What you need to know

Simply, honestly and without the noise. 

You might be starting to ask a few more questions about your skin health.

How collagen works in the skin, what to realistically expect from supplementation, and whether it’s ever really the whole story when it comes to skin health.

This is where it starts to make sense.

To help you understand how your skin functions, how collagen fits into the bigger picture and how you can best support it.

Clear, honest guidance so you can make informed decisions about your skin.

You can start here and explore the answers at your own pace or if you’d like ongoing support and deeper insight, you can join The Collective.

JOIN THE COLLECTIVE

Sarah Newey
Finesse Skin Clinic, Gloucestershire

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, providing structure and support throughout the skin, joints and connective tissues. In the skin, it plays a key role in maintaining firmness, elasticity and overall structure.

In early life, the body maintains a balance between collagen production and breakdown. From our mid-20s, this balance begins to shift, with collagen gradually declining over time. This decline can accelerate during menopause, where up to 30% of collagen can be lost within the first five years.

As this balance shifts, the effects can present across the body, including changes in skin quality, joint stiffness, reduced flexibility and slower recovery. 

Alongside this natural decline, lifestyle and environmental factors such as UV exposure, stress, sleep, nutrition and pollution can further accelerate collagen breakdown.

This is why collagen isn’t the whole story, and why a broader approach to supplementing collagen matters.

But before that, it’s worth understanding what you’re actually choosing when it comes to collagen supplements.

Talk about type 2 40mg for joints 

There are many types of collagen in the body. The main ones referenced in supplements are Type I, Type II and Type III.

In the body, these types are found in different tissues. For example, Type I is abundant in skin, bone and connective tissue, Type II in cartilage, and Type III in skin and vascular structures.

Marine collagen is typically a source of Type I, bovine collagen provides Type I and Type III, and chicken-derived collagen is a source of Type II.

These distinctions can give the impression that specific types of collagen target specific areas, but in reality, it doesn’t work that way in the body.

When taken as a collagen supplement, collagen is broken down during digestion into amino acids and short-chain peptides, primarily glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. These are the building blocks your body uses, wherever they are needed.

In practice, all collagen types provide the same fundamental building blocks. Rather than focusing on the specific type, what matters more is how well those building blocks are absorbed, supported and utilised within the body to support skin health.

What really matters is how well a collagen supplement has been designed and formulated.

That starts with the source and quality of the collagen and how it has been processed, including how well it is hydrolysed into smaller peptides for better absorption.

The dose also needs to be meaningful, enough to make a genuine difference, rather than simply being included on a label.

Just as importantly, careful consideration needs to be given to the supporting nutrients included alongside it. These help the body build collagen, protect what’s already there, and support the processes involved in healthy skin renewal and overall skin health. 

It’s these elements together, formulation, dose and supporting nutrients, that determine whether a collagen supplement is truly effective.

This is exactly the approach behind STASERA.

Rather than focusing on collagen alone, it has been designed to support how collagen is produced, protected and maintained within the skin, combining key nutrients that work together over time.

If you’re curious about the formulation, you can take a closer look here.

You may have seen collagen supplements described as having “smaller” or “ultra-low molecular weight” peptides, sometimes referencing a 500 Dalton rule.

This can be confusing, as that figure comes from skincare, where molecules need to be very small to pass through the skin barrier. It doesn’t apply in the same way to collagen supplements.

When you take collagen orally, it is naturally broken down during digestion into amino acids and short-chain peptides, including glycine, proline and hydroxyproline.

These are not just building blocks, they also act as signals, helping to support your skin’s own collagen production and repair processes.

Starting with a well-hydrolysed collagen (typically in the range of 2–5 kDa) allows for effective absorption while still providing these meaningful peptide structures.

Collagen that is broken down too far before ingestion may lose some of this signalling potential, behaving more like general amino acids rather than targeted collagen peptides.

In practice, this means:

  • smaller isn’t always better
  • what matters more is how the collagen has been processed
  • and how your body can recognise and use the peptides it provides

 

In short, effective collagen is not about being the smallest, it’s about being biologically useful.

STASERA takes its name from the Italian for evening — a quiet nod to supporting the skin alongside its natural overnight repair processes.

For that reason, many choose to take it at night. However, it can be taken at any time of day. What matters most is choosing a time you can stick to and making it part of your routine, as regular intake helps maintain a steady supply of the building blocks needed to support normal skin function.

SIMPLY DO THIS……… to add!

Stasera has been designed so that one daily serving delivers the level of support your skin needs, without excess.

Each ingredient has been carefully balanced for effectiveness, taste, and long-term use.

Taking more isn’t necessary for better results. That said, if a second serving is taken occasionally, the nutrient levels remain within established safe daily ranges.

Collagen works gradually rather than instantly.

With consistent daily use, many people begin to notice changes in their skin quality over 8 to 12 weeks, with more visible improvements beyond 12 weeks.

This is why consistency matters more than short-term use, and why collagen is best thought of as part of an ongoing routine, rather than something taken occasionally.

STASERA has been designed with skin health in mind, but the ingredients it provides are not used by the body in just one place.

Collagen peptides are broken down into amino acids and short chain peptides that can be used wherever support is needed. That includes other connective tissues such as joints, bones, hair, nails, and the gut lining.

STASERA also includes supporting nutrients chosen to help protect collagen and support the processes involved in healthy tissue structure and renewal more broadly.

So while the focus of STASERA is skin health and ageing, its support is not limited to the skin alone.

Collagen isn’t stored in the body in a way that creates lasting reserves, so its effects are maintained through ongoing use.

If you stop taking it, the body simply returns to its natural baseline over time, as those additional building blocks and supporting nutrients are no longer being supplied.

There’s no sudden change, but the gradual benefits you may have noticed will lessen over time.

In most cases, STASERA can be taken alongside other supplements.

Collagen is a protein and does not typically interact with vitamins or minerals. The additional ingredients within STASERA, such as antioxidants, are included to support the skin alongside collagen, rather than compete with other nutrients.

As with any supplement, it’s worth being mindful of your overall intake and avoiding unnecessary duplication, particularly if you are already taking multiple products with similar ingredients.

If you have any medical conditions or are taking prescribed medication, it’s always best to check with a healthcare professional before starting something new.

Collagen supplements are generally well tolerated and suitable for most people.

However, as STASERA is marine-based, it may not be suitable for those with fish allergies. It may also not be appropriate for those following vegetarian or vegan diets.

As with any supplement, individual circumstances an vary. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or are taking prescribed medication, it’s always best to check with a healthcare professional before starting something new.

Skin changes over time as part of the natural skin ageing process, as the balance between collagen production and breakdown gradually shifts.

Collagen production gradually slows while breakdown continues, leading to a progressive decline in skin structure and function.

Hormonal changes play a key role in this. Oestrogen supports collagen production, which is why during menopause, when levels decline, collagen loss can accelerate significantly.

Alongside this, the effects of lifestyle and environmental exposure begin to accumulate. UV radiation, pollution, smoking, stress, poor nutrition and sleep disruption all contribute to increased collagen breakdown.

But this process is not just about collagen alone.

Other structural components of the skin, such as elastin, are also affected, alongside changes driven by photoageing, largely influenced by UV exposure.

Over time, these combined processes are what we start to see in the skin as:

  • loss of firmness and elasticity
  • fine lines and deeper wrinkles
  • uneven tone and pigmentation changes
  • overall decline in skin quality and resilience

So while collagen plays a central role, it sits within a much broader picture of how the skin ages — which is why focusing on one element alone is rarely enough to support long-term skin health and slow visible skin ageing.

One of the key processes driving skin ageing is oxidative stress.

It may sound complex, but it’s simply the stress placed on the skin by unstable molecules known as free radicals, which contribute to skin ageing. 

These are produced naturally within the body, but are significantly increased by everyday exposures such as UV radiation, pollution, smoking, poor nutrition, ongoing stress and light from screens.

