The search for the holy grail of beautiful young looking skin boils down to a simple protein called collagen. It is the key building block of healthy skin and connective tissues. When we’re young, we produce it in abundance. Sadly for those of us who have hit (and long since passed) peak collagen production at 25, it might feel like we’re doomed to saggy, baggy, crepy skin.
We can boost our personal collagen with supplements (more on that at the end of this article) and we can turn to moisturizers like collagen face cream, which really can make a noticeable difference. So we reached out to the professionals to find out more about this beauty product that has legions of fans.
According to Heather Wilson, a licensed esthetician and brand development director at InstaNatural, a clean beauty company focused on natural and botanical formulas, “with a topical collagen product, people should expect an increase in moisture which can help the skin appear less dull and more plump upon application.” Sounds good, right?
But realistic expectations for these face creams (and all other beauty products making bold claims) are definitely in order. “It is recommended to allow 4-6 weeks to see results in the skin,” says Wilson. “Some products may provide an instant brightening or plumping effect, but long-term or more advanced results take time,” she says. “The skin’s natural cell renewal takes around 21 days to complete, but this time increases as we age – therefore it is best to allow a full cell renewal cycle to occur to see results in the skin.”
As with any beauty product you add to your daily regimen, faithful use over the long term is what will deliver more lasting and noticeable results. We think collagen face cream is a must-have in your beauty arsenal, especially if you’re already noticing fine lines and wrinkles. While it can’t guarantee you the skin of your childhood, it can make a major difference in how youthfully and beautifully you age.
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1. InstaNatural Collagen Night Cream
Pros:- Peony root extract isupports collagen synthesis
- Hyaluronic acid plumps skin and reduces the look of wrinkles
- Vitamin C delivers a boost of anti-aging antioxidants
- Very affordable
Cons:- Can feel a bit sticky at first
- May cause breakouts
- Fragrance isn't everyone's favorite
When it comes to shopping for natural and organic beauty product companies, InstaNatural is always one of those at the top of our list. Why? Their products are filled with skin-loving ingredients that are great for your complexion and friendly to the planet. Additionally, they’re always in line with the budget, which we think is another huge plus.
This collagen night cream is one of our favorites, for all those reasons, as well as the fact that it has more than just collagen to fight the signs of aging. It uses Detoskin™, a clinically-proven peony extract that delivers clinically proven results. It supports collagen III synthesis, increasing this cream’s efficacy. It’s also formulated with skin brightening, antioxidant filled vitamin C to fight free radicals and protect against environmental damage.
Add hyaluronic acid to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and help to maintain skin’s moisture and you’ve got a winning combination. This collagen cream is created to be used at nighttime, when your skin does the most healing and regeneration, making this extra effective.
To give your skin the best chance of absorption, consider an exfoliating treatment once a week. We’d highly recommend the InstaNatural Glycolic Peel, which will clear pores and smooth your skin’s texture. For a daytime moisturizing treatment that’s anti-aging and great for all skin types, InstaNatural Vitamin C Moisturizer is lightweight, absorbs quickly, and smells deliciously citrusy.
Find more InstaNatural Collagen Night Cream information and reviews here.
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2. ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Pros:- Marine collagen formula improves skin's suppleness and elasticity
- Helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles
- Natural botanicals smell and feel fresh
- Doesn't leave skin feeling greasy or shiny
Cons:- Super expensive compared to others
- Can cause skin irritation
- Not as moisturizing as some
This once daily moisturizer delivers powerful results, especially for dry and damaged skin. The powerful anti-aging formula is geared to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and in clinical tests produces noticeable improvements with just two weeks of consistent use. Mediterranean algae produce the marine collagen in this cream that makes skin look and feel supple, smooth and more elastic.
Anti-inflammatory mimosa helps to soothe dry and irritated skin with natural toning properties, while rose nurtures and calms the skin. This lightweight collagen face cream might be on the expensive side, but a simple pea-sized amount applied daily does the trick, so it will likely last longer than you think.
It absorbs well, leaving your skin feeling clean, but not shiny or greasy. The light fragrance from the natural botanicals is an added plus because it smells and feels fresh. ELEMIS has a full facial Pro-Collagen skincare regimen. If you’re game to experiment with more of their product line, we’d recommend you start with the Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm for deep cleaning and supplement the face cream with their Advanced Eye Treatment, which targets those annoying crow’s feet.
Find more ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream information and reviews here.
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3. DHC Astaxanthin Collagen All-in-One Gel
Pros:- Collagen formula leaves skin looking younger
- Antioxidant ingredients fight environmental damage and provide some UV protection
- Hyaluronic acid helps your skin retain moisture
- Big jar for the price
Cons:- Can leave skin with a slight orange tinge
- Can be somewhat drying
- May cause skin irritation
If you’ve never heard of astaxanthin, don’t feel bad. We had to do some research about this potent antioxidant before we were willing to try it on our skin. But we can’t dispute the science which says this ingredient is thousands of times more potent an antioxidant than vitamin C. Whoa – that’s a lot. This lightweight gel collagen cream packs it’s powerful punch to fight aging as it blocks free radical damage to your skin. It’s also being lauded for helping to brighten skin, and fight dark spots as well as wrinkles. It also provides some UV protection, although it doesn’t specify SPF.
