I’ve tried a lot of collagen supplements and this is one of the tastiest

I first started experimenting with collagen supplements in 2020 after being inspired by Jennifer Aniston. The former Friends actor appeared in an ad campaign for Vital Proteins collagen, saying she’d been taking the supplement for several years and calling it her “go-to”.

Then aged 51 with the youthful looks of a 40-year-old, she raved about the improvements it had made to her skin and hair so I was intrigued to see if collagen could make my own skin glow.

The collagen in the human body starts to deplete during our late 20s and early 30s and we lose approximately one per cent per year after that. Skin becomes less elastic, thinner and drier and wrinkles and lines start to form as collagen levels drop. After seeing a few lines around my eyes and not feeling ready to say hello to more yet, I was willing to try any solution to get them under control.

While Jen Aniston adds marine collagen to her morning coffee or smoothies, I found that it made these drinks taste different and less palatable. Even with unflavoured versions, marine collagen affected the consistency of a beverage and how long the taste lingered in my mouth after finishing a glass.

I started to see social media adverts for different collagen brands including Absolute and U Perform, both of which I tried in sachet form. Packaged like sports energy drinks, they’re convenient to consume on the go, if you can stomach them. The citrus taste of the U Perform gel was quite refreshing at first, but I wasn’t a fan of the thickness of the liquid and it felt like I was knocking it down as a shot and chasing away the experience with a glass of water rather than enjoying it. So when I heard that Myprotein had launched a new Vimto-flavoured collagen powder that could be mixed with water and had the consistency of cordial, I was keen to give it a go.

How I tested

I tested the Myprotein Vimto collagen powder for four weeks to see if it could help me incorporate collagen into my daily routine without complaining about it. I tried it both in a morning fruit smoothie and on its own mixed with ice-cold water and more ice on a hot summer’s day. The brand recommends adding two scoops to 400ml of water and consuming once a day for best results and I trialled this for a month to give my digestive system time to adapt and see if the collagen would have any effect on my hair, skin and nails.

Myprotein Vimto® Clear Collagen Powder, 30 servings

The verdict: