the ingenious way

When we age, we lose our ability to produce collagen as efficiently as we could before the age of 25. The rate at which this ability reduces is about 1.5% every year from our mid-twenties onwards. This leads to visible signs of ageing and loss of radiance in our skin. Our hair and nails become weaker, whilst our joints become stiffer, and we heal less quickly from injuries.

In early life there is no significant difference in collagen density between males and females. Once they reach their early 20s, males tend to have a higher collagen density which contributes to their typically thicker and firmer skin. After 25 collagen production declines in both sexes. However, women tend to experience a more rapid decrease in collagen density compared to men. This is partly due to hormonal changes, particularly the decline in oestrogen levels during and after menopause.

In the human body, as in the rest of nature, collagen exists as a long chain triple helix which cannot be absorbed without being broken down. This breakdown process is normally undertaken by the action of the stomach which breaks collagen into its constituent amino acids which can then be absorbed in the small intestine. Unfortunately, this action also destroys the nature of the collagen.

Most collagen supplements use collagen peptides, also known as hydrolysed collagen. The hydrolysation process breaks the collagen molecule into small chains of amino acids (bi or tri-peptides) which in theory can be absorbed directly into the blood stream. However, the digestive action of the stomach will also degrade these collagen peptides before they arrive in the small intestine (where 99% of collagen absorption occurs). Despite what many claim, all unprotected collagen peptide based supplements – liquid, powder, capsules, or tablets – will be degraded before they reach the small intestine.

Ingenious focuses on delivering a consistent 627mg amount of collagen peptide – targeted to reach your small intestine in our patented capsule. Our supplements are able to pass through the stomach intact and travel to the small intestine; here the change in pH levels triggers the capsule to dissolve. To ensure that the marine collagen peptide is quickly absorbed once it is released into the small intestine, we use a peptide that weighs 2,000 Daltons or less, ideal for rapid absorption. This is less than half the size of the industry average which is 5,000 Daltons. The collagen peptide and the rest of the active ingredients are then absorbed through the small intestine directly into the bloodstream.

At Ingenious we do not use ultra-processed additives such as preservatives, flavours or fillers. Neither do we need to over-fill our capsules with collagen peptide, leaving space for other key active ingredients. We use just the right amount of collagen peptide to ensure you see stunning results, knowing every bit of it will be absorbed and utilised for firmer, smoother skin and overall vitality.

Both our patented capsule and the quality of our collagen gives Collagen+ and Active unparalleled levels of absorption which no other collagen supplement can match.

Collagen+ and Active uses the most superior grade of marine collagen peptide sourced responsibly from the skin of free-swimming fresh water fish. 

HA exists naturally in almost every cell in the body. If you have sufficient HA in your body, your skin will feel soft and beautifully moisturised and the resulting elasticity will help protect against wrinkles forming. Your joints and body are more likely to feel supple and you should be able to bend and stretch with ease. However, HA has a half-life (the time it takes for the molecule to get broken down and excreted from the body) of less than 3 days in the body and as little as one day in the skin. For this reason, it is imperative that the body continually replenish itself with HA. Unfortunately, as we age, we lose the ability to replace HA at the rate required which in part explains why age-related symptoms appear, our skin becomes drier and less elastic, and wrinkles start to form.

Fortunately, supplementing with Ingenious' superior HA can help resolve this loss.

Just one molecule of hyaluronic acid can bind 1,000 times its own weight in water, bringing superior strength and firmness to your skin.

As we age and our HA lubrication levels drop, the space between bones in our joints can reduce, leading to joint stiffness, aches and pain. Taking a HA supplement has been shown to help with joint health.

Hyaluronic Acid also plays a vital part in wound healing. It works by aiding the regulation of inflammation levels as well as sending signals to the body to construct more blood vessels in the wounded area.

HA is thought to help with chronic eye dryness which affects about 1 in 7 older adults. Contact lenses with slowly releasing HA are being developed. As HA is naturally present as a lubricant in the eye, having healthy levels are believed to be important in this area.

The profile of Ingenious’ hyaluronic acid is specifically designed for targeted results. It’s 20% more effective at keeping skin and tissue hydrated and plump than industry standard.

