Is collagen all your skin needs?

Everybody talks about how important collagen is these days. You hear about it in commercials, from your friends, and in magazines. But how much do you really know about this collagen stuff? What’s the best way to give your skin more collagen? And is collagen really all you need for your skin to look its best?

For starters: collagen is the main structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues. It gives your skin structure — but is that really all your skin needs? Think of building a house. If collagen is the bricks, you still need cement to hold the bricks together, and water to mix with the cement.

It is not enough just to have the structural collagen that builds up your skin. You also need hyaluronic acid (HA) and glycosaminoglycans such as chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate to hold that collagen together. Taking collagen by itself is not the optimal solution. The bricks are only part of the structure.

Those other components are notoriously hard to get back into the body, because molecularly they are usually too heavy to absorb. Think about a fishing net. Now think about trying to fit a beach ball through the tiny openings. That is what happens when you ingest ordinary hyaluronic acid or chondroitin. It does not stop manufacturers from selling them. Plenty of products claim to be good for your skin and have little or no effect for this reason. If you have tried HA or chondroitin and felt nothing, now you know why.

After 20 years of research and development, 37 independent clinical studies, and 7 U.S. and international patents, one company developed a molecule of everything your skin needs in a form the body can actually recognize and absorb. The breakthrough has collected industry awards and the attention of doctors, nutritionists, and skin-care professionals who now recommend it. The house analogy still holds: bricks, cement, and water — together, at a size that fits through the net.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results vary. This site is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice.