The fall of collagen

When a $16 billion industry meets rigorous science

It's been a bad summer for collagen supplements. While influencers continue promoting their favorite powders and your social media feeds remain flooded with before-and-after skin photos, the scientific community just delivered a reality check that's shaking the entire industry.

The meta-analysis that changed everything

In 2025, The American Journal of Medicine published what may be the most comprehensive analysis of collagen supplements to date. Researchers examined 23 randomized controlled trials involving 1,474 participants, and their conclusion was brutal: "There is currently no clinical evidence to support the use of collagen supplements to prevent or treat skin aging."

But here's where it gets really interesting. When the researchers looked at ALL studies together, collagen supplements appeared to work, showing improvements in skin hydration, elasticity, and wrinkles. The magic disappeared when they dug deeper into who was funding the research.

The funding divide was stark:

• Studies WITHOUT pharmaceutical company funding: No beneficial effects on skin
• Industry-funded studies: Significant positive outcomes
• High-quality studies: No significant effects
• Low-quality studies: Notable improvements

Translation? When independent researchers study collagen supplements without industry influence, the benefits vanish. Only when supplement companies fund the studies do we see the glowing results that fuel marketing campaigns.

The bioavailability myth

The supplement industry has spent years convincing us that their special formulations solve collagen's absorption problem. But here's the uncomfortable truth: your body breaks down collagen into basic amino acids during digestion, just like any other protein. Those expensive peptides and special processing methods? They're delivering the same building blocks you'd get from a chicken breast or a handful of nuts.

Even when collagen peptides do reach your bloodstream (which some studies show they can), there's no evidence they preferentially rebuild the collagen in your skin rather than being used for general protein synthesis throughout your body.

Where collagen supplements actually show promise

Before we completely write off collagen, there are two applications where the evidence is more compelling, though still not free from industry influence.

Fortibone for bone health has shown genuine promise in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. The landmark 2018 study demonstrated 4.2% higher spine bone mineral density and 7.7% higher femoral neck density compared to placebo after 12 months. A 4-year follow-up showed sustained benefits with no fractures reported.

Joint health applications using UC-II (undenatured type II collagen) have outperformed glucosamine and chondroitin in head-to-head studies, with 20% reduction in joint pain scores versus just 6% for the traditional supplements.

Unfortunately, these studies were also industry-funded. The bone health research was sponsored by GELITA (the company that makes Fortibone), and the joint studies were funded by Lonza (UC-II's manufacturer). While the results are more robust than skin studies, we're still missing that crucial independent validation.

What actually works for skin health

While the collagen industry sorts out its credibility crisis, several ingredients in your HOP Box have good evidence (from human studies) supporting skin health.

Astaxanthin (4mg in each Damage Control pill) has been shown in 11 randomized controlled trials to improve skin elasticity, reduce fine lines, and protect against UV-induced damage through its potent antioxidant properties (review article).

Hyaluronic acid (100mg in each Hourglass Tipper pill) has strong clinical evidence for improving skin hydration, reducing wrinkle depth, and enhancing skin elasticity when taken orally.

Spermidine (0.5mg Puremidine® in each Hourglass Tipper pill) activates autophagy, the cleanup process that removes damaged proteins and cellular debris. Early clinical studies have shown that this ingredient improves hydration, elasticity and skin barrier.

The bigger picture

The collagen controversy highlights something we've always believed at HOP: more isn't always better, and expensive doesn't mean effective. The supplement industry is filled with products that sound scientific but lack rigorous, independent validation.

This is exactly why we focus on ingredients with robust evidence from multiple research groups, not just company-sponsored studies. We'd rather include smaller amounts of proven compounds than megadoses of questionable ones.

Your skin ages from the inside out, influenced by inflammation, blood sugar regulation, cellular cleanup, and protection from oxidative damage. That's a complex process that requires a comprehensive approach, not a single magic powder.

Moving forward

Does this mean you should throw out your collagen powder? That's your call. But if you're taking it for skin benefits, you might want to redirect that investment toward ingredients with stronger independent evidence.

The collagen industry will likely adapt, funding more independent research and refining its products. Until then, we'll keep following the science, not the marketing.