Explainer
Do you need collagen after 40?
There is no official recommendation to take collagen after 40, the way the NHS recommends vitamin D. Collagen carries no authorised EFSA health claim, so a collagen supplement is a personal choice, not a nutritional requirement. A varied diet with enough protein and vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation, supports your body making its own. If you choose to try collagen, treat it as an optional extra rather than a proven anti-ageing step. This is information, not medical advice.
Why the question comes up at 40
Through the forties many women move into perimenopause, when changing oestrogen can affect skin and connective tissue, and collagen marketing tends to ramp up around this stage. That makes it a natural time to ask whether a supplement is worth it. The useful starting point is that the body makes its own collagen, and no health authority recommends a collagen supplement as a routine step, in contrast to the NHS advice on vitamin D in autumn and winter.
What the rules and evidence allow
Collagen itself has no authorised health claim on the GB nutrition and health claims register, which is why reputable labels avoid firm promises about firming skin or repairing joints. Where a permitted claim exists, it belongs to the supporting nutrient: vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. Protein supplies the building blocks. So the honest picture is that diet does the heavy lifting, and a collagen powder is an optional addition rather than a fix.
If you decide to try it
Decide on the source: marine (fish) or bovine (cattle). Neither suits vegans. See our collagen types explained page for the difference between type and source. Check the amount of collagen per serving and whether vitamin C is included, since vitamin C is what carries the authorised claim. Treat anti-ageing or skin-firming promises with caution; they go beyond what the evidence and UK advertising rules allow. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a fish or beef allergy, check the source and speak to your GP or pharmacist.
Read more
For the full picture, see our guide to collagen for women, the best collagen UK roundup and collagen types explained. It is most discussed through perimenopause and menopause.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need collagen supplements after 40?
No. Nothing official recommends it, so it is a personal choice; Why the question comes up at 40, above, sets out why.
Does collagen help skin and joints as we age?
Not in any way a label is allowed to promise. What the rules and evidence allow, above, explains why; if you take it anyway, treat it as an optional extra.
What actually supports collagen in the body?
Vitamin C and protein from a balanced diet, as What the rules and evidence allow, above, explains. That is general nutrition information, not a treatment claim.
If I want to try collagen, what should I look for?
Source, amount per serving and whether vitamin C is included; the full checklist is under If you decide to try it, above.
This is information, not medical advice, and is not a substitute for a registered clinician. Always read product labels and speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting a supplement.
We sell this in our store
Grass-Fed Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides
If you decide to try collagen, Her Vitals' own is a grass-fed, hydrolysed bovine collagen peptide powder. As explained above, it carries no authorised EFSA health claim of its own; it is an optional addition, not a fix, and a varied diet with enough protein and vitamin C remains the foundation.
Sold by us directly from our own Shopify store, disclosed here as our own product like any other. This is a direct sale by us. It does not win our roundups or calculators automatically. Check our price against any other product with the cost-per-effective-dose calculator.
Editor, Her Vitals
Oliver leads Her Vitals's editorial coverage of women's life-stage health and supplements. He curates and reviews existing branded products across trying to conceive, pregnancy, postnatal, perimenopause, menopause and the senior years, weighing what the evidence supports against guidance from bodies such as EFSA, the NHS and NICE, and is clear that the content is information rather than medical advice.
Last updated: