Best Collagen Powder for Cellulite and How to Use It

Anju Mobin
By Anju Mobin
Romi Hector
Edited by Romi Hector

Published May 26, 2022.

A wooden bowl and spoon with collagen powder next to a large leaf

Most women have cellulite. Although harmless, it can make you feel less attractive. Who doesn't want sleek, toned thighs?

The right diet with collagen-rich foods and regular exercise can help treat cellulite. Collagen powder supplements help you target cellulite and get rid of it faster.

What is Cellulite?

The lumpy, dimpled flesh commonly seen on the thighs, hips, and buttocks is known as cellulite. Cellulite occurs due to irregular fat deposits beneath the skin. It occurs due to loose fascia, enlarged fat cells, and atrophied muscles.

Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, muscle, and nerve fiber. It is a type of collagen (1). Therefore, taking collagen powder or any form of supplementary collagen might help repair these and boost metabolism within dermal cells, reducing cellulite.

What is Collagen Powder?

Collagen powder is a supplementary form of collagen used for its several potential benefits.

Collagen is a type of protein that makes up the body’s connective tissue. It is basically the stuff that holds everything in your body together. Collagen makes up 65 percent of your body. There are over 28 different types of collagen, but the most important ones are Type I, II, III, IV, and V.

Collagen powder is made from animal tissues. Sources of collagen are bovine collagen, marine collagen, and chicken collagen. They mainly contain hydrolyzed peptides, which means the proteins have already been broken down, making it easier for the body to absorb them.

Bovine collagen comes from beef cattle and is made from their cartilage, bones, and hides, whereas marine or fish collagen comes from fish skin, scales, and bones (2).

Benefits of Collagen Powder

Collagen powder helps treat cellulite through different mechanisms. It also offers various other health benefits, ranging from youthful, glowing skin to stronger joints and improved muscle mass. The benefits of collagen powder include the following.

Hydrated Skin and Slower Skin Aging and Cellulite Production

Collagen powder helps decrease the speed at which your skin ages. Dehydrated skin is thinner. Therefore, it is more prone to cellulite when compared to hydrated skin. Collagen powder hydrates your skin, minimizing dryness (3).

Reduced Wrinkles

Studies show daily consumption of collagen powder for around six months significantly increases skin elasticity. It reduced the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines (4). This is also true for cellulite. Improvement in skin elasticity can significantly reduce the appearance of cellulite (5).

Reduced Joint Pain

Collagen powder alleviates joint pain and improves joint function in people with osteoarthritis.

Increased Muscle Mass and Strength

As collagen decreases with age, you may experience a decrease in muscle mass. In combination with resistance training, collagen supplements have been shown to increase muscle mass (6). Collagen powder also improves muscle strength and motor control. Cellulite increases with a lack of muscle tone, so improving muscle strength helps reduce cellulite.

Reduced Loss of Bone Mass

Collagen powder reduces the loss of bone mass in people with osteoporosis.

Stronger Arteries

Loss of collagen also weakens your arteries. Fragile blood vessels increase the risk of atherosclerosis leading to severe cardiovascular complications. Collagen powder can help keep the arteries healthier and reduce this risk.

How To Use Collagen Powder for Cellulite

Cellulite can happen to anyone, but it is more common in women than men. This is because of the distinct way the fat cells are arranged. In women, the fat cells and connective tissues are arranged vertically, while in men, it is crisscrossed (7).

Also, hormones play a vital role. With age, estrogen production in women declines. This leads to lower blood flow and less oxygen in the skin. This means lower collagen production, bigger fat cells, and sagging, thinner skin (8). Around 80-90 percent of women over the age of 20 most likely have cellulite.

Collagen is a protein structure that acts like a protective band that helps tighten the skin and keep the fat cells where they should be. As this band is damaged due to less collagen production, fat cells rise to the surface, causing cellulite (9).

Since cellulite damages the collagen bands within the skin, supplementing with collagen may help repair them. It also boosts metabolism within the dermal cells, resulting in a better skin condition overall.

A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food showcased that bioactive collagen peptides given to overweight women between the ages of 24 and 50 saw a considerable reduction in the appearance of cellulite (10).

What is the Best Collagen Powder for Cellulite?

Choose collagen powders with Type I and Type III collagen for the maximum benefit of collagen for cellulite. They promote collagen synthesis in the dermis layer of the skin. One of the best collagen powders for cellulite is Approved Science® Collagen Powder. It contains hydrolyzed marine collagen powder sourced from Wild Alaskan Pollock.

Make sure to include food containing collagen in your daily diet. Even though it is not possible to completely eliminate cellulite, the right supplement can bring visible changes with time.