[ REVIEW ] Meiji Collagen Powder Can

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Who would’ve thought that I’d do a review on a beauty supplement. I’m coming back at ya with a review of Meiji’s collagen powder in original and premium. Basically, it’s a powder you can add to anything like foods, drinks, water, you name it.

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What is collagen?

Collagen is a protein everybody is born with that maintains the elasticity, suppleness and health of skin tissues. It is known to give you a more youthful appearance and more plump features due to the layers of collagen in your skin. Babies appear so youthful (and adorable) due to the high contents of collagen that they have. Collagen products generally derive from pig skins, so it’s definitely not advisable to use if you are a Muslim. Please, if you are Muslim and you want to try collagen products, then check beforehand to see if the contents are derived from pig or from other sources.

Why ingest collagen then?

As we hit 20 years of age, our body starts to lose collagen and it’s vital to maintain our collagen levels to slow down the process of aging for as long as possible. Studies show that those who take collagen daily vs those who don’t, appear younger than those who skip out on collagen. Collagen also strengthens the skin to reduce the appearance of veins on the face and neck, which tends to be noticed more as you get older. It’s also shown to decrease the visibility of dark circles too. The suggested daily dose of collagen is 5000mg a day.

Here is a graph taken from the IBC and revised by Dr. Shushichi which depicts the decline of collagen as you get older.

From this graph, you can see the period between 20 years to 40 years of age has a drop of almost 30% in collagen levels found in the skin, the same time you generally start showing early signs of aging around the eyes, forehead and mouth. Between 40 year and 60 years of age, collagen drops by another 30% and overall, a drop of a staggering 60% when you hit 60 years of age, which is why elderly people look, well, old.

It is advised that if you introduce collagen products into for beauty routine from the moment you hit 20 years of age, you can slow down the process of collagen depreciation and maintain the youthfulness for a lot longer. This means, you’re more likely to get the early signs of wrinkling around the forehead, eyes and mouth at a later age, rather than in your prime 30s.

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Meiji Amino Collagen comes in different formulations that specify certain functional abilities. For example, the regular version focuses more on collagen whereas the premium has added hyaluronic acid benefits for deep skin hydrating penetration. All Meiji collagen powders come with 100% FISH collagen that has been broken down into small peptides to be able to be readily absorbed into the skin and body better than regular collagen found in pig skin. Yes, FISH collagen, so the Muslim community, fear not because you can drink this! Meiji claims that their formulation for fish collagen peptides is able to be absorbed by the body 1.5 times faster than pig collagen, and this graph from J. Agriculture Food Chem. shows the absorption rate of fish collagen

The regular Meiji Collagen powder contains 5000mg of fish collagen peptides, 60mg of glucosamine, 450mg of arganine (also known as amino acid) and 50mg of vitamin C per serving. The premium one has the same ingredients, plus 1,200 µg of ceramide, 20mg of hyaluronic acid and 10mg of coenzyme Q10 for a stronger anti-aging and hydration effect on your skin. Each can has roughly a month supply with daily usage. You can stretch the collagen to two or three day servings if you’re on a budget, but it is recommended you take every day for the best results. As long as you’re consistent, you can take the collagen as need be.

INGREDIENTS (Meiji Collagen)

fish collagen peptide (gelatin), maltodextrin, vegetable oil, vitamin C, glucosamine, arginine, thickening agent (gum arabic), flavor, emulsifying agent (including soybeans)

• Energy 27kcal
• Protein 5.3g
• Fat 0.08g
• Carbohydrate 1.3g
• Sodium 15mg
• Vitamin C 50mg
• Collagen peptide 5,000mg
• Arginine 450mg
• Glucosamine 60mg

 

INGREDIENTS (Meiji Collagen Premium)

fish collagen peptide (gelatin), maltodextrin, vegetable oil, coenzyme Q10, ceramide-containing extract from rice germ, trehalose, vitamin C, glucosamine, arginine, flavor, hyaluronic acid, emulsifying agent (including soybeans), thickening agent (gum arabic), sweetener (sucralose)

• Energy 27kcal
• Protein 5.3g
• Fat 0.08g
• Carbohydrate 1.3g
• Sodium 15mg
• Vitamin C 50mg
• Arginine 450mg
• Coenzyme Q10 10mg
• Glucosamine 60mg
• Ceramide 1200μg
• Collagen peptide 5,000mg
• Hyaluronic acid 20mg

The main ingredients besides the collagen, are glucosamine, arganine and vitamin C. We all should know by now how effective vitamin C is for brightening and improving our skin’s appearance and is a common ingredient in whitening products to help recreate an even skin tone. Arganine, also known as amino acid, helps to rejuvenate the face and aid in the process of repairing and strengthening. Amino acids like arganine also help the body to heal faster, remove ammonia and other various harmful substances out from the body and helps immune stability and function. Think of it as a detoxing agent to cleanse your body from the inside whilst providing you with a healthy body and healthy skin.

Since I’ve tried them both, I chose to do a compare and comparison between the two products, except I really didn’t find the effects between the both any different whatsoever. They both tasted the same and they both worked the same way. Possibly since I’m still considered young, I don’t notice the premium version working any different to the regular collagen, but only time can tell, right? In the meantime, I’ll be honest with my experience and say they work equally as well as each other, and the addition of the hyaluronic acid and coenzyme Q10 from a beauty knowledge perspective, is far better for mature people who want stronger anti aging effects or have dry skin.

