I Tried a Viral Collagen Supplement for 30 Days, and Here’s What Happened

All you need to know about collagen supplements, plus, a non-sponsored review of the viral KYOR OUTGLOW collagen jelly.

Is it just me, or have collagen supplements suddenly exploded in popularity? And I don’t mean the ones from pharmacy brands either. I mean the ones that are beautifully branded, stylishly packaged and cleverly marketed (you know what I’m talking about). Plus, they’re now available in every form and flavor imaginable—from powders and gummies to juices and jellies, there’s a collagen supplement out there for every taste. I had to see what the hype was all about, so I went down a rabbit hole of research, before trying one of these new-age collagen supplements for myself. Here’s everything I found.

First things first, why is collagen so important?

We can talk for hours about collagen, but here’s really all you need to know:

• It’s the most abundant protein in the human body, making up about 30% of the body’s total protein content.

• It’s found in skin, bones, muscles, and connective tissues, acting as a “scaffolding” that provides structure, elasticity, and firmness.

• As we age, collagen production naturally declines. From our mid-to-late 20s and early 30s, we start losing 1% of our collagen every year. By 40, collagen starts dropping even more dramatically, leading to signs of aging like wrinkles, dryness, and loss of elasticity.

• Environmental factors—like sun exposure, pollution, and smoking—can further accelerate collagen breakdown.

It’s fair to say that maintaining or increasing levels of collagen in the skin is key to preventing signs of aging. But is there any evidence that orally ingested supplements can promote collagen production in our bodies?

The research on collagen supplements is…inconclusive

The believers will tell you that collagen supplements HAVE to be part of your anti-aging routine, but does the research support them? Well, that’s where things get a little…iffy.

There have been a few studies on the effects of collagen supplements, and most of them did find an improvement in firmness, suppleness, and skin elasticity. However, many of these studies were unable to definitively conclude that these results were caused by increased collagen, and not just an increase in overall skin hydration and moisture levels. Additionally, many of the studies used commercial collagen powders that contained other vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which could have skewed the results. So, overall not conclusive, but still, promising (I guess?)

Choosing a collagen supplement

If, like me, you decide to take a chance, and see what the fuss is all about for yourself, then it’s time to choose which supplement you’re going to try out. This is no easy task (as I soon found out), because the market is currently flooded with options. Here are a few things to know before you proceed:

• Types I, II, and III are the most abundant forms of collagen in the human body, making up 80–90% of total collagen. Look for supplements with types I and III, which are mainly found in our skin and bones, while type II is primarily found in the joints.

• Collagen supplements are typically made from animal sources, such as fish, cows, or chickens. There are an increasing number of vegan collagen powders, but the research around their efficacy is pretty much non-existent.

• Marine collagen is considered more bioavailable than bovine collagen, and is also richer in skin-enriching type I collagen. Bovine collagen is richer in type II collagen, thought to help repair muscles and joints.

• Look for hydrolyzed collagen peptides. Hydrolyzation breaks down the collagen into smaller peptides, making it easier for the body to absorb.

• Don’t forget the additional ingredients. Most collagen supplements are fortified with additional ingredients that can also support your skincare goals.

Other factors that mattered to me were taste (I’m a child, I know), convenience of daily use (if I’m going to take this every day, it needs to be incredibly easy to incorporate into my routine), and ease of availability (negative marks for international shipping).

There were plenty of great options to choose from, but I narrowed it down to 4 main ones. I quickly ruled out 2 very popular choices—Vital Proteins and Sports Research—because they primarily use bovine-sourced collagen and I was looking for collagen from a marine source.

That left me with these 2 highly popular—and highly marketed—supplements, both of which happened to ship locally too (win, win): The Purest Co. Collagen Glow Berries and KYOR OUTGLOW Radiance Tri-Factor™ Jelly.

They both contain marine collagen peptides, and are packaged in individual daily sachets, so all you have to do is tear and consume. Both flavors are right up my alley (though I am partial to a jelly), and they both boast incredible user reviews. Tick, tick, tick, tick. To be honest, both of these products seemed like great options, but in the end my choice came down to the additional ingredients in each of them.

Collagen Glow Berries contains an impressive list of brightening ingredients, including vitamin c, glutathione and bilberry extract. This was especially intriguing for me because hyperpigmentation is another skin concern I’m dealing with.

I honestly thought this would be an unbeatable combination—until I saw the list of supporting ingredients in the Outglow jelly, including ceramides (for skin barrier support), white tomato and red algae extract (antioxidants), glutathione, and the increasingly popular, NMN (for overall cellular health). That is a stacked ingredient list, even if you take away the collagen peptides.

With that in mind, I placed an order for a 2 months supply of the KYOR OUTGLOW collagen jelly (the minimum order was for 2 weeks, but from everything I’ve read, it seems like 4 weeks is the minimum time needed to see results from collagen intake). That was a full month ago, and I think I’ve seen enough to deliver a verdict.

My experience with the KYOR OUTGLOW Collagen Jelly (not sponsored!)

My first impressions of this product were immediately positive. The minimalist aesthetic of the branding and packaging is absolutely my vibe. I love the way each box contains exactly 2 weeks supply, and the sachets are so user-friendly. Just tear and slurp. But the best part has to be the flavour. It reminds me of having grape flavored jam as a child. I wanted to spread this on a slice of freshly toasted bread and savour it one bite at a time. It was that good. I have to physically stop myself from opening up about 5 sachets every morning.

So, full marks to the design, and the product teams. But in the grand scheme of things, design and taste are fairly low down on my list of priorities. The question remains: Can this collagen supplement deliver the anti-aging and brightening benefits it claims to be able to? I knew that any difference in my skin condition was going to be incredibly subtle after only 30 days, so I took before and after pictures to document the process. I also decided to focus the pictures on my eye area, because that’s where I have most visible fine lines.

Here are the results:

Day 1

Day 30

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a marked difference in 30 days. That’s not how these things work. But looking at these 2 pictures now, it does look like there’s quite a bit of improvement in the appearance of the lines around my eyes in the second one. The lines seem a little less pronounced than they did in the first picture (though, full disclosure, I do have to smile to bring the lines out, so I cannot guarantee that the degree of smile was exactly the same in both).

My skin also looks a little less oily, and a little more radiant in the second picture. Again, this could be the work of the collagen and supporting ingredients, or it could be some difference in lighting (though I did try to keep it as consistent as possible).

The verdict:

The results are, of course, not conclusive (did you really think I’d be able to definitively prove something that real researchers haven’t been able to?), but they are promising. For now, I’ll keep using this supplement at least for another month and continue monitoring my progress as I do, but if the results keep surprising melike this, I can definitely see myself repurchasing this once my current batch finishes.

About The Skinimalist

Hi, I’m Mal, a 30-something recovering skincare addict, and this is my blog. A space where I attempt to de-influence you from chasing trends and buying more skincare products you may not need.

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