What Are the Benefits of Taking Collagen After 25?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It makes up the structural framework of your skin, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and gut lining. Basically, wherever your body needs strength and flexibility, collagen is doing the heavy lifting.

Here's the part most people don't know: your body starts producing less of it from your mid-to-late twenties. The decline is gradual, roughly 1% per year, but it compounds. By your thirties you start noticing it. By your forties and fifties, the effects are hard to ignore, and for women going through perimenopause or menopause, the drop can be sharper still.

The good news is that you can support your collagen levels. A quality collagen supplement, taken consistently, is one of the most direct ways to do it. 

Browse our Collagen Powders and Bars to see what we offer.

What Is Collagen, Really?

Collagen is a structural protein, and it accounts for around 30% of all the protein in your body. It's in your skin, bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, gut lining, hair follicles, and nails. Wherever you need flexibility, strength, or resilience, collagen is likely involved.

Your body makes collagen naturally. The problem is that production slows with age, and several lifestyle factors speed that up: UV exposure, smoking, chronic stress, and a poor diet can all accelerate the decline.

When Does Collagen Start to Drop?

The decline typically starts in your mid-to-late twenties, with most research pointing to a loss of around 1% per year. That sounds small, but the effects accumulate. By the time you hit your forties, the difference is measurable in your skin, joints, and bone density. For women, perimenopause and menopause can accelerate things further, as falling oestrogen levels have a direct impact on collagen production.

What Happens When Collagen Drops?

Your skin loses elasticity and hydration. Fine lines appear, skin feels less firm, and that natural plumpness fades. This is one of the first places collagen loss shows up.

Joints get stiffer. Cartilage is largely made of collagen. As levels decline, it wears down faster. You might notice more stiffness in your knees, hips, or shoulders, or that movements that used to feel effortless now take a bit more effort.

Bones become less resilient. Collagen gives bones their flexibility. Without enough of it, they become more brittle. This matters more as you get older, particularly for women after menopause when bone loss accelerates.

Your gut lining weakens. The intestinal barrier is held together by connective tissue, and collagen plays a key role in its structure. When it weakens, the gut becomes more permeable, which can contribute to bloating, digestive discomfort, and food sensitivities.

Hair and nails show the effects. Nails become more brittle, hair can feel thinner, and growth tends to slow down.

How Does Collagen Supplementation Help?

Collagen supplements work by supplying hydrolysed collagen (also called collagen peptides) which is collagen that has been broken down into smaller fragments your gut can actually absorb. Once absorbed, these collagen peptides are broken down further into amino acids, which your body uses to support its own collagen production. The key amino acids here are glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, which your body needs in good supply to build and maintain collagen-rich tissues.

This is what separates a good collagen supplement from just eating more protein: the specific amino acid profile, and the fact that hydrolysed collagen is highly bioavailable.

Skin

This is where the benefits are most well-established, and the evidence is strong. Consistent supplementation improves skin hydration and elasticity, with most people noticing a difference after 8 to 12 weeks. Skin texture and firmness tend to improve first, with wrinkle appearance following over time. For women over 40 dealing with the skin changes that come with shifting hormone levels, this is often the benefit they notice first.

Joints

Cartilage, the tissue that cushions your joints, is largely made of collagen. As levels drop, cartilage wears down faster and joints get stiffer. There's solid evidence that supplementing helps support cartilage health and joint comfort. Results take a bit longer here, usually a few months of consistent use.

Bones

Collagen gives bones their flexibility. Without enough of it, they become more brittle. Supplementing with collagen may support bone mineral density, and works best alongside adequate calcium and vitamin D. This is particularly worth paying attention to for women over 40, when bone loss tends to accelerate.

Gut Health

The amino acids in collagen, particularly glycine and glutamine, help maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining. When that lining weakens, it can lead to bloating, digestive discomfort, and food sensitivities. The research here is still developing, but collagen is thought to support the repair of the gut barrier and help reduce gut permeability. If you experience regular digestive issues, it's a sensible place to start. Our Bone Broth Protein Powder is another option worth looking at for gut support, it's naturally rich in collagen and gelatin.

Hair and Nails

Using collagen may help support the structure of both hair follicles and nail beds. Nails tend to respond faster, with improvements in growth and brittleness appearing within weeks. Hair benefits are more gradual, and tend to be more noticeable for those experiencing thinning.

Which Collagen Supplement Is Right for You?

Not all collagen supplements are the same. The two most common types are bovine collagen and marine collagen, and they suit slightly different needs.

