What benefits have you seen specifically?

Over the course of my 4+ year collagen regimen, here are some of the things I’ve observed:

• I become fuller and more satiated throughout the day. This makes sense, because it’s essentially like drinking bone broth, and since every drink is packed with 10 grams of protein, I don’t get hungry for hours after.
• My hair grew so much more quickly, and my eyelashes and eyebrows grew in thicker. My anxiety had caused my hair to fall out (either that, or I tugged at it every five seconds), but after drinking collagen for six months–plus, my bald spot sprouted back up with hair! (Yes, a bald spot. I started to have one since the age of 16 because I did cheerleading and dance all of my life, and the super crisp, super high ponytails did a number on the root of my hair strands. It was so bad that sometimes my sister would add eyeshadow to color them in before my recitals).
• My skin is so much more hydrated. I used to have chronically dry skin that would peel (the worst over the winter months in New York City), so I always had a spritz and facial lotion with me, everywhere I went. I barely need to wear moisturizer now!
• My pores around my nose have gotten smaller.
• My under-eye dark circles have gone away. This truly was such a crazy discovery for me; I used to have purple rings underneath my eyes.
• I no longer need to wear foundation or cover up as much.
• My skin looks more dewy and glowing.
• My skin has gotten brighter, tighter, from head to toe: with less cellulite in my thighs.
• I’ve lost weight; again, it’s just like drinking bone broth (one that’s flavored with my favorite ingredients, and that tastes nothing like bone broth). So, not only did I never forget to drink it because I loved it so much, I consumed fewer calories throughout the day.

But beyond all these benefits, my favorite part is the ritual of making and drinking my Crushed Tonic/collagen latte every day. I wake up, and instead of running out the door to the next coffee shop, I start prepping my collagen latte. And I smile the entire time I’m drinking it! It’s become such a habit that now my mornings feel incomplete without it—so when you do give it a try, I really recommend that you take five minutes to really prep and make your tonic the most perfect for you.

I love my collagen with a nut milk latte base. So, if you would like to have more of a milk base than water, make sure to mix the powder into a bit of water first, and add to a hot cup of your favorite milk!

Are collagen supplements more effective than supplements that stimulate your own natural production of collagen?

According to Dr. Tess: “If you can give the amino acids in the same ratio as collagen, then it doesn’t matter if it’s in the form collagen or individual amino acids. The body will break them down into individual amino acids anyway. And then build collagen back up. However, nutrition in the form of collagen guarantees that it’s in the correct proportions to make collagen, because it’s collagen.”