Hello friends! Happy Saturday.
Today I wanted to talk about something I’ve gotten many, many inquiries about–especially after last week’s hair routine post. And it is collagen. I’ve received a lot of questions about collagen ranging from what the benefits are, how to use it, how often to use it, etc. And I’m going to cover all of those questions in my review of the collagen I use.
The Product:
The collagen I like to use is the Collagen Peptides (Unflavored) from Vital Proteins. This is something I purchased myself, and I purchased my first tub as well.
This is what it looks like…
It’s an off-white powder with a little scoop inside. This is the 20 oz. tub; I got the 10 oz. the first time. This time, I bought my collagen powder on Sephora’s website during their last VIB sale event (I got 20% off), but the initial purchase was from Amazon. The cost in consistent across different websites.
This product is gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, Whole 30 approved, and paleo friendly.
I’ve been putting collagen in my coffee for about 3 months, and I’ve developed some opinions.
The Pros:
This specific kind of collagen is extremely easy to use and integrate into things you’re already eating and drinking. You can mix this in with coffee, smoothies, yogurt, even sauces. Really, anything it can dissolve into. Because it’s unflavored, it doesn’t change the taste of anything you add it to. I will say, though, this dissolves better in hot liquids–like coffee. But I do like it in smoothies as well. The collagen makes your smoothie fluffy and creamy.
But why?
A lot of the questions I’ve received have been about the benefits and why I use it in the first place. Collagen is said to have a ton of benefits for your body. There’s a range of benefits, and different people may experience different things. The main thing you hear about collagen is that it’s great for your hair, skin, and nails. And it can be; that’s the main reason I began using it, for my hair. Read the back story of my hair loss here–but I thought this may be a way to stop the hair loss from happening. My hair loss hasn’t halted, but since taking this every day, I have noticed a huge decrease in the amount of hair I’m losing a day.
It can boost the hydration and elasticity in your skin. It’s not a moisturizer replacement, however. But it’s a supplemental dose of hydration that will generally improve the overall look of your skin. More than seeing benefits in my skin, I’ve seen it in my nails. I’ve always had really strong nails, but since taking collagen daily, they’re pretty indestructible–but I’ve really noticed a difference in my toenails, which is weird. They’ve never really been up to par with my fingernails, but lately, they are a lot stronger.
Collagen can also be really good for your bones and joints. And I’ve noticed, when taking collagen regularly, my joints just feel better. I don’t have major problems, but I have psoriasis predominately on the right side of my body, and psoriasis can effect your joints. Oftentimes, I’ll have dull aches if I’m too active or too sedative, but lately I’ve not noticed much pain.
Additionally, it’s a good source of protein. I struggle to get enough protein in my diet, because I’m not the biggest meat eater. This particular collagen has 18 g of protein per serving (2 scoops).
And a less sexy, but much appreciated benefit to taking collagen is that it’s good for feeding the good gut bacteria in your body. If you struggle with any kind of GI disorder, try this. I’ve definitely noticed a tremendous difference in the digestive realm. GI symptoms have almost disappeared since going gluten free, but since adding collagen to my daily diet, I’m almost never abnormally bloated, and everything seems to be working much more smoothly.
The Cons:
I started out taking one scoop of this daily, but now I take 2. I usually start with 1 scoop in my morning coffee, and lately have been adding it to my apple cider in the evening (it’s fall, y’all). As I said, since this is pretty untraceable, you can add it to almost anything. It doesn’t change the taste or texture. The only thing I’ve noticed in my coffee is that sometimes it creates a frothiness on the top, but the taste isn’t altered.
I don’t travel often, and I don’t travel for long periods of time. But a downside to collagen powder is that it’s not a travel friendly as a capsule you take. A small bottle of capsules don’t take up a lot of room. And while they have different sizes, like small, serving size packets, it still would take up a decent amount of room for a long travel. My travel usually extends to a weekend car trip, so it’s not a huge deal for me. I just take the tub with me. It would be trickier for long travels, especially air travels where space is limited.
Another thing to note is that if this collagen powder gets wet, it gets sticky. When I fist was familiarizing myself with the product, I got it on my hands and noticed that everything I touched was getting sticky. I think it has to do with something in the collagen mixing with your body oils, but just a heads up.
Lastly:
The tub I have is 20 oz. and costs $43. The 10 oz. tub, 20 serving size packets, and capsules cost $25, $34, and $38 respectively. I think this is a fair price. The 10 oz. tub lasted me at least 2 months, using it every single day. I’m still working on the large tub, but I’m already at 3 months.
It’s also really accessible. You can find this brand of collagen on Amazon, at Sephora, Whole Foods, Target–most stores with a wellness center. You can also order directly from their site as well.
I haven’t tried any other brands of collagen, but I have tasted a few other kinds from Vital Proteins. They have creamers and Marine and Beef derived collagen. And I will say those have a taste to them. I like the vanilla creamer in my apple cider in the evenings. But the Collagen Peptides truly doesn’t have a taste of any kind.
Would I Recommend This To You?
Yes!
I plan on continuing using this. My body feels better, my skin looks better, and I look forward to the ritual of putting in my coffee every morning. I would definitely recommend the unflavored collagen peptides the most–especially if you want the most versatility.
Up Next: Candle Burning 101
Disclaimers:
This post is not sponsored, and Vital Proteins doesn’t know I’m writing it.
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