The Best Collagen Picks, From the Morning Scoop to the Night Cream

Collagen makes up about 30 percent of the protein in your body, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and it is what gives skin its structure and bounce. We make less of it as we age, which is why it has become one of the biggest words in beauty. The research on supplements is still limited. The Cleveland Clinic calls them possibly effective for skin hydration and elasticity, which is encouraging but modest. So the best collagen routine is a realistic one: a daily scoop if you enjoy it, creams and masks for how skin looks and feels on the outside, and sunscreen doing the heavy lifting.

Check with your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant or have allergies. Many collagen powders come from fish or cattle, so read the label if you avoid either.

Powders are the easiest to fit in. Vitauthority's Multi Collagen Protein Plus is unflavored, so it is easy to stir into coffee or a smoothie. Codeage's Marine Collagen is made from wild caught fish, and Left Coast Performance's Multi Collagen Powder adds biotin, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. Sunwarrior's Collagen Powder comes in a salted caramel flavor, nice in a morning latte.

For no mixing at all, BioSchwartz's Collagen Capsules and Youtheory's Concentrated Effect Collagen are simple to take. GrandeGUMMIES are a vegan collagen booster gummy, made to support your own collagen rather than supply it, since collagen itself comes from animals.

Give any supplement at least eight to twelve weeks before you judge it.

Here is the honest version of collagen in skincare. The collagen molecule is generally too large to sink into the skin and rebuild anything there. What it does well is hold water on the surface, so skin looks plumper and smoother while you wear it. The better formulas pair it with peptides or other ingredients that support skin over time.

Elemis's Pro-Collagen Marine Cream is a daily moisturizer made with marine ingredients, and Lancôme's Rénergie cream pairs collagen with its lifting complex. Clarins's Extra-Firming Night moisturizer has collagen polypeptides and comes in a refillable jar. Paula's Choice's Pro-Collagen Peptide Intensive Rich Cream is the richest of the group, good for very dry skin.

For serums, Kiehl's CollaShot is a plumping serum with collagen and peptides. Laneige's Bouncy and Firm serum has a peony and collagen complex. Dermalogica's Pro Collagen Banking Serum has polyglutamic acid, a strong hydrator.

For the body, Sol de Janeiro's Beija Flor is a collagen boosting cream with polypeptides, lovely on legs and arms after a shower.

Pat serums onto slightly damp skin and follow with a cream to seal the water in. Use them morning and night, and always finish the morning with sunscreen. Sun exposure is one of the main things that breaks down the collagen you already have, so it protects everything else on this page.

Masks are where collagen products shine, because the effect is immediate. A sheet or overnight mask floods skin with water, and you wake up looking plumper and more rested. It does not last forever, but it is lovely before an event.

Biodance's Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask is a hydrogel sheet that turns clear as it absorbs, made to be worn for hours or overnight, and it comes in a four pack. Peace Out's Overnight Bio-Collagen sheet mask has hyaluronic acid and peptides. Laneige's Bouncy and Firm sleeping mask goes on as the last step at night and rinses off in the morning.

For the eyes, Elemis's Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask is a brightening eye mask, and Peter Thomas Roth's FIRMx eye patches are firming patches for under the eyes before makeup. For lips, Gisou's Honey Glaze Collagen Therapy mask is a lip mask for overnight or any time lips feel dry.

What I would skip: expecting masks to replace daily care. They give a lovely, short-lived bounce, and that is their job. I would also skip leaving a sheet mask on for longer than the box says, or reusing one, since a mask that dries out can leave skin feeling tight. And skip hot water right after. Rinse with lukewarm water, or not at all if the box says so, and let the leftover essence sink in.

Keep a mask or two in the fridge for mornings after a late night. Cool patches feel especially good on puffy eyes. Sheet masks travel well too, a small comfort on a long flight.

The fairest way to think about collagen is in layers. Sunscreen protects what you have. Creams, serums and masks make skin look and feel plumper day to day. A supplement may help a little over months, if you enjoy taking it and your doctor agrees.

Pick one from each group rather than five of one kind, and give the routine two or three months before you judge it. Take a photo in daylight at the start. And sleep, water and not smoking still do more for your skin than anything on this list. None of that is glamorous, but it is the part that keeps working while you sleep. Enjoy the rest as the pleasant extra it is. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Night Cream Is Having a Quiet Comeback and Bounce Back.