Scientists from the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein and the Collagen Research Institute in Germany found that 2.5 g per day of Verisol B also had positive clinical effects on skin elasticity. The ingredient’s benefits were linked to the stimulatory effect of the bioactive collagen peptides on the synthesis of type I collagen, elastin and proteoglycans.
Collagen peptides for skin health
Studies have shown that collagen peptides can improve skin texture and delay aging, as they can partially survive digestion and accumulate in the skin where they stimulate the production of collagen, elastin and proteoglycans by dermal fibroblasts.
These peptides also offer antioxidant effects and promote cell regeneration, improving skin elasticity, hydration and firmness and reducing wrinkles.
Experts have identified 28 types of collagen, however, the body primarily produces types I, II and III, which differ in both composition and location.
Type I collagen is the most abundant and accounts for approximately 90% of the body’s total collagen. It contributes to the strength and elasticity of the skin, tendons, bones and other connective tissues.
Type II collagen appears mainly in cartilage, where it supports joint structure and provides flexibility, and type III collagen is found in the skin, muscles, blood vessels and internal organs, playing a key role in maintaining the integrity of these tissues.
Commonly used in nutricosmetic formulations, marine collagen is primarily high in type I collagen and is recognized for its high bioavailability. While bovine collagen is also high in type I and type III collagen, it can be less bioavailable due to its molecular size and amino acid profile.
Study details
Verisol B has been created by applying an enzymatic hydrolysis process to bovine type I collagen. To validate the bovine-specific collagen peptides (SCPs) used in the study, the researchers tested them in vitro on primary human dermal fibroblasts.
They confirmed a consistent stimulatory effect on the synthesis of type I collagen, elastin and proteoglycans. The SCPs were found to activate gene and protein expression related to extracellular matrix production.
The researchers then recruited 66 women between the ages of 35 and 55 for a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and randomly assigned them to receive either 2.5 g of SCPs or a placebo daily for eight weeks.
Participants had their eye wrinkle volume, skin elasticity and hydration measured at baseline, four weeks and eight weeks.
Results showed that skin elasticity increased significantly after just four weeks, and by eight weeks, it rose by 9%, with one participant showing a 51% improvement.
Furthermore, after eight weeks, skin hydration increased by 26%, with an 18% improvement seen at four weeks, and SCP intake reduced wrinkle volume by 25% after eight weeks—outperforming the placebo.
According to the researchers, the results align with previous research on collagen peptides from various sources.
“The positive effects on skin moisture and elasticity and the reduction in eye wrinkle volume observed in this study align with comparable clinical studies where similar skin parameters were investigated, although not using bovine-derived collagen peptides,” they wrote, noting previous porcine-derived collagen peptide and fish-derived collagen peptide research also found similar effects in eye wrinkles, skin moisture and elasticity.
“These data seem to suggest that the clinical effectiveness does not primarily depend on the animal species from which the collagen peptides are derived,” they concluded, calling for further research into whether the sources of collagen peptides derived from different species have an impact on the efficacy of the product.
Source: Cosmetics 2025, 12(2), 79; doi: 10.3390/cosmetics12020079. “The Oral Intake of Specific Bovine-Derived Bioactive Collagen Peptides Has a Stimulatory Effect on Dermal Matrix Synthesis and Improves Various Clinical Skin Parameters”. Authors: Proksch, E. et al.