Can men take Collagen? Liam Sharma's Jeuneora journey

I’m a pessimist at heart, I’ve always been the first one to debunk a shady myth or some small-town gossip. I don’t jump into trends head first, I creep in, cautiously. I like to think I’ve been taught well. You see, I’ve built walls around my wallet. I don’t think Facebook has ever converted a penny from my account. I’m a hard-sell and I deem that as one of my finest traits. I’m the youngest of five siblings. Growing up, I was their adorable, ever-so-willing guinea pig. My sister used to generously slather my lips with enough Juicy Tube to sink a small ship - which consequently gave me juicier rashes, cystic eruptions and stacks of family albums that depicted me as the leading test subject for the latest makeup trend, eyebrow wing and pink powder cheek - you name it - I’ve glamorised it. All of this has built an innate internalised cynical force-field, that as a consumer, brands can’t seem to penetrate. My job is spotting and articulating trends, but time and time again, I find myself to be the *last* adopter.

Unsurprisingly, this was the case with collagen. About two years ago I first picked up on the social media collagen boom, my immediate assumption was, ‘oh great another gimmick for the masses, whoop-de-doo’, then I would chuck my phone at the wall. As if we needed another one, how many more loop-holes could nutraceutical companies exploit until the market is a mine-field of defective tubs of powder? I have to be honest; I muted every brand that dared to enter my feed. I did it with a smile on my face, and every time I’d chuckle to myself, ‘not today demon, not today’.

Fast forward a year and I was working in a public relations agency that represented Jeuneora, and after some internal team shuffling I found myself looking after Jeuneora’s PR account. I couldn’t block it out now, it was my duty of care to at least give the brand a shot. I quite literally had something to lose - my job. Now, if you’ve read pieces of mine before, you’ll know that when I try out a product, I don’t do it in halves, this characteristic runs deep in my blood. I don’t live my life in halves. I let things consume me. I don’t know how to just ‘like’ something, I have to love it or we’re through. My poor high school crushes, all they wanted was a cheeky snog at the 4PM screening of Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle in Hoyts Takapuna, instead, I was chewing their ear off about our future wedding venue options. Basically, I’ve gone all-in with Jeuneora. Every day for nine months I’ve consumed the recommended daily dosage of Jeuneora’s Renew + (Mixed Berry, babe), and here I am writing today to tell you one thing, I am besotted with Jeuneora.

First I feel like we need to dissect collagen. Jeuneora’s already created very easy to comprehend blog depicting the different types of collagen (main being: type I, II and III) and their effects - so I’ll assume you’ve already had a scroll and you’re up to speed. Basically, collagen is a connective tissue protein that is made up of amino acids (peptides). These acids are the building blocks that help keep your tissue and bones together, think of it like the glue that keeps your beautiful physique nimble. Your body naturally produces collagen (and we love that for us), different types of collagen are found throughout your hair, skin, bones, teeth, joints and muscles.

The only problem is that with time, comes age, and none of us can escape that dreadful curse. It’s said we tend to lose approximately 1.5% of our natural occurring collagen inventory for every year after the age of 25. Humans have been destined to evolve into dried-up, shrivelled, wrinkly prunes since the dawn of time. I like to think of collagen as liquid gold, it keeps our skin plump and tight, it fends off fine lines and stimulates hyaluronic acid production (a safe-guard hydration humectant). Collagen’s a nurse for achy joints, it helps our bones slide in harmony instead of slapping into their neighbours. It keeps our nails strong instead of brittle, so people who bite (me) can really feel accomplished once they’ve ripped off a monster pinky nail. It keeps our hair lush, long - total lion mane vibes. Do you get me? It’s the tits. And our body needs it to function, so why are we destined to lose it and why has the notoriously flawed human race just started ingesting collagen supplements in the last decade? Because sceptics (me), have doubted the benefits of orally consumable collagen supplements for so long and now look at us: how desperate were we all battling over the last scoop in lockdown? The other day I caught my mum trying to sneak a pinch and I nearly keyed her car. Don’t test me, Christine.