Pure Collagen is made from bovine (grass-fed beef) collagen peptides. It's a good all-rounder: well-suited to skin, joints, bones, and gut health. It includes options with added vitamin C, which is important for collagen synthesis (more on that below).

View Nothing Naughty Pure Collagen

Marine Collagen is sourced from fish and is particularly popular for skin. Marine collagen is predominantly Type I collagen, which is the type most concentrated in skin. It has a slightly smaller peptide size, which some research suggests may improve absorption.

View Nothing Naughty Marine Collagen

Both are hydrolysed, meaning they're in collagen peptide form and ready to absorb.

Why We Add Vitamin C

Our Pure Collagen includes vitamin C options for a specific reason: your body needs it to actually synthesise collagen. Vitamin C acts as a cofactor for the enzymes that stabilise and cross-link collagen fibres. Without enough of it, even a good supply of collagen peptides won't convert as efficiently. That said, regular collagen still works well if you're getting plenty of vitamin C from your diet already. We simply provide vitamin C options because the two go hand in hand, and it means one less thing to worry about. The vitamin C addition gives the powder a slight flavour, which is why we also offer an unflavoured version if you prefer it in coffee or something neutral.

How to Use It

Follow the guidelines given for each specific product (see product pages for details). As an overall guide, consume one serve per day, mixed into whatever works for you. Coffee, smoothies, water, soup, yoghurt. It dissolves easily and doesn't have a strong flavour unless you've chosen one of our flavoured options.

When will you notice results? For most people, skin hydration and texture tend to improve first, usually within a few weeks. Joint comfort and nail strength generally take a bit longer, typically 4 to 12 weeks. Hair takes the most time. Consistency matters more than timing.

The Bottom Line

Collagen production drops from your mid-twenties onward, and the effects show up across your skin, joints, bones, gut, and hair over time. The research behind collagen supplementation is solid, particularly for skin and joints. It won't reverse ageing, but it gives your body more of what it needs to slow the visible and physical effects of collagen decline.

At Nothing Naughty, we keep it clean: pure collagen peptides, vitamin C to help your body use them, and a compostable scoop in every jar. No fillers, no fluff.

Shop Nothing Naughty Collagen Now 🤍

Frequently Asked Questions

Is collagen worth taking for people over 40? Yes, and this is probably the age group that benefits most. By 40, collagen levels have been declining for over a decade, and for women, the hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause accelerate the process further. The areas most affected — skin elasticity, joint comfort, and bone density — are exactly where collagen supplementation has the strongest evidence. Taken consistently, it gives your body the building blocks it needs during a period when natural production is lower.

What is the difference between hydrolysed collagen and collagen peptides? They're the same thing. Hydrolysed collagen is collagen that has been broken down (hydrolysed) into shorter chains called peptides. This process makes it much easier for your gut to absorb. When you see "collagen peptides" on a label, it means the collagen has been hydrolysed. Both terms refer to the bioavailable form used in supplements.

How long does collagen take to work? Skin hydration and texture typically improve first, usually within 4 to 8 weeks of daily use. Joint comfort generally takes longer, closer to 8 to 12 weeks. Hair and nail changes are the most gradual. The key is consistency. Collagen isn't a quick fix, it's daily nutritional support that builds over time.

What is the best collagen supplement for women over 40? It depends on your primary goal. Bovine collagen (like our Pure Collagen) is a strong all-rounder for skin, joints, bones, and gut health. Marine Collagen is predominantly Type I collagen and particularly popular for skin. Both are hydrolysed for absorption, and both include vitamin C to support collagen synthesis. If gut health is your focus alongside everything else, Bone Broth is worth considering too, since it's naturally rich in collagen and gut-supportive compounds.

Can you get enough collagen from food alone? You can get some collagen from food (bone broth, slow-cooked meats, and fish skin are the richest sources) but most people don't eat these regularly or in meaningful amounts. Diet also provides the amino acids needed to make collagen, but the specific combination found in hydrolysed collagen supplements, particularly glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, is hard to replicate consistently through diet alone. Supplementing fills that gap reliably.

Does collagen help with menopause symptoms? Collagen doesn't affect hormone levels, so it won't address hot flushes or mood changes. What it can do is support the physical changes that come with the drop in oestrogen: skin thinning, joint stiffness, and reduced bone density. These are areas where the research is reasonably solid, and they're also some of the most common complaints women have in their forties and beyond.