I Tried It – A Collagen-Based Beauty Supplement

This post is sponsored by Taut® Collagen. However the statements and opinions expressed are entirely my own, and based on my own individual experience. 

As a dietitian, I’m educated and trained to be skeptical of food products and supplements that sound too good to be true. For good reason, as it is my mission to help others make safe and beneficial nutrition decisions! So when I decided to personally try a collagen supplement program that promises beauty and skin benefits, I made sure to do thorough research on the product first for myself, while keeping an open mind for what benefits (or honestly, lack thereof) I might experience. But before I tell you all about my personal trial, let’s first review the basics of collagen for skin health.

Collagen is an abundant protein in our bodies that is responsible for giving our skin its strength, elasticity, and suppleness. It is also the key component of connective tissues in the body, such as cartilage, tendons and ligaments. It is also found in our circulatory system, bones, organs, muscle, and even hair. So yeah, collagen is kind of a big deal in the human body. Luckily our bodies can make collagen from the amino acids we consume in our daily diets, but over time the body’s ability to produce collagen decreases with age. And with this reduction, we begin to feel and see our age in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, and weakened or damaged joints.

If the human body can’t produce as much collagen as it once could, it makes sense to supplement with collagen, right? Some health professionals are preliminarily saying “no” to this, but some emerging research is saying “yes”. In fact, research has been looking at various applications for collagen-based proteins over the last couple of decades, from developing effective topical treatments for severe burn wounds, to measuring improvements in protein status and lean body mass composition in the critically ill, and of course skin and joint anti-aging applications. The vast majority of this research is very positive for the use of collagen for these diverse needs, but the key component to the success of collagen is the quality, or type, of collagen used in the supplement. This is where hydrolyzed collagen has demonstrated clinical efficacy over just regular foods containing collagen (bone broth, for example).

For example, in a study published in 2014 in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 69 women aged 35-55 years old were randomly selected to receive 2.5g or 5.0g of a hydrolyzed collagen supplement (or placebo) daily for 8 weeks in this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. At the end of the trial, it was determined that the groups of women who received the hydrolyzed collagen supplement showed a statistically significant improvement in skin elasticity compared to the groups of women who received the placebo. While more studies like this one are needed, it is one of the first to show that an oral collagen supplement can indeed improve skin elasticity, without any reports of negative side effects. And overall, combined with the additional research on hydrolyzed collagen that I have reviewed over the last several years, I was ready to try out a collagen-based skin care supplement system for myself.

In March of this year, I met the folks of Taut® USA at an industry trade show, and was instantly intrigued with their liquid collagen supplement and masks intended for skin care benefits. After talking with them at length, and further reviewing their products to ensure I had a best-in-class product to try, I began my own personal trial of the Taut® product line. First, I should preface that I am 35 years old, and I have mostly good skin that I think might be a genetic gift from both sides of my family (thanks, Mom & Dad!). However, I do have the beginnings of the dreaded “elevens”, or the frown lines/wrinkles between the eyebrows, technically known as glabellar frown lines. I also travel a lot for work and for fun, so I’m often on planes and sleep deprived, both of which are terrible for your skin. The times when travel is intense for me, my skin takes a hit, and can really use a pick me up. So, while I’m still fairly young, I’ll take all the help I can get to help prevent premature aging from my travel and work lifestyle.

But first, what is Taut® Collagen?

In short, Taut® is a marine-based, liquid, hydrolyzed collagen supplement. This means that the source of the collagen is from fish, and that they collagen protein molecules have been broken down, or “pre-digested” into amino acids. One 1.7oz serving of Taut® contains 13g of collagen-based amino acids, and is flavored with orange juice and stevia, so no, it doesn’t taste like fish! (You were about to ask…) And for more details on the nutrition profile of the supplement, check out the supplement facts panel below.

In my personal trial, I began with 2 boxes of Taut® Collagen and 5 Taut® Collagen Masks. Since my intent was more for aging prevention and an overall skin “pick-me-up” to help with my travel-heavy lifestyle, I decided to drink one bottle every other day for the course of 4 weeks. I chose this particular time frame as I was barely home at all due to work, personal and family travel, and knew my skin would be in dire straits. I also used 1 collagen mask per week, with 2 masks on the roughest week of travel (round trip Florida to California, then round trip Florida to Colorado, all within 7 days). After that type of travel, it should take at least a week of being at home, and overall TLC, for my skin to recover in terms of hydration, ridding the bags under my eyes, blemishes, blotchiness, etc. However, I must say that after this trial period, my skin felt and looked better than usual….surprisingly. And the beginnings of my glabellar lines were practically invisible, which was an added bonus to me. And while not a touted benefit of these products, for once I did not break out with a new blemish each time I got on a new plane (the struggle is real) while using this program. This may have been coincidental, but I was happy about it!

Yes, you should be skeptical of my glowing review, as I am receiving compensation from Taut® for my blogging and nutrition expertise. But I promise that I never assign my name and professional reputation to any product that I do not believe in from a scientific or practical standpoint. But also as a 35-year-old female who wants to have great skin for life, I’m officially impressed. Prior to writing this article, I have recommended Taut® Collagen and the Taut® Collagen Masks to a few of my close girlfriends (all very critical and savvy healthcare professionals as well) who have also tried, and have been pleasantly surprised by the skin perks of these products too. 

Now, don’t forget that in order to maximize the health of your skin, and the effectiveness of Taut® (or any other supplement for that matter), you must also follow an overall balanced and healthy diet! For more details on how to achieve a skin-supporting diet for life, see one of my other posts on Taut’s blog here. And if you’d like a customized recommendation on the Taut® regimen that is best for your lifestyle, budget, and goals, please feel free to reach out to me at monica@nutritionguru.com – I’m happy to help!