What is collagen?

What is collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It provides elastic and radiant skin, it keeps your muscles and joints supple, your hair and nails strong.

There are different types of collagen, type I collagen is mainly found in the skin and is the type of collagen used in Insentials' Smart Collagen.

Why take collagen?

From the age of 25, your collagen production decreases and the effects of collagen loss start to show: more and more fine lines appear and your skin becomes more fragile.

There are several factors that accelerate this process:

• Genetic factors
• UV light
• Unhealthy lifestyle: poor diet, smoking, alcohol & stress
• Hormonal imbalance (e.g. menopause)
• Inflammation
• Pollution

Healthy habits (such as drinking enough water or eating high-fibre food) can support collagen production, but is insufficient to completely maintain declining production. Extra intake of collagen is therefore recommended as an essential anti-ageing approach from within. 

Insentials has chosen a unique formulation, brought together in a convenient Collagen shot on-the-go.

What makes our formula so unique?

Highest dosage for maximum results

First of all, there is the high dose, as much as 10g of collagen. This dosage is so high, you will need less than 1 dose per day for the first few years (up to 50 years). Thus, until the age of 40, we recommend only 2 to 3 shots per week. Does your skin really need a boost of collagen? Then you can achieve maximum results with a daily shot. The intake can be fully adapted to your needs.

Hydrolysed collagen for better absorption

Collagen is a very large protein that is very difficult for your body to absorb in its natural form. By cutting the collagen into smaller peptides (= hydrolysing), Insentials ensures 91% absorption of collagen. 

Moreover, the peptides are not only used as building blocks for collagen, they are actually going to stimulate the body to produce more collagen itself.

Finally, vitamin C was also added to the Smart Collagen shot. This antioxidant acts as a real catalyst for collagen absorption!

Keratin complex for the extra glow

Like collagen, keratin is also a body protein. Do you suffer from brittle hair, splitting nails or dull skin? Then maybe your body is struggling with a keratin deficiency. By adding the amino acids cysteine and methionine (keratin building blocks) to the Smart Collagen shots, Insentials gives an extra boost to your hair, skin and nails. Who doesn't dream of shiny hair, strong nails and skin glow?  

Collagen on-the-go!

Insentials' Smart Collagen shots come in small bottles. You take them with you in your handbag in no time, so they are always to hand.

No sugar or added sweeteners, just a delicious strawberry flavour!

Collagen is often characterised by an unpleasant taste, which is why many manufacturers use sugar or sweeteners to give it a nice flavour. Unfortunately, these sugars/sweeteners overload the liver, which in itself leads to poorer collagen absorption. Insentials' Smart Collagen contains natural strawberry flavouring: no bad taste, no overloading your liver. 

Extra tip: put your Smart Collagen in the fridge. It's not necessary, but it makes it extra tasty and fresh.

Is the Smart Collagen vegan?

No, and that makes perfect sense. After all, plant products never naturally contain collagen, you only find it in animal tissues. Fish and beef collagen are the most commonly used ingredients for collagen supplementation, and within the beauty sector, fish collagen is most commonly used for external applications. Insentials has chosen to work with bovine collagen, however, because at the hydrolysed level, it no longer makes any difference which origin you work with. Indeed, the peptides are made so small that the possible benefits of fish collagen (the so-called better absorption) are completely eliminated. At the peptide level, the components of fish collagen are the same size as those of beef collagen. However, it has been proven that beef collagen is better digested compared to the marine variety, and at Insentials we consider it essential to avoid such liver overload. There are also more advantages to working with beef collagen in the context of allergies.

From when will you have effects?

The speed at which you will notice the effects of collagen depends from person to person. Insentials recommends a 3-month course of treatment, indeed it may take a few weeks to months before you notice anything and this is completely normal. But don't give up too soon, because when you will notice the effects of the Smart Collagen, your patience will be rewarded.

How do you achieve optimal results?

At Insentials, we know that a healthy liver is essential for optimal absorption of your proteins, such as collagen. By making sure your liver is not overloaded, you will achieve the best results. But how do you do that?

1. Healthy diet : eat enough fibre (always fill your plate half with vegetables and eat vegetables at every meal), and eat as many unprocessed foods as possible (eat what you find in nature!)
2. Drink enough water! Extra tip: don't take small sips all day, but drink larger amounts spread throughout the day.
3. Avoid stress, get enough exercise and go to bed on time.
4. Insentials' Detox Boost can help you detox your liver, after all: a non-overloaded liver guarantees even better absorption of your proteins such as collagen.

Does taking collagen have side effects?

There are generally no known side effects of collagen. Moreover, Insentials' Smart Collagen is a very pure product, so the risk of hypersensitivity to ingredients is minimal.

Can you use Smart Collagen during pregnancy/breastfeeding?

First of all, it is important to reiterate that collagen is a substance naturally occurring in the body, and that it occurs naturally in food. Pregnant or lactating women also have a higher protein requirement. However, little research is available on the use of collagen supplementation during pregnancy and lactation. It is therefore recommended to consult a doctor or specialist if you are considering this supplementation during your pregnancy or lactation.

How much Smart Collagen is best to take?

Because the breakdown of collagen production occurs gradually over the years, Insentials uses different recommendations by age:

• Younger than 25 years: 2 shots/week
• 25 - 40 years: 3 shots/week
• 40 - 50 years: 5 shots/week
• 50+ years: 1 shot per day

Is Smart Collagen only for women?

Absolutely not! In women, the decline in collagen production starts faster, especially during and after menopause. Men have the advantage of getting wrinkles later in life, as they have thicker skin and more collagen. This is because collagen is stimulated by male hormones, making skin 20% thicker than female skin.

However, once collagen in the skin decreases in men, the process does go faster than in women. A man's skin will sag more and wrinkles will be deeper and thicker.

Conclusion

Both men and women can experience beautiful results by taking collagen.