I'm trying to be OK with this aging thing. I'm trying not to care about every new wrinkle that emerges (which literally feels like it happens daily.) I'm trying not to notice the loss of elasticity in my face when I see drooping in places that didn't droop yesterday. But here's the thing - with social media basically demanding selfies, it's hard NOT to notice. Especially over time. We're all used to looking at ourselves in the mirror daily, but when you suddenly have a papertrail of photos that basically full-on detail how you're aging, all I can say is UGH. So when new "revolutionary" products come to market that claim to combat the signs of aging, I'm always intrigued. Skeptical, but intrigued. The latest being collagen drinks and supplements. I mean, it makes sense... loss of collagen contributes to the wrinkles, fine lines and sagging skin, so why not drink it to replace what you've lost? Oh if only that was how it works. First and foremost, you should know that the supplement industry is unregulated... so they can make claims without providing proof. Yes, yes, much like the cosmetics industry, but less so which makes it a little bit scarier. According to an article in the New York Times regarding the Attorney General sending a cease and desist letter to major retailers carrying supplements, "The F.D.A. requires that companies verify that every supplement they manufacture is safe and accurately labeled. But the system essentially operates on the honor code. Under a 1994 federal law, supplements are exempt from the F.D.A.'s strict approval process for prescription drugs, which requires reviews of a product’s safety and effectiveness before it goes to market." This cease and desist stemmed from a finding that many supplements don't contain the ingredients they claim to have, such as collagen, and that many unlisted ingredients were fillers (many of which were in the legume family - something that would be deadly to those with a peanut allergy.) Of course, I'm not saying that all supplements do not work or that all supplement brands mislabel or mislead. I know that probiotic supplements work for gut health, but do probiotics work in skin care? Not so much. So I again reached out to trusted friend and fellow beauty blogger, Perry Romanowski for his insight... because I really wanted to delight in some of these collagen drinks that have been sent to me in an effort to look much younger.

"There is no evidence that drinking collagen will have any impact on skin or joints. It doesn't even make sense from a biological standpoint. When you ingest something like collagen your body has enzymes in your digestive system that breaks down the molecule to component amino acids. So from a chemistry standpoint eating collagen protein is no different than eating a hamburger patty. It's just marketing smoke and mirrors. While the manufacturer claims collagen is in the product the consumer has no way of knowing whether it is in there or not. Often, what is claimed to be in a supplement is actually not in there. I would never recommend taking one that wasn't specifically prescribed by a doctor." - Perry Romanowski, The Beauty Brains/Chemists Corner

Sigh. While a healthy diet is still important for your overall health and an abundance of vitamins and minerals do have an effect on some hair and skin care issues, it appears that the best way to tackle anti-aging (temporarily) is still from a topical standpoint. Have anything to add? Leave a comment and let me know! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!