Supermodels, television stars and beauty insiders alike have come out to say they are now drinking their beauty products, but rather drinks that contain collagen, a protein in skin that gives it a youthful look.
The brands behind these drinks – including beauty’in Beauty Drink and Pure Gold Collagen – claim they boost collagen levels in the skin.
Brazilians can’t get enough of the stuff and in Asia, big beauty brands such as Shiseido have developed their own collagen shots.
According to analysts Datamonitor, the global market in such drinks is expected to rise to around $63.6 billion by 2014. But are they an anti-ageing miracle?
Or, given that Pure Gold Collagen sells for $55 for ten days’ supply and a bottle of Beauty Drink is $5.4, is it a triumph of marketing designed to relieve us of our cash rather than our wrinkles?
“I just haven’t seen any evidence that explains why taking collagen orally should improve the quantity of collagen in your skin,” says dermatologist Dr. Sam Bunting.
“The collagen in a drink is broken down in your stomach. There’s no direct channel to the skin.”
The brands behind collagen drinks claim they boost collagen levels in the skin
Despite the expert disapproval, there are plenty of testimonials on the Boots website from women singing the praises of the drinks. This might be because they also include vitamin C and vitamin E.
“These vitamins have been proven to be beneficial for the skin,” says Dr. Stefanie Williams, of London’s European Dermatology Clinic.
“They are also known for their ability to hydrate and moisturize.”
But you don’t need to spend a fortune on a collagen drink to get these vitamins.
Holland & Barrett sells 100 vitamin E capsules for $7 and 250 vitamin C caplets for $15, all of which will last a lot longer – and be more likely to work than a sugary “beauty drink”.
According to Julia Carta, Simon Cowell’s make-up artist, the media mogul has been spritzing his face with a “miracle” serum made with Japanese herbs and water from the bottom of the sea.
Simon Cowell’s devotion to Botox is no secret, once famously describing it as “no more unusual than toothpaste”.
But, after several face freezing mishaps with the cosmetic toxin, it appears Simon Cowell has turned to a more natural way of maintaining his youthful looks.
Shinso Skin Care – which costs between £155 ($245) and £255 ($400) a bottle – is made from 69 different Japanese herbs and botanicals, including grapefruit peel, honey and olive tree extract, plus water from the depths of the Sea of Japan.
It claims to improve the appearance of skin “within two minutes”, working as a “natural face-lift” by penetrating deep into the skin to boost collagen levels, repairing damage and reducing wrinkles.
Shinso Skin Care is made from 69 different Japanese herbs and botanicals, including grapefruit peel, honey and olive tree extract, plus water from the depths of the Sea of Japan
International celebrity make-up artist Julia Carta, whose clients include actresses Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley, said she had used Shinso on Simon Cowell during filming for this year’s Britain’s Got Talent series.
“It’s like the Rolls-Royce of skin care – a real treat for the skin,” Julia Carta said.
“It is a bottle of precious water from the bottom of the Japanese sea – it’s really quite unique.
“I used the product on Simon whilst filming throughout the day to refresh his skin. It’s fantastic to hydrate and balance the skin.
“It is great for people coming off long haul flights who need instant hydration. It brightens and plumps the skin. It’s a great product.”
Beauty experts say the sea is one of the most bountiful sources of nutrients for anyone who prefers natural skin care.
Dr. Stefanie Williams, a Harley Street dermatologist, said Shinso was unlikely to give users instant results, as the product makers claimed, but that it did contain ingredients likely to be “beneficial” to staying young.
“This product contains anti-ageing ingredients, such as Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 [a muscle relaxer] and Human Oligopeptide-1 [promotes skin cell growth],” Dr. Stefanie Williams said.
“The instant-effects claim seems like an exaggeration, as it takes time to induce real changes in skin biology.
“But, overall, a good product with beneficial ingredients.”
Nao Tsuruta, who created the product, added: “With Shinso Skin Care, you can rejuvenate even the deepest layers of your skin by utilizing some of nature’s most precious ingredients found in deep sea waters and rare Japanese herbs and botanical extracts.”
Botox is a toxic protein or nerve poison which is injected into the face and forehead to relax frown lines and smooth wrinkles. It works by temporarily paralyzing the facial muscles.
Simon Cowell has admitted having the treatment in the past, saying: “Yes, I’ve had Botox, but not in an obsessive way.
“Then again, every guy I know who works in the City has had it now. It works, you do it once a year – who cares?”
But last year viewers were shocked at Simon Cowell’s appearance when, in June, he appeared to have a drooping left eye during the live Britain’s Got Talent semi-final.
A few months later his face and forehead appeared unnaturally smooth and waxwork-like when he was interviewed on Piers Morgan’s U.S. chat show.
Image-conscious Simon Cowell was also recently reported to have become hooked on an anti-ageing smoothie containing lingonberry, acerola berry and chokeberry that he discovered while touring the U.S. for the American X Factor last year.
