Is The Collagen Craze Harming The Environment? Experts Sound Off
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The ingestible beauty trend isn’t new, but business is booming with a massive influx of powders, capsules, and gummies all claiming to be the missing link in maintaining our youth. The trendiest among them iscollagen, an ingredient that has become synonymous with improvedhair, skin, and nail healthand staving off the aging process. The body produces the protein naturally, but production begins to dwindle as we age, which is why consumers turn to supplements to boost what's lacking. The result is a multi-billion-dollar market that continues to grow, with beauty regimens that go beyond what we put on our body, extending to what we put in it.
Some dermatologists are skeptical of the collagen supplement trend, calling into question the efficacy of these products that are being fiercely marketed to consumers. Caroline Robinson, MD, FAAD, dermatologist and founder of Tone Dermatology, highlights that the science is notably thin, with limited data to suggest that ingesting collagen orally helps to improve skin and safeguard our natural collagen supply.
What's more, one recent report found ties between the production of collagen supplements and deforestation, as well as the displacement of Indigenous communities.
But forward-thinking brands are disrupting the ingestible beauty category by prioritizing integrity, transparency, and traceability, and innovating with alternative ingredients that are not only beneficial to consumers, but low impact on the planet.
Unpacking the environmental impact of collagen products
Collagen supplements are commonly derived from the tissue of cattle (bovine) and fish (marine), but it’s the bovine variety in particular that's sounding alarm bells.
A recentexposéfrom theBureau of Investigative Journalismlinked collagen supply chains and the skyrocketing demand for bovine-derived collagen to illegal land seizure, the displacement of Indigenous communities, and devastating climate impacts such as the clear cutting of Brazilian forests to make room for cattle. According to the report, tens of thousands of cattle from farms associated with deforestation were processed at facilities connected to collagen supply chains, and some of this collagen can be traced back to popular brands seen on store shelves.
That's why it's so important to know where these raw materials are coming from: “Having traceability of your supply chain is the key to avoiding egregious practices like human rights abuses and deforestation when sourcing ingredients used in products like beauty ingestibles,” says Lindsay Dahl, chief impact officer atRitual. Unfortunately, there is currently no legislation requiring collagen companies to trace their environmental impact throughout the supply chain.
Genuine Health, a supplement brand committed to doing their part to prevent deforestation in the Amazon, pledges to their consumers that they’ll never source from the Amazon. Instead, their Clean Collagen is formulated with bovine-derived collagen sourced and upcycled from grass-fed cattle raised in the U.S.
Marine collagen is more sustainable, but….
Not all marine collagen is created equal. Whether farmed or wild, there are many factors that come into play when choosing a sustainable marine collagen, according to environmental engineer and scientist Tracy Fanara, Ph.D. It comes down to the management and husbandry of the fish and how they were caught. Fanara stresses that overfishing poses a huge risk to biodiversity, so it’s important to find out the source of your product when choosing collagen.
Marine collagen sourced from wild fish from Canadian waters is an example of a more sustainable product, according to Fanara, due to the stringent sustainability practices set by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Brands likeAphinaformulate their innovative range of liquid marine collagen products with the byproduct of wild-caught fish sourced from Canada in adherence with the North Atlantic fishing quotas enforced by the Canadian Fisheries Act. Avalon Lukacs, founder of Aphina, is committed to tracing their supply chain to ensure the integrity of their Canadian supplier.
Consumers can look for products that have been independently verified to help ensure a product’s sustainability claims are valid. A label, such as the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) blue fish logo ensures that fish being used for marine collagen come from healthy fish populations and that fishing activity is done in a way that minimizes impact on other species and wider ecosystems.
TheDeep Marine Collagenfrom The Beauty Chef, sourced from wild-caught, deep-sea North Atlantic cod, is one such product that is certified sustainable and carries the MSC blue fish label. While Fanara agrees that certifications can be helpful indicators allowing consumers to make quick purchasing decisions, a product shouldn’t be ruled out simply because it isn’t certified. She believes consumers can still make an environmentally sound choice by seeking out brands that prioritize full visibility into their supply chain and the quality and ethics of the suppliers they work with.
What about vegan collagen?
Products claiming to be vegan collagen have hit the market, but are they actually collagen or are they made with other ingredients intended to support collagen production? There’s a distinction to be made, and marketing claims can be misleading.
Some companies are starting to look at creating collagen in a laboratory, with products claiming to have the same amino acid composition as human collagen. That’s OK, but Fanara points out that just because something is made in a lab does not mean that it’s sustainably sourced. Determining if a lab-made ingredient is environmentally friendly depends on how it is synthesized, manufactured, processed, and shipped, according to Fanara. “It involves looking at the ingredient at each stage of its life cycle, from cradle to grave,” notes Fanara.
Forward-thinking brands are looking at alternative ingredients to approach skin health from the inside out in a sustainable way. Ritual’s newly launched HyaCerasupplement harnesses the power of two clinically-studied and traceable ingredients to promote glowing skin and address fine lines and wrinkles: a sustainably harvested plant oil extract known as Ceratiq, and a lower-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid known as Hyabest. A brand rooted in transparency and traceability, Ritual shares the supplier names and final place of manufacturing of all of their ingredients, so consumers can feel good about what they are buying.
“Simply put, we didn’t start formulating with a buzzy ingredient like collagen, we started with a problem to solve and looked for the best science and sourcing that met our Made Traceable standards,” says Dahl. Similarly, Moon Juice, a brand committed to ensuring their ingredients are traceable, unadulterated and sustainably sourced, formulates their Collagen Protectwith three vegan ingredients to help preserve natural collagen and support its production: hyaluronic acid, silver ear mushroom (tremella), and tocotrienols.
The bottom line
“It is difficult being an environmentally-conscious consumer,” says Fanara. “Companies really make us work for the truth.” Fanara believes that the only way to know if a product you're looking to buy is both a healthy and environmentally sound purchase is by doing your research—quality is in the details. Look for reliable certification labels on products, detailed ingredient sourcing and manufacturing information on brand websites, and seek out brands that are authentic and transparent in how they engage with their consumers.
“An eco-conscious brand is one that walks the walk, not just talks the talk,” says Fanara. Look for brands that go above and beyond and demonstrate that they are putting in the work to ensure a sustainable product. Dahl empowers consumers to speak up and ask brands about their sourcing practices. “Asking questions shows brands that their customers care about human rights and sustainability, and it drives positive change internally,” says Dahl.
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