Many external factors can accelerate the decrease of collagen production, such as sunlight, excessive alcohol consumption (haha, me), immoderate sugar diets (I eat like a pig) and smoking (I vape, so make of it what you will). Anyway, I was doomed from the start. Powders aren’t the only collagen booster, you can apply collagen topically through skincare, or even in tonics. For me, topical collagen serums have never come close to matching the efficacy orally consuming collagen provides.

Now I know, sometimes medical jargon leaves me perplexed. Like you, I was confused about the whole process. So let me attempt to lay it out in layman’s terms. Hydrolysed collagen powders have gone through a process known as ‘hydrolysis’ where collagen gets broken down into smaller peptides (molecules) that can be more easily absorbed by your body and into your bloodstream. Different types of collagen have varying bioavailability rates - for instance, it’s believed that marine collagen sourced from fish skin is 1.5 times more bioavailable than bovine collagen, it all comes down to the molecular proportion. Rule of thumb: the smaller the molecule size, the easier it is for your body to absorb (or in skincare, penetrate your skin’s epidermis). But here’s the truth, collagen is still such a mystifying field, the debate is piping hot and there is still an abundant lack of research to scientifically substantiate the millions of positive customer reviews floating around on the internet. The general consensus is confusing, especially when so many reputable medical and beauty experts continuously agree to disagree.

What I’ve found really helpful through my collagen awakening is the urge to purchase a brand that resonates with you and that you trust. You need to invest your money in collagen products that have thousands of positive life-changing reviews, this is why, for me, Jeuneora just does it better than any other player.

Anecdotally, I began consuming Jeuneora’s Renew+ and started noticing visible changes to my health within three weeks. Renew+ is my hero product. Jeuneora’s Renew+ is formulated with 180g of hydrolysed marine collagen that is sustainably sourced from fish skin. Marine collagen sourced from fish skin is a superior type I collagen strain in terms of beauty-boosting benefits, and it's a by-product of the fishing industry that would otherwise be destined for waste. So it definitely ticks all the sustainability boxes. Marine collagen is non-exclusive, it targets the health of your skin, hair, nails, organs and ligaments, while other types are more limited in their efficacy. As I’ve mentioned, you’re wanting to purchase a product with high bioavailability - which marine collagen trumps in. But Renew+ doesn’t stop there, and I know, I may seem like I’m rambling, but it really has three other ingredients that make me all loved up. Renew+ includes Jeuneora’s proprietary volcanic detox (zeolite) complex, which basically prompts consistent bodily fluids and rids the body of toxins. That’s right, it makes you poop out the bad stuff. Zeolite acts like a powerful magnet when it enters into your gut, attracting negative toxins, trapping and removing them safely so you can flush them down the toilet. I really love this, so deeply. I don’t know about you, but I love the feeling of being as free as a bird and I’ve found it’s significantly improved my bloating and overall time spent congested on the toilet. It’s a great hangover remedy, whenever I stumble through the door I try to sweep away 16 vodka lime and soda sins with a 4 AM ice-cold Renew+. Trust me, Renew+ and two panadol before bed and you’ll be able to wake up with at least an ounce of dignity. Zeolite’s antioxidant support helps keep your immune system in check, for overall better living. A powerful dose of Vitamin C is also generously included within each tub. Vitamin C supports collagen production and is a free-radical warrior, I don’t need to harp on about Vitamin C, we all love it - but I’ve really enjoyed its ingestible properties, especially since I’m a slacker and rarely incorporate foods with Vitamin C in my teenager diet. I wish I just grew up. Renew+ also contains bromelain, which is a digestive enzyme from the pineapple stem, we love to see it.

So, what’s the ‘Jeuneora Glow’ everybody seems to be chatting about? Well, this is the crux, this is what I’ve struggled to articulate. This is where I am going to need you to take the leap of faith and try it for yourself. Jeuneora’s made me shine, the sun would be jealous of my clean-cut shaven days when I am literally radiant. This isn’t some Instagram gimmick, this glow is real, this glow is infectious, this glow has built my skin up and on a deeper note, really given me a much-needed confidence booster.

Jeuneora isn’t just a supplement to me, it’s a ritual, I get anxiety when it’s not in my life. Like a long lost companion, I crave Jeuneora. I guess that’s just love.

Happy glowing.
Liam x