What is actually happening to your skin
During perimenopause and menopause, declining oestrogen accelerates collagen loss. Research shows women can lose up to 30% of their skin collagen in the first five years after menopause, with a further 2% decline each year after that. Skin gets thinner, drier, less elastic. That is real biology, not marketing.
So the instinct to do something about it makes complete sense. The question is whether swallowing collagen is that something.
Why ingested collagen is a problem
When you eat collagen — powder, drink, capsule, gummy — your digestive system breaks it down. The collagen protein gets broken apart into amino acids and small peptides in your stomach and small intestine.
Your body does not take those amino acids and think "right, she wants better skin, let us send these straight to the face." It distributes them wherever it decides protein is needed most. That could be your muscles, your bones, your tendons, your gut lining.
You are essentially eating an expensive protein and hoping your body routes it to the right postcode.
What the research actually says
Yes, there are meta-analyses showing collagen supplements improve skin hydration and elasticity. A 2023 review of 26 randomised controlled trials found statistically significant improvements. Sounds promising.
But a 2025 meta-analysis published in The American Journal of Medicine looked at 23 RCTs with 1,474 participants and broke the results down by funding source and study quality. When you looked only at studies not funded by supplement companies, collagen supplements showed no effect on skin hydration, elasticity, or wrinkles. When you looked only at high-quality studies, again, no significant effect.
The positive results in earlier meta-analyses were driven disproportionately by industry-funded, lower-quality studies. This does not mean collagen is harmful. It is protein. It is fine. But spending 30 to 60 pounds a month on collagen drinks when the independent evidence does not support the skin claims is worth knowing.
What actually works
Use a basic, affordable moisturiser. More expensive does not mean more effective. A simple moisturiser that supports your skin barrier and prevents water loss is doing the heavy lifting. Look for one with ceramides.
Use a retinoid or retinol. Retinoids work topically, directly on your skin. They stimulate your fibroblasts to produce new collagen and inhibit the enzymes that break collagen down. Unlike swallowed collagen, retinoids are applied exactly where you want them to work. Decades of research backs this.
Sunscreen. Always sunscreen. UV exposure is one of the biggest drivers of collagen breakdown. Protecting what you have is just as important as trying to build more.
The bottom line
The perimenopause and menopause product market is booming. And a lot of that boom is built on taking a real problem — yes, you are losing collagen, yes, it matters — and selling you the wrong solution at a premium price.
The collagen you drink gets digested. The retinoid you apply to your skin gets to work where it counts. Cheap moisturiser. Retinoid. Sunscreen. Boring, affordable, evidence-based.