Collagen has become ubiquitous in the skin care industry. In fact, you’d probably have a difficult time finding an anti-aging skin care product that doesn’t claim to help “boost collagen levels for a more youthful complexion” or “plump skin with natural collagen”.
Your first thought might be that using skin care products with collagen is the answer to firm, youthful skin. But this isn’t the case. Here’s why: the collagen protein is a very large complex molecule — too large to penetrate past the upper layers of skin.
So what can you do to restore collagen levels in your skin that have become depleted with age?
The key is to look for ingredients that can pass through the upper layers of skin to stimulate collagen production, such as the “vegan collagen” that you’ll find in Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum.
If you’re wondering how vegan collagen can help reduce signs of aging, keep reading below for our in depth Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum review.
We’ll give you all the details on the key ingredients in this formula, as well as the research that supports (or doesn’t support) their use in skin care.
We’ll also share some Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum reviews so that you can get an idea of what customers really think of this product.
Is Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum Right For You?
Before we get into the details, here’s the TL;DR if you just want to know whether or not Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum is right for you.
- Key ingredients? L-Proline, Sodium Hyaluronate, Marula Oil
- Skin type? All skin types
- Texture? Silky serum
- Fragrance? Yes
- Cruelty free? Yes
- Cost? $48 USD for 0.5 fl oz
What is Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum?
Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum is a plant-based anti-aging serum that’s formulated to help boost collagen levels in your skin.
It has a very lightweight, silky texture that goes on smoothly and absorbs quickly, helping to instantly hydrate your skin.
As for the benefits, Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum is said to boost skin elasticity and firmness, promote smoother looking skin texture, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
So can Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum really provide all of these benefits? We’ll have to take a closer look at the formula to find out.
What Are The Key Ingredients in Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum?
In order to determine how well Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum performs, we’ll have to evaluate the key ingredients in this formula. Let’s get started.
L-proline (Vegan Collagen)
One of the main collagen-boosting ingredients in the Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum is the amino acid L-proline, which the brand refers to as “vegan collagen”.
L-proline has the ability to improve skin elasticity, increase collagen production, promote skin repair and regeneration, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
One factor that contributes to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles is decreased flexibility or elasticity of the stratum corneum (the uppermost layer of the skin).
According to a publication in the European Journal of Dermatology, the elasticity of the stratum corneum has been shown to be regulated, at least in part, by the amounts and types of amino acids.
This publication also reports that a study conducted on 126 Japanese female subjects found that topical application 1-carbamimidoyl-L-proline, a derivative of proline, significantly improved the appearance of crow’s feet lines.
This suggests that proline and its derivatives are promising and useful ingredients for the improvement of wrinkles through the ability to enhance the elasticity of the stratum corneum.
Another major factor that contributes to the formation of lines and wrinkles is a decrease in the amount of collagen in the skin. The body produces less and less collagen with age. In fact, after the age of 20, a person produces about 1 percent less collagen in the skin each year.
Moreover, environmental free radicals can degrade collagen proteins. The result is skin that becomes thinner and more fragile with age.
Using ingredients that stimulate collagen production, such as proline, can help to maintain skin firmness and elasticity.
Specifically, proline is a substrate that is necessary for collagen synthesis. Collagen has a triple helix structure composed of proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine.
Of all the amino acids that form collagen, proline’s effects on promoting skin health has probably been the most well-researched. It is well known that proline can help to repair damaged skin and promote wound healing due to its ability to support collagen synthesis. Collagen is necessary for wounds to heal properly because it gives structure and strength to the skin.
Overall, the inclusion of L-proline in Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum should help to reduce signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles.
Sodium Hyaluronate
We love that Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum contains a high concentration of sodium hyaluronate, the sodium salt form of hyaluronic acid.
Sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid are basically the same and the two names are used interchangeably in the skin care industry. The main differences are that sodium hyaluronate is more stable, easier to formulate, and cheaper.
Once applied to the skin, sodium hyaluronate provides the same benefits of hyaluronic acid. Those benefits include improved skