When should you start taking collagen? Learn the difference between marine and bovine collagen, why Vitamin C matters, and how to choose the right supplement for healthier skin.
Most women don’t think about collagen until the appearance of the first fine lines, fading firmness, or subtle sagging on their face. By then, however, experts say the conversation has already started—years earlier, beneath the skin’s surface. That is why dermatologists and wellness advocates are encouraging a shift from corrective care to preventive practices, emphasizing that supporting collagen production before visible changes emerge may be just as important as treating them later.
That evolving mindset took center stage during My Brightest Chapter, the recent launch event of MyColla C, where beauty, wellness, and medical experts gathered to discuss collagen science beyond cosmetic claims. Instead of just framing supplements as vanity-driven solutions, the conversation focused on understanding how collagen naturally changes over time, why nutrition matters, and what consumers should consider before choosing a supplement.
When does skin start to change?
“Collagen is actually one of the most important building blocks of the skin,” explained Dr. Maika Slantensek. “So when I think of collagen, I always think of structure or scaffolding.”
That comparison offers a simple way to understand collagen’s role. Like the steel framework supporting a building, collagen helps maintain the skin’s firmness, resilience, and overall structure. As natural collagen production slows, that support gradually weakens.
“When your skin sort of sags, then the scaffolding or the support is already lacking,” she said. “The firmness, the resilience, the smoothness decreases because the support structure is collapsing.”
Contrary to popular belief, that process does not begin in middle age. According to Dr. Slantensek, collagen production already starts declining by the mid-twenties, decreasing by roughly 1 to 1.5 percent every year. Although the effects often become more noticeable during one’s thirties, forties, and fifties, the biological changes begin much earlier—making preventive care a relevant conversation for younger adults.
“I think as early as 20, you should start supplementing,” she noted. “Nowadays, our lifestyle is very fast-paced.”
She added that everyday factors such as smoking, pollution, and other environmental stressors may further contribute to collagen breakdown, accelerating changes that naturally occur with age.
Marine or bovine collagen: Understanding the difference
Walk into any pharmacy or browse online wellness stores, and you’ll likely encounter collagen supplements sourced from marine life, cattle, or even bone broth. While marketing claims often pit one against another, Dr. Slantensek believes the debate deserves greater context.
“There’s a lot of supplements in the market—marine collagen-derived and bovine collagen-derived. You even have the bone broth that you can buy,” she explained.
So which should consumers choose?
“Actually, both,” she said. “However, marine collagen has a smaller peptide. So it actually gets absorbed easier by the body.”
According to Dr. Slantensek, marine collagen primarily contains Type I collagen, the form most closely associated with skin firmness and structural support. Bovine collagen, meanwhile, contains both Type I and Type III collagen, with Type III contributing to skin smoothness alongside connective tissue support.
Rather than viewing one source as universally superior, understanding their differences allows consumers to choose supplements that better align with their wellness priorities. For individuals primarily focused on maintaining skin firmness and structural integrity, marine collagen may offer distinct advantages because of its peptide size and Type I collagen profile.
Collagen doesn’t work alone
Collagen itself may receive most of the attention, but Dr. Slantensek stressed that another nutrient quietly plays an equally important supporting role: Vitamin C.
Many people associate Vitamin C with immune health, yet it also plays a critical role in collagen synthesis. According to Dr. Slantensek, producing collagen alone is not enough if the body cannot properly stabilize and strengthen it.
“Even if your body keeps producing this collagen, if it doesn’t stabilize the collagen—if it doesn’t make it compact—then it’s just gonna be frail,” she explained.
She likened Vitamin C to the stabilizer that helps strengthen collagen’s structure, noting that continuously taking collagen while overlooking Vitamin C means neglecting an essential part of the process. In other words, collagen provides the building blocks, while Vitamin C helps reinforce the framework that keeps skin firm and supported.
Beyond supplementation, she also encouraged maintaining a colorful diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which naturally provide Vitamin C and other nutrients that contribute to overall skin health.
The bottomline: Healthy skin starts from within
Supplements should never be viewed as stand-alone solutions.
“If you are gonna be taking supplementation, then of course you would have to change your lifestyle as well,” Dr. Slantensek said. “Try to be an advocate for healthier meals. Of course, exercise. Sleep.”
She likewise emphasized the importance of inner healthcare, encouraging people to become proactive instead of reactive.
“As a doctor, I’d say it’s consistency that’s important. It’s the little things that you do every day.”
Unlike makeup, whose effects are immediately visible, collagen supplementation requires patience and persistence. Its benefits rely less on overnight transformation and more on long-term habits, balanced nutrition, restorative sleep, regular movement, and everyday consistency.
Supporting skin wellness, one scoop at a time
These evidence-based discussions formed the foundation of My Brightest Chapter, MyColla C’s latest campaign celebrating confidence, wellness, and intentional self-care. Beyond interactive activities and lifestyle conversations, the launch highlighted a growing shift toward preventive beauty—one that’s rooted in informed choices and not simply quick cosmetic fixes.
Reflecting many of the principles discussed during the event, MyColla C combines 3,000 mg of premium hydrolyzed marine collagen with Vitamin C, bringing together smaller marine collagen peptides and an essential nutrient involved in collagen synthesis. The supplement is available in drink powders—offered in Strawberry Milk and Unflavored variants—as well as chewable Strawberry Milk tablets, and can be found at selected Watsons, Mercury Drug, Southstar Drug, Rose Pharmacy, and St. Joseph Drugstore branches.
Ultimately, perhaps the biggest takeaway from the discussion was not merely when to start taking collagen, but how to think about healthy aging altogether. Instead of waiting for visible changes to appear, today’s beauty philosophy is gradually becoming more preventive than corrective, more informed than impulsive, and more holistic than skin-deep. In that brighter chapter, caring for the skin begins long before the mirror ever signals it’s time.
Photos courtesy of MyColla C
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