, skin cells, and sebum into nearby skin, creating lesions or pimples.

Therefore, while collagen supplementation might not have a direct correlation for healing acne, it can play a key role in the reduction of inflammatory acne due to overall inflammation reduction.

If you want more on acne in particular, I have included information at the bottom of this article.

Moving on….

Aids in healing Leaky Gut Syndrome

Yes, there is an actual correlation and connection between collagen levels and your gut.

“Bone broth, which is an incredible source of collagen, is one of the best natural ways to treat leaky gut. Studies show patients with IBS tested low for collagen IV. Broth contains bioavailable collagen, which means your body can quickly use this protein and the other vitamins, minerals and important amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that come with it. Even if you don’t suffer from IBS symptoms, collagen is an excellent supplement to take for gut health.” (source)

Furthermore, Dr. Amy Myers states,

Collagen is beneficial to gut health because it contains large amounts of amino acids, glycine, glutamine, and proline which support a healthy bacterial balance in your gut microbiome and facilitates a healthy gut barrier.

She continues on with,

Collagen also contains nonessential amino acids, which are ones your body can make on its own. Three of the nonessential amino acids in collagen – glycine, glutamine, and proline – are considered conditional amino acids. Conditional amino acids are ones that become essential in times of illness or stress.⁵ That’s why it’s so important to supplement collagen as you get older or have an autoimmune disorder. Glycine, glutamine, and proline are also essential for a healthy gut.

I could probably talk all day about leaky gut syndrome and why it’s so important to pay attention to it, but I’ll spare you in this post.

If, however, you are interested in learning more about leaky gut syndrome and the immune system check out THIS post.

Can strengthen hair, nails, and teeth

“Collagen protein is the building block of your fingernails, hair and teeth. Adding collagen into your diet regimen can help keep your nails strong and possibly reverse signs of hair loss. A study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that there’s an “essential relationships between extracellular matrix (ECM) and hair follicle regeneration, suggesting that collagen could be a potential therapeutic target for hair loss and other skin-related diseases.” (source)

Using collagen has played a vital role with how fast my hair and nails have grown. Whenever I increase my daily collagen intake, I notice exponential hair and nail growth.

And honestly, if nothing else, this might be one of the main reasons women take collagen in the first place. 

No shame in that 🙂

Might ease joint pain

“As your cartilage weakens and deteriorates with age, you may start to feel stiff, achy joints. It’s possible that upping your collagen intake may help reduce joint pain and alleviate symptoms of arthritis.” (source) 

Furthermore, “Other trials have found that the supplements can improve joint mobility and decrease joint pain such as with osteoarthritis or in athletes.” (source)

In the Gutsy community, there is typically a lot of joint pain. It’s a huge symptom for many (it was one of mine!), and this is why it was so important that I included this benefit of collagen powder for the article.

Potential increase in athletic performance

“We replace what modern food processing has removed from our diets by restoring and promoting collagen production – essential to muscle and ligament health. This helps you push harder, farther, and longer… to get you back at it faster, and to help you dig deeper.” (source)

This benefit goes back to the joints, so regardless if you’re an “athlete” or not, it appears that collagen is beneficial for all connective tissue.

Best Collagen Brand

​So, you have heard about collagens massive benefits, and you want to try it.

What do I think is the best collagen brand?

A little bias, of course, but it’s the one I use every single day and love — Re-Build.

Re-Build 

• collagen in the form of powder (so many in the Gutsy community are sick of swallowing so. many. pills.)
• contains a unique blend of three patented collagen peptides supported by clinical research showing their efficacy for supporting collagen production, bone strength, joint health and integrity, skin elasticity, and more
• flavorless with no added sweeteners, making it easyto add to any shake, smoothies, and other foods and beverages, making it convenient to ensure the adequate intake of collagen’s unique amino acids
• gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO
• contains the research-proven collagen peptide blendsVerisol®, Fortigel®, and Fortibone® derived from specific dietary collagen proteins and produced with proprietary hydrolyzation technologies to optimize their beneficial properties
• Supports healthy bones
• Supports healthy skin appearance and integrity
• Supports healthy joints

More on Acne

If you are interested in more information on overall skin health and the best ways to support it both internally and externally, you might want to check out 15 Internal and External Skin Health Tips.

Additionally, I have many resources on this topic sprinkled throughout the A Gutsy Girl website:

1. How to Get Rid of Acne Caused by Digestive Problems (Gut-Acne Connection)
2. Vitamin C for gut healing and skin health
3. Hormonal acne + seed cycling – the huge role hormones and hormonal changes play in oil production and excess oil
4. 6 Reasons Dry Skin Leads to Breakouts
5. Skincare routine – which regimen to choose?
6. Skincare products I love
7. Countercontrol for Oily Skin and Acne

Also, as always, remember that a poor diet absolutely plays into the acne-equation.

There is no amount of collagen and/or other supplement and/or topical treatments that cures acne or creates beautiful skin if your diet is comprised of inflammatory foods.

So tell me, do you use collagen? Thoughts?

If you liked this post on ‘does collagen help with acne + 4 other ways collagen can be an overall health boost,’ you might also enjoy:

1. Gut Healthy Boosted Oatmeal Recipe
2. DIY Lemonade for Constipation
3. Healing Cystic Acne Naturally

Xox,
SKH