Naturally, the collagen helps to restore suppleness, and elastin firms your skin. This gel also contains hyaluronic acid to help your skin maintain its moisture levels, leaving it soft and smooth. Because it’s a lightweight gel cream, it’s great for people with oilier skin as it absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave skin feeling greasy or oily.
What seems like a mid-range in terms of price, this cream is actually a real deal because at 4.2 ounces, it’s more than twice the size of many and four times as large as some we’ve reviewed.
If you want to know more about astaxanthin, check out this interesting article in Healthline newsletter.
Find more DHC Astaxanthin Collagen All-in-One Gel information and reviews here.
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4. PCA SKIN Collagen Hydrator Face Cream
Pros:- Fruit extracts deliver tons of rich antioxidants to skin
- Helps to deeply hydrate the dryest skin
- Feels silky and absorbs well
- Soothes irritated skin
Cons:- Too heavy for oily skin types
- May cause breakouts
- Many recent price hikes mean it's more expensive to buy
- Tends to pill up under foundation
This twice a day moisturizer falls in our group of mid-priced products. We love it for the fact that it’s recommended both morning and night, eliminating the need for two different products. Especially effective for dry older skin, this moisturizing face cream uses fruit extracts to infuse the skin with natural antioxidants which fight free radical damage and premature signs of aging.
It also softens your skin with natural shea butter, and sweet almond fruit extract to leave a smooth protective film on the skin. Olive fruit oil helps to firm and moisturize. The advanced blend of ingredients leaves your skin feeling tightened and looking firmer, while moisturizing ingredients soothe and smooth dry skin.
Find more PCA SKIN Collagen Hydrator Face Cream information and reviews here.
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5. Collagen Face Moisturizer by L’Oreal Paris
Pros:- Good for many skin types
- More affordable than most
- Collagen formula helps to fill in wrinkles over time
- Moisturizing without feeling greasy
Cons:- Feels pretty heavy for day use
- Reports that the formula has changed in a bad way
- Scent seems heavy to some
This intense hydrator helps to fill in fine lines and wrinkles while moisturizing and nurturing older skin for a smoother and plumper appearance. This non-greasy formula is great for all skin types as it absorbs fast, but doesn’t leave any residue or sticky feeling. It helps to restore your skin’s bounce with a collagen boosting formula. And talk about being budget friendly. This is a reasonable investment for anyone who wants younger looking skin.
Used over time, the powerful collagen formula restores the skin’s cushion, leaving it looking plump, fresh and with visibly reduced wrinkles. It’s also cruelty-free and doesn’t pill under makeup, a total bonus in our opinion.
Find more Collagen Face Moisturizer by L’Oreal Paris information and reviews here.
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6. Pevonia Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream
Pros:- Collagen rich formula improves skin elasticity
- Cruelty free formula
- Botanical extracts fight inflammation and increase cell renewal
- Visibly improves the look of skin
Cons:- A big investment
- May cause breakouts
- Too heavy for some users
If you’ve got early signs of aging and you want to stop them in their tracks, this marine collagen cream from Pevonia can help to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, as well as prevent new ones from occurring. It helps to slow the aging process by protecting your skin against environmental aggressors that can damage healthy tissue.
Deeply moisturizing, it’s especially effective for dry and dehydrated skin, infusing moisture while plumping up existing lines. Safflower seed oil and vitamin E nourish and repair, while arnica flower extract reduces inflammation and narcissus bulb extract helps to increase cell renewal and leave your skin looking healthy and radiant. To brighten and tighten skin as well as protect against UV damage, consider Pevonia Firming Marine Elastin Cream.
Find more Pevonia Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream information and reviews here.
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7. ráya Collagen-Elastin Cream
Pros:- Thick and creamy
- Pore firming formula also calms inflammation
- Diminishes fine lines and wrinkles
- Enricjhed with skin loving botanicals
Cons:- Can cause skin irritation and breakouts
- More drying than some others
- May clog pores
If you’re searching for a collagen cream that’s natural, paraben free and cruelty free, ráya collagen – elastin cream is a great choice. It’s made with lots of skin loving ingredients and can be used day or night, which not all of them are recommended for. Elastin works to preserve skin’s tightness and elasticity, while marine collagen works to minimize fine lines and wrinkles.
Ginseng, aloe vera and allantoin add their soothing and healing properties, while wheat germ oil, safflower oil, glycerin, mango butter and olive butter help to preserve moisture and nourish delicate tissues. This formula also calms inflammation and helps to refine pores, while enhancing cell renewal.
Rich and creamy, it helps to preserve and improve skin’s elasticity and tightness, while leaving your skin super smooth and soft. This cream is excellent for most skin types, but if you have extremely dry skin, ráya also makes collagen cream with pentapeptides to encourage and support your skin’s own collagen production.
Find more ráya Collagen-Elastin Cream information and reviews here.
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8. Mario Badescu Elasto-Collagen Night Cream
Pros:- Super affordable compared to most
- Emollient formula is especially good for dry and parched skin
- Thick and creamy so a little goes a long way
Cons:- Feels a bit greasy going on
- Too rich for oilier skin types
- Absorbs too slowly
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly collagen face cream, this super hydrating formula from Mario Badescu is definitely worth a try. It’s deeply moisturizing, so keep in mind, if you have oilier skin, it may not be your best option. It uses peanut, vegetable and carnation oils to moisturize and revitalize very dry skin, which is perhaps why they deem it a night cream, versus a general moisturizer.
Collagen enriched, this cream preserves your skin’s moisture and assists with elasticity. It also contains vitamins A and E to moisturize, repair and soothe irritated skin. This fragrance-free cream is thick and very emollient, so a little goes a very long way. It would be an especially good choice if you live in harsh environments where your skin can get dry and parched.
To tighten, nourish and purify your skin, we recommend the Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask that uses clay to purify and detoxify, and oatmeal to reduce redness and minimize skin irritations. We love that it cleans deeply without drying out your skin.
Find more Mario Badescu Elasto-Collagen Night Cream information and reviews here.
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9. TONYMOLY Timeless Ferment Snail Cream
Pros:- Skin brightening formula reduces hyperpigmentation
- Gold fermented snail mucin is rich in collagen and allantoin
- Soothes tired looking skin
- Improves firmness and elasticity
Cons:- A bite to your wallet
- Snail mucin can cause skin irritation for some
- Recent price increases are annoying
Okay, just because this is a snail mucin cream, don’t go running. Snail mucin is a frequent ingredient in many Korean beauty products, and the K-Beauty regimen is wildly popular because it works. The snail mucin in this cream from TONYMOLY has so many skin loving bi-products that it’s an extraordinary elixir for youthful looking, more beautiful skin.
To make this collagen cream, they feed snails gold infused green tea for six months, and extract the mucin (yes slime.) This gold infused mucin is rich in allantoin, glycolic acid, collagen, and elastin, all essential to soothed, smooth and healthy skin. This skin brightening formula deeply hydrates and helps to restore your skin’s delicate moisture barrier.
This age-defying formula helps to restore the radiance and resilience of the skin you had when you were younger, and we don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love that. You can also give your under eye bags a snail mucin boost with TONYMOLY Timeless Ferment Snail Eye Masks.
Find more TONYMOLY Timeless Ferment Snail Cream information and reviews here.
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10. DOCTOR BABOR LIFTING RX Collagen Cream
Pros:- Marine collagen formula is quickly absorbed into skin
- Skin looks visibly lifted
- Plumps fine lines and wrinkles
- Hyaluronic acid helps skin retain moisture
Cons:- Super spendy
- May cause breakouts
- Can irritate sensitive skin
If price equals quality in your mind, this luxurious collagen cream might be your go to solution for sagging and bagging face skin. It tightens, plumps and hydrates, leaving your skin feeling super smooth and soft, and looking younger with every use.
It uses marine collagen, which is quickly absorbed, along with moisture retaining hyaluronic acid and a tripeptide solution to plump fine lines and wrinkles. Your skin will look firmer and tighter, giving a visibly lifted effect.
Find more DOCTOR BABOR LIFTING RX Collagen Cream information and reviews here.
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11. ETUDE HOUSE Moistfull Collagen Cream
Pros:- Very lightweight gel cream absorbs quickly
- Good for those with acne prone skin
- Water based gel absorbs quickly
- Modestly priced
Cons:- Scent is off-putting to some
- Not as effective as some other collagen creams
- May cause skin irritation
This super lightweight collagen gel face cream comes from one of the most popular Korean beauty companies, Etude House. This cream contains nearly 64 percent super collagen water to penetrate your skin quickly and keep it deeply moisturized for hours. Collagen water, in theory, reduces the size of the collagen particles for easier absorption.
This gel cream also contains Baobab oil from a desert living tree that literally stores water. That converts into better moisture storage for your skin, leaving it soft, super smooth and hydrated. While you’ll likely chuckle at this company’s claim to leave your face “feeling like jelly”, it actually doesn’t feel sticky at all. Fruit extracts and oils add to the moisturizing effect.
Because this gel cream is so lightweight, it is great for those with oilier skin which often reacts negatively to heavier face creams. The water-based formula is less likely to cause breakouts and clogged pores.
Find more ETUDE HOUSE Moistfull Collagen Cream information and reviews here.
We also recommend supplemental collagen as another good practice to improve your overall health, and there are a plethora of collagen supplements that can help to address some of those skin issues. But not all collagen supplements are created equal. Some require taking as many as nine pills a day.
According to Anixia R., CEO of La Sirène, "marine collagen molecules are smaller. That means they're more easily absorbed into your system than collagen from pork, beef or chicken - which makes it more effective at improving your skin, hair, and joints." La Sirène uses sustainably sourced collagen from the Pacific Ocean for their supplements, which you can find here.
With an original intent to focus on skincare, this unique company opted to begin production with daily drinkable collagen supplements because of Anixia's own personal experiences. "My hair stopped falling out, and I noticed how much better my skin looked," she says.
You can look forward to some exciting skin care developments from this cool company in the near future.
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