The hyaluronan used by Ingenious is a pioneering finely modulated Full Spectrum Hyaluronan Complex, able to deeply integrate into the biology of targeted tissues, matching skin, joints, muscle and other needs. All to maximise efficiency and work exactly where you need it.



The HA found in most supplements and creams consists of only one length of HA molecule. The Ingenious Hyaluronan Complex mimics the physiology of your body’s HA. 

Modern lifestyles put our bodies under attack from free radicals produced by UV rays, pollution, stress, smoking and poor nutrition. The damage caused by free radicals is a major cause of skin ageing which affects all layers of the skin, from the visible surface to the delicate deep layers where new skin is formed, destroying both collagen and hyaluronic acid.

Astaxanthin breaks down Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), or ‘free radicals’ that directly damage collagen fibres. By harnessing the ROS reducing properties of natural astaxanthin, we aid the reduction in damage to both existing and new collagen and the fibroblasts that produce it.

A clinical trial undertaken on natural astaxanthin (the ingredient used in Ingenious formulation) revealed that taking 4mg of astaxanthin significantly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, skin roughness and skin redness after six weeks.

Further clinical studies also reveal how taking supplemental astaxanthin every day can help to improve eyesight, protects against types of ocular degeneration and help combat screen-induced eye fatigue. You can find more information about this topic in our blog post ‘Astaxanthin and Healthy Vision’.

Astaxanthin has been shown to exert a strong protective effect on the brain and has also been used to help treat and prevent diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzehimer’s. The human central nervous system (CNS) contains 100 billion neuronal cells and is vulnerable to oxidative stress and inflammation due to its low cellular renewal rate. Extensive studies have found that carotenoids such as astaxanthin, with its ability to lower rates of inflammation as well as fighting free radicals, can help to protect and preserve the central nervous system and enhance brain function.

The natural astaxanthin used in Ingenious products​ is derived from a micro-algae sustainably sourced from a Swedish archipelago. The process to extract this astaxanthin operates in a carbon negative closed circuit system, with the thermal energy produced heating a local town outside of Stockholm, Sweden. 

Muscle contraction inevitably causes wear and tear of cell membranes, this leads to an accumulation of oxidised lipid components which can undermine physical performance. ActiGin® has been designed to boost energy for exercise, but also to protect the body from wear and tear of cell membranes. ActiGin® can also help rejuvenation during the ageing process. Senescent cells are old, redundant cells that are no longer needed by the body. As time passes, the number of senescent cells in the body increases. These in turn are responsible for many effects of ageing and ill health. Clinical human trials have demonstrated that ActiGin® helps to eliminate senescent cells and replace them with healthy new ones. This can help reduce the rate at which the body appears to age.

In clinical trials, ActiGin® has been shown to both enhance endurance levels in high intensity exercise by up to 20% and then speed up muscle recovery time post exercise.

ActiGin® is able to increase endurance time in high intensity exercise due to its ability to preserve insulin receptors and glucose transporters during exercise, ensuring a continuous supply of blood glucose to the muscle to prevent it becoming fatigued too early.

Post exercise, ActiGin® speeds up muscle recovery time by lowering inflammation penetration in muscle tissue. During clinical trials scientists examined a number of biomarkers and found a 24% reduction in TBARS (a measurement of oxidative stress) a 44% reduction in MDA, (a second marker of oxidative stress) a 35% reduction in IL-6 (which measure inflammation) and a 69% decrease in creatine kinase (a marker of muscle damage).

Although best known for its antioxidant properties, Vitamin C plays a vital role in the body for the biosynthesis of collagen. Vitamin C is a normal skin constituent found at high levels in both the outer layer (epidermis) and inner layer (dermis). It offers several protective benefits for the skin due to its antioxidant properties, role in collagen synthesis, and ability to mitigate damage caused by various environmental factors. Over time, ageing causes a natural decline in the Vitamin C content of both the epidermis and dermis. Giving your body a daily dose of Vitamin C will help maintain optimum health and will helps the skin to produce collagen naturally resulting in less saggy and firmer skin.

Vitamin C is a normal skin constituent found at high levels in both the epidermis (outer layer of skin) and dermis (inner layer of skin). It offers several protective benefits for the skin due to its antioxidant properties, role in collagen synthesis, and ability to mitigate damage caused by various environmental factors.

Ageing causes a natural decline in the Vitamin C content of both the epidermis and dermis.

