Researchers provide clinical evidence of collagen peptides as anti-ageing nutricosmetic

The study focused on popular collagen peptides brand Peptan and says that the improvement of the physiological skin parameters is likely linked to an increase of collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis in the respective skin layers.

The study, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology​ by a collaboration of scientists in France, Belgium and Japan, says the data demonstrates that the oral supplementation with specific collagen peptides can improve skin structure and health from within.

Collagen study​

In the study, two placebo-controlled clinical trials were run to assess the effect of a daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides on skin hydration by corneometry, on collagen density by high-resolution ultrasound and on collagen fragmentation by reflectance confocal microscopy.

Human skin explants were used to study extracellular matrix components in the presence of collagen peptides ex vivo.

The research showed that oral collagen peptide supplementation significantly increased skin hydration after 8 weeks of intake.

The scientists said that collagen density in the dermis significantly increased and the fragmentation of the dermal collagen network significantly decreased already after 4 weeks of supplementation.

Both effects persisted after 12 weeks, and ex vivo​ experiments demonstrated that collagen peptides induce collagen as well as glycosaminoglycan production, offering a mechanistic explanation for the observed clinical effects.

“The oral supplementation with collagen peptides is efficacious to improve hallmarks of skin ageing,”​ say the researchers, from France’s COSderma and 2BIO-EC Laboratoryies, Japan’s Unitec Foods, and Belgian supplier Rousselot.

Skin health nutrition​

Skin dryness and an accelerated fragmentation of the collagen network in the dermis are hallmarks of skin ageing, and nutrition has often been seen as a key factor influencing skin health and consequently its appearance.

A wide range of dietary supplements is offered to improve skin health, and collagen peptides are used as a bioactive ingredient in nutricosmetic products as they have been shown in preclinical studies to improve skin barrier function, to induce the synthesis of collagen and hyaluronic acid, and to promote fibroblast growth and migration.