When did New Year’s Eve resolutions become so overwhelming? Run a marathon by February. Lose three stones by March. Dry January or Veganuary, anyone? It’s enough to make you collapse on the sofa with a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine.
Keen to avoid falling off the wagon post-New Year’s Eve, I needed a more achievable goal relying on science, not willpower. Time-poor as ever, adding collagen supplements to my wellness routine seemed the perfect first step in overhauling my tired appearance and putting the spring back in my step. The perimenopause didn’t stand a chance!
Perimenopause vs. Collagen Supplements
I sailed through my 40s, but by my 50th birthday, the perimenopause was in full swing and taking no prisoners. As a beauty therapist, I knew the science: collagen is the building block for healthy skin, nails, hair and bones, but levels fall off a cliff at menopause. But I wasn’t ready to accept thin, saggy skin, and neither were my clients. When they started asking about collagen supplements, I started researching.
What is Collagen Banking?
Known as the ‘headmistress’, I constantly nag my clients to protect their skin-plumping collagen to maintain firm skin and strong bones. (My sagging jawline is from shrinking bones as well as sagging skin). No smoking, easy on the wine and junk food, stay away from pollution, mind the stress, wear sunscreen. Whether they listen is another matter.
If we want to stay ahead of the ageing game, the sooner we begin banking collagen for our future skin, the better – like an insurance policy. Instead of chasing collagen from the outside with harsh retinol or acids that dry out the surface, I prefer gentle inside-out treatments such as LED and microcurrent. Nutrition was the final piece of the inside-out jigsaw. Upping your collagen levels by eating extra protein is hard (unless you have 12 hours to make bone broth); collagen drinks can bridge the gap.
Why Yuvãfy Collagen Supplements?
Having watched the science for years, I soon realised that not all collagen drinks are created equally. I have been in the beauty industry long enough to recognise companies jumping on the collagen bandwagon, backed up by a flash website and marketers rather than science.
Unlike Yuvãfy, not all brands contain 10,000mg of sustainable, hydrolysed marine type I collagen, scientifically proven to be the most bioavailable to the body. When the body detects extra collagen in the bloodstream, it is tricked into producing more of its own – the copycat effect.
The collagen (Type I) in Yuvãfy has undergone thirteen rigorous clinical trials, including bioavailability and randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trials for beauty. They went further than most brands, adding Hyaluronic Acid and all the B and C vitamins needed for strong bones, radiant, plump skin, and glossy hair.
But before recommending Yuvãfy to my clients, I needed to try it myself.
My Yuvãfy Experience
Collagen supplements don’t work unless you take them consistently, and some of my clients are downright lazy! I was worried they would become a chore and get shoved to the back of the cupboard. But designed by a nutritionist, the handy sachet-sized drinks are deliciously sweet and a joy to drink. I got into a routine of taking them after my evening meal – almost like a mini pudding.
How my skin improved
On the plus side, perimenopause dried out my oily, spot-prone skin, but it went too far, leaving it sensitive, dull and red. I noticed the dreaded crinkling on my neck as my jawline headed south. I needed all the collagen I could get – fast.
Other people noticed the Yuvãfy difference before I did, and I got compliments from acquaintances and strangers. It seemed odd but nice when a woman at gym class offered to put my mat away; at the end of the class, she admitted she just wanted to see my skin up close! Arriving late at a Thai foot massage course, I saw two women staring at me; when I returned from the cloakroom, they were still staring and eventually asked me about my skin. Even my mother commented on my ‘dewy’ skin.
As a walker, my inner cheeks and the skin between my brows look slightly red and sore over the winter; this ‘weathering’ can become permanent over the years and is very common on a typical pale, fragile British complexion. This winter, my skin has been much calmer and more hardy.
How my hair improved
As a therapist, I was prepared (if unhappy) for the perimenopausal changes to my skin, but the changes in my hair completely floored me. My blonde mermaid waves used to be my crowning glory; now replaced by droopy frizz and spiky hairs sticking up along my hairline. (Apparently, it is common for our hair to change every seven years and for people to lose their curls).
My hairdresser noticed two changes. When I walked into the salon, my hair looked less frizzy than usual and much easier to brush. The curls are slightly back as well!
How my energy levels improved
I took no notice when an older female friend warned me that slowing down is inevitable in your fifties. While I hadn’t noticed any creaky joints, I suspected I could no longer work behind a bar late into the night like in my twenties and thirties.
It’s hard to measure energy levels as there are many variables like stress, workload and diet. Still, I have found the willpower to attend every single body pump weights class, which I hate with a passion and do anything to get out of.
Conclusion
I am more than happy to recommend Yuvãfy to my clients. Is my jawline still heading south? Not really.. jowls definitely getting tighter but it did take time – 6 months of consistently taking Yuvãfy. Can’t wait to see what 12 months will look like – I only wish I had started sooner..!
By Charlotte Wilkes, Beauty therapist
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