The UK Department of Health recommends a daily intake of 40 mg of Vitamin C for adults. This amount is considered sufficient to meet the needs of most individuals and prevent deficiency-related conditions like scurvy. The UK does not have a specific upper limit for Vitamin C intake, but excessive consumption (over 1,000 mg per day) can lead to gastrointestinal disturbances, such as diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

The best way to ensure you have the correct levels of Vitamin C in your body is to eat a healthy diet, with at least five portions of fruit and vegetables. For example, a single satsuma will provide you with about 40% of your recommended daily target of Vitamin C. However, not everyone manages to get their full allowance of Vitamin C from food everyday so topping up your levels with a supplement can help, but it is important to be careful, since Vitamin C is an acid, so some supplements can irritate the stomach. A good idea is to look for a Vitamin C supplement that is ‘buffered’. This means that there is a protective coating around the Vitamin C, so it does not irritate the stomach. Most standard Vitamin C supplements available on the market are not buffered.

Our Active supplement contains 26mg of buffered Vitamin C.

Rich sources include fruits like oranges, strawberries, blackcurrants and other berries, kiwi, and guava, as well as vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and spinach.

Vitamin E is known to act as an antioxidant protecting cells, particularly cell membranes, against damage. This helps to maintain healthy skin and eyes and is thought to reduce the risk of age-related eyesight problems, such as macular degeneration. There is evidence that it plays a role in the growth of smooth muscles, helping to maintain skeletal structural, strength, and function. Vitamin E is also thought to play a role in the formation of red blood cells, helping to maintain the correct levels of vitamin A and vitamin K in the blood. There is also research to suggest that vitamin E acts as a painkiller, reducing symptoms of period pain, other PMS symptoms, and pain from inflamed joints.

Vitamin E contributes to good skin health by:

• Preventing signs of ageing by fighting free radicals
• Absorbing UVB light which causes skin to burn and age
• Protecting cell membranes, keeping them hydrated and healthy

For adults, the recommended daily amount for vitamin E is 12mg per day. People are advised to eat a healthy, varied diet to ensure they receive a good balance of vitamins and minerals. For example a single cup of cooked spinach contains about 4mg of vitamin E, which is a third of the recommended daily intake. Not everyone manages to get their full allowance of vitamin E from food everyday, so topping up your levels with a supplement can help. Both Vegan+ and Active contain 4mg of vitamin E.

High sources of vitamin E can be found in:


• Avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, watercress and brussel sprouts
• Blackberries and mangoes
• Corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil
• Mackerel and salmon
• Nuts, whole meal and whole grain products

After iron, zinc is the most abundant trace mineral in the human body and is present in every single cell. It is essential for numerous functions in the body and plays a critical role in supporting the immune system, wound healing, growth, metabolism and nerve function.

Our bodies require zinc to manufacture T-lymphocytes (T-cells), a type of white blood cell that helps to break down foreign invaders in our bloodstream. Low zinc levels will result in reduced or weakened T-cells that are unable to recognise and attack these invaders, making us more susceptible to disease. This is why zinc is well-known for treating the common cold – it strengthens the cells our bloodstreams need to neutralise the virus.

Zinc has antioxidant properties and is known to accelerate the renewal of skin cells, which is why zinc creams are often used to heal cuts and wounds and treat skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Being an anti-inflammatory agent, zinc can treat inflamed skin conditions like sunburn, rashes, and blisters. Zinc has been shown to:


• Help DNA synthesis and cell replication
• Help mitigate the effects of free radical damage
• Assist in the production of collagen

People are advised to eat a healthy, varied diet to ensure they receive a good balance of vitamins and minerals. For example, a whole avocado will provide about 1.3mg of zinc, which is 13% of the recommended daily intake.

Foods high in zinc include:


• Shellfish: oysters, crab, mussels, lobster and clams Meat: beef, pork, lamb and bison
• Poultry: turkey and chicken Fish: sardines, salmon and sole
• Legumes: peas, lentils, beans, etc.
• Nuts and Seeds: pumpkin seeds, cashews, hemp seeds, etc.
• Dairy Products: Milk, yogurt and cheese Eggs
• Whole Grains: Oats, quinoa, brown rice, etc.
• Certain Vegetables: mushrooms, asparagus and dark greens such as spinach and kale