Because free radicals are unstable, they interact with healthy cells in an attempt to stabilise themselves. In doing so, they can damage important structures within the skin.

Over time, this contributes to collagen and elastin breakdown, inflammation, and disruption of normal skin processes, all of which accelerate visible ageing.

This is where antioxidants play an important role in protecting the skin. As the name suggests, they help to neutralise free radicals and reduce their damaging effects.

They can be obtained through diet, supplementation and topical skincare, which is why taking a broader approach to skin health and skin ageing is key.

Collagen plays a central role in maintaining skin structure and influences how the skin ages, but it is not the whole story.

While it plays a central role in maintaining skin structure, it does not act in isolation. Skin health and skin ageing are shaped by a number of interconnected processes that influence how collagen is produced, protected, broken down and renewed over time.

Collagen production naturally declines with age, but just as importantly, the rate at which collagen is broken down can increase. This is influenced by factors such as UV exposure, oxidative stress, inflammation and wider lifestyle influences.

This is why focusing on collagen alone can be limiting.

Even when collagen is supported internally, ongoing exposure to environmental and internal stressors can continue to drive breakdown within the skin. At the same time, processes such as oxidative stress can disrupt normal skin function, accelerating visible ageing.

Skin health and skin ageing are influenced by much more than what we take internally.

External factors such as UV exposure, stress, sleep, nutrition and pollution all influence skin ageing and impact how collagen is produced, protected and broken down. Supporting the skin also means addressing these factors through daily skincare, sun protection and lifestyle.

There are also ways to actively stimulate collagen production through topical ingredients and in-clinic treatments, further highlighting that a single approach is rarely enough.

This is why a more complete approach is needed, one that supports the skin from within, protects it from external damage, and works alongside treatments that help maintain collagen over time.

In practice, this reflects the approach I take when supporting patients with their skin health.

At STASERA, this is understood through three key areas:

BUILD – supporting the skin’s structure including collagen and the nutrients the body needs to maintain it

PROTECT –  helping to reduce the impact of oxidative stress and environmental damage, which can accelerate collagen breakdown and affect overall skin quality

RENEW – supporting the skin’s natural renewal processes to maintain skin health over time.

This is why skin health and skin ageing are far more complex than any trend. 

Write more here

As a pharmacist prescriber, I am trained to look at the evidence before making clinical decisions. That is part of the prescribing competencies I work within.

I have applied that same approach here, reviewing published research alongside real-world experience in clinic to understand what actually matters when formulating a supplement. 

These studies below reflect the research underpinning the ingredients selected for the STASERA formulation.

Skin ageing and the exposome – These studies highlight that skin ageing is not just time-driven, but heavily influenced by environmental exposure such as UV, pollution and lifestyle, all of which accelerate collagen breakdown and oxidative stress.

Collagen structure and age-related decline – With age, collagen production slows while structural organisation becomes less efficient, contributing to reduced firmness, thinning and visible changes in skin quality. 

Collagen degradation and MMP activity – Enzymes such as MMPs are upregulated by UV and oxidative stress, actively breaking down collagen and accelerating visible ageing beyond what would occur naturally. 

Glycation and structural skin ageing – Glycation stiffens collagen fibres, reducing elasticity and contributing to changes in texture, firmness and overall skin resiliene.

Collagen peptides and supplementation – These studies explore how ingested collagen peptides are absorbed, distributed and may influence skin structure through both building blocks and signalling pathways.

Next steps

If this has helped you understand your skin a little differently, and you’d like a more personalised approach, this is where I can support you.

Skin health and ageing are rarely about one single solution. It’s about understanding what your skin needs, and how to support it over time.

In clinic, this means taking a broader view, looking at your skin as a whole, and creating a plan that works with it, not against it.

If you’d like some guidance…

BOOK A CONSULTATION

Sarah Newey
Finesse Skin Clinic, Gloucestershire

Begin your STASERA ritual

What you do consistently matters more than what you do occasionally.

Small, daily support, over time.

STASERA is designed to become part of a simple daily rhythm, supporting your skin from within.

START HERE