Anti-skin aging effects and bioavailability of collagen tripeptide and elastin peptide formulations in young and middle-aged women

Collagen peptides (CP), including tripeptides and elastin peptides (EP), are known for their in vitro and in vivo anti-skin aging effects. Despite positive results in animal models, the combination effects of CP and EP and the bioavailability of CP in human studies, particularly in young and middle-aged women, remain underexplored. To evaluate the effects of an orally administered collagen drink combining CP and EP on the skin health of young and middle-aged women. A single-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled trial was conducted, utilizing the WONDERLAB® fish collagen tripeptide beverage. Participants consumed the drink over an 8-week period. Compared to the placebo group, the collagen drink group showed significant improvements in skin hydration (39.19% increase), transepidermal water loss (33.45% decrease), skin elasticity (25.37% increase), dermal collagen content (21.64% increase), pore size (7.94% decrease), wrinkle length (18.09% decrease), skin smoothness (2.85% improvement), and skin roughness (15.32% decrease). Overall pore volume decreased by 60%, and visual assessments indicated a decrease in skin luminosity by 15.20% and smoothness index by 22.55%. Mass spectrometry demonstrated a significant increase in collagen efficacy components, including blood pH and GPH levels (P<0.05). The study confirmed the combination nourishing and anti-skin aging effects of EP and CP on the skin of young and middle-aged women, demonstrating significant improvements in various skin parameters and good bioavailability of collagen peptides.