If you've been in the skincare aisle recently, you know that collagen moisturizers abound, offering a wide array of benefits (at an equally wide scope of price points). With so many options, one can easily end up picking up a jar based on nothing more than dazzling packaging and big claims. But just because a collagen moisturizer has a shelfie-worthy look and a hefty price tag doesn't mean it's the right one for your needs.
To figure out how to choose a collagen moisturizer, we tapped dermatologists Hannah Kopelman, DO, and Serena Mraz, MD, who walked us through the steps to find the perfect match. Read on for what they shared.
Know Your Skin Type
Knowing your skin type is the first step in choosing any moisturizer. “This ensures the product provides the right balance of hydration and support,” Kopelman says, helping you avoid issues “like excessive oiliness or dryness that could exacerbate skin conditions.”
Indeed, Mraz says your skin type is the very first thing you should consider: “Oilier, thicker skin can often tolerate more irritating ingredients such as retinoids, while drier, thinner, and more sensitive skin types need ingredients that increase hyaluronic acid content in the skin and hold on to moisture.”
Mraz tells us aging also plays a key role. “As skin ages, it not only loses collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, but the pH also starts to rise and the surface microbes (which make up skin microbiome) become more numerous but less diverse,” she says. “These factors result not only in wrinkles, poor elasticity, and skin fragility but also relate to poorer local immunity within the skin (as well as systemically) and a decrease in the ability for the skin to adequately protect from environmental insults.”
Assess Your Skin Issues
Whether you’re acneic, battling crepey skin, or prone to redness, knowing your skin issues is as important as knowing its type. “When selecting a collagen moisturizer, it’s vital to consider specific skin issues like acne or sensitivity,” says Kopelman. “This ensures the product supports the skin’s unique needs and enhances its overall condition.”
Check the Active Ingredients
Many collagen creams include additional beneficial ingredients that can help you address those aforementioned skin issues. For example, “Products that contain collagen-stimulating agents and a variety of potent antioxidants, vitamins, and omega fatty acids help to lighten dark spots on the skin and improve overall brightening… while cleaning up free radicals,” says Mraz.
Kopelman says to look for antioxidants and peptides because “these ingredients work synergistically with collagen to enhance skin’s firmness and overall health, making them crucial for seeing effective results.” Mraz elaborates on this, adding that peptides help “stimulate the fibroblasts in the skin which produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid to become more active and productive.”
Understand the Types of Collagen
There are multiple types of collagen out there, and it may be confusing when reading labels. But it's worth getting familiar with your options. "I advise considering the type of collagen, such as marine or hydrolyzed, because different types offer various benefits and absorption rates," explains Kopelamn." Selecting the right type helps in achieving skin goals more effectively."
"Collagen peptides may be derived from several sources including cows, pigs, chicken cartilage, and fish skin," adds Mraz. There are also relatively new vegan options "that provide an optimal match to human skin collagen without the risk of transmitting illness-causing microbes or prions [that can be] a concern with animal-derived products," she notes.
Learn About Sourcing
Just as with the food you consume, it's good to know where the ingredients you're putting on your face come from. Kopelman stresses "the importance of ethical and sustainable collagen sourcing, as it reflects a commitment to responsible practices. This influences the moisturizer's overall quality and environmental impact."
"Quality skin care is an important part of health and well-being, as skin health relates to internal health (and vice versa)," adds Mraz.
Determine Value
Pricier isn't always better, and Kopelman tells us it's possible to balance quality and cost. In fact, "the most expensive products do not necessarily provide better skin benefits," adds Mraz. She measures value by factors including the active ingredients, potential side effects (such as inducing acne or clogged pores), and general formula preference (like not being tacky, greasy, or incompatible with makeup and other skincare products). While she acknowledges "the concentration and cost of ingredients will affect the price of the products," ultimately, "clinical endpoints of the completed product remain the gold standard for assessing efficacy and value."
The Final Takeaway
There are many factors to consider when selecting a collagen moisturizer. Before you even start looking at products, you should assess your skin type and its issues. From there, you'll want to pay close attention to ingredients—including what they address and how they're sourced—and get familiar with the different types of collagen. Once you've narrowed your list to a few potential choices, think clearly about value: The price should match the quality and quantity of the ingredients. With these tips, you'll be adding your perfect collagen moisturizer to your cart in no time.
