You could probably guess that we've encountered many rather interesting (and often scary) anti-aging products and procedures here at ELLE.com, and you'd be totally right. But when we learned that pig collagen, of all things, is trending as a wrinkle-fighting ingredient, we were more than a little surprised.
We have the South Korean skincare market to blame (or praise?) for this latest entry in all things weird and beauty-related—just another sign that Westerners will take note of anything and everything that keeps those SoKo complexions so bright, clear, and well...young. (Like adopting elaborate 10-step skincare regimes, and exploring the restorative powers of snail slime.) Yet this pig collagen fad actually isn't as strange as it might originally sound. After all, stimulating collagen production is the aim of most anti-aging products, since a lack of collagen is what generally causes wrinkles.
Holika Holika Pig-Collagen Jelly Pack Wrinkle Cream, $18; amazon.com
TONYMOLY Pig Collagen Hydrogel Mask, $4; koreadepart.com
Scinic Pig Collagen Jelly Cream, $10; koreadepart.com
And while most people are more familiar with anti-aging compounds and ingredients such as retinol, fruit acids, and antioxidants, there are many products that tout some form of collagen as an anti-aging ingredient. (Mario Badescu products, for example, use collagen sourced from marine life.) It seems what makes the SoKo fad stand out, then, is that they actively market the pig collagen specifically as a selling point. Why? Well, science shows that pig collagen is actually very similar in composition to the stuff we produce ourselves.
However (and this is a big however), most experts argue that applying collagen topically may not be entirely effective, since collagen molecules are too big to pass through the skin's barrier. Still, it's worth noting that many people who have tried the stuff have reported more supple skin—enough to inspire a few curious ELLE.com staffers to take the plunge, pending an international shipment. Whether the actual pig jelly or other ingredients are responsible, it's hard to say, but hey, a good review is a good review.
We wish we could say that we had the science to back it up, but if you're feeling adventurous, why not give it a try anyway? Stranger things have certainly happened in the beauty industry (like, uh, literally freezing one's ass off). And given all the home runs SoKo skincare has introduced to us so far, we're quickly learning not to question, and just go with it.