The taste for me was something I had to get used to, since I really don’t like powdered products at all. They tend to taste like protein shakes and I can’t stand the taste of those at all. I think, with daily drinking I adjusted after a month and now if I forget to add my collagen powder into my coffee, I can taste the difference immediately and will refuse to drink my coffee until I have my daily dose of collagen.

I tried the collagen powder in foods and again, not my cup of tea, since I was already used to taking my collagen with my coffee in the morning,changing it up was a struggle for me. I’m making it seem the powder tastes terrible but it really isn’t actually. It’s with my background history of hating protein shakes and those kinds of drinks that made me have to adjust to the taste of the collagen in my food or drinks. My coworker and a lot of customers are content with the taste, so I suppose in the end it really is just personal preference.

I’ve now gone through three cans of both the regular and premium versions and they both have helped to recondition the skin texture significantly, make my skin tighter and more stronger and helped to reduce the freckling around my cheeks and forehead. On top of that, I have noticed my skin repairs a lot faster that prior to introducing the collagen into my daily life, and whitening serums for hyper pigmentation marks and acne scarring work a lot better now.

With the content of vitamin C in the ingredients, I took in the liberty to trial some sun damage by omitting sunblock and going out in the sun for 30mins a day to see how my skin will react. My skin darkened like crazy and melanin was working it’s effects on my face left, right and centre. After a month of doing so, I reverted back to my usual whitening and protecting skin care routine and I’d probably say within two weeks, my skin went back to normal again, so I’m quite impressed since usually it would take me more than a year to revert back to normal skin tone and condition had I not taken the collagen. Let me just say though, please don’t forget your sunblock and never sit in the sun for too long since sun exposure causes premature aging and skin damages.

Other than that, I honestly don’t know what to say. I do like both the premium version and the regular version of the collagen drinks, but because of my young age, I don’t see the other benefits of the premium that I get from the regular version as of yet. My overall grading comes down to the experiences I’ve had between the both, so I will assess accordingly.

PROS (regular)

• Effective skin tightening and reconditioning of the skin surface
• Whitening care for freckling and hyper pigmentation spots
• Fish collagen peptides, meaning the collagen is derived from fish rather than pig, and is broken down into small molecules for the skin to absorb faster and thus, show results earlier
• The option to take every single day or every other day is up to you based on how you want to ingest the collagen into your system.
• No known side effects to taking collagen whatsoever
• Has been approved by the food safety and drug association, meaning the product has been heavily researched and shows it is completely fine to take the collagen.
• Expiry date is dated on the bottom of the can so you know when to take the drinks and up until what date to discard any remaining product, if there is any left.

CONS (regular)

• The price, I got mine for $48 AUD and since I drink it every day, the amount of money does add up in the end
• The taste was something I had to get used to for a while, but after that period, I’m completely fine with the taste in my morning coffee. Otherwise, I’ll have to readjust to the taste when added into other drinks or in foods.

RATING

QUALITY ★★★★★
PRICE ★★★☆☆
REPURCHASE RATE ★★★★★
OVERALL ★★★★☆

PROS (premium)

• Effective skin tightening and reconditioning of the skin surface
• Whitening care for freckling and hyper pigmentation spots
• Fish collagen peptides, meaning the collagen is derived from fish rather than pig, and is broken down into small molecules for the skin to absorb faster and thus, show results earlier
• The option to take every single day or every other day is up to you based on how you want to ingest the collagen into your system.
• No known side effects to taking collagen whatsoever
• Has been approved by the food safety and drug association, meaning the product has been heavily researched and shows it is completely fine to take the collagen.
• Expiry date is dated on the bottom of the can so you know when to take the drinks and up until what date to discard any remaining product, if there is any left.
• Stronger anti aging effects with the addition of the coenzyme Q10 which is fundamental for overall skin health and wellbeing to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkling around problematic areas such as the eyes and lips.
• The addition of hyaluronic acid amplifies the effects of the glucosamine as glucosamine is a building block for hyaluronic acid molecules to work it’s magic in your skin for a more hydrated, supple and well conditioned appearance.

CONS (premium)

• The cost for sure! By the almighty it costs me $80 a month to drink, but the benefits are good. Hmm, let my skin suffer or let my bank account suffer?
• Just like the regular, the taste was something I had to adjust to, but nonetheless once I got used to it, I’m enjoying it with my coffee everyday.

RATING

QUALITY ★★★★★
PRICE ★★☆☆☆
REPURCHASE RATE ★★★☆☆
OVERALL ★★★★☆

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Overall, I’d choose the regular Meiji Collagen powder over the premium as I don’t need the benefits of the coenzyme Q10 just yet. The price difference is quite significant as well, and it really does depend on your budget or what kind of effects you’re looking for. As I mentioned, the premium is more targeted to those who need the extra anti aging effects, otherwise the regular will do justice just fine. If you liked this review, then don’t forget to give me a like and subscribe to my blog for more reviews on beauty products, and possibly more beauty supplements. Leave comments below if you’ve ever taken these products before and how you went with them all. As per usual, I’m always taking in requests so suggest me some things to try out and I’ll do my best for you. Until the next post~

Anthony signing out.

***disclaimer: none of these images are mine and all the credits are either listed above in the post, or credits go to the owners of the respecting images. In no way do I claim these images as my own. If you own any of the above images and wish me to take the images down, then please contact me ASAP and I will take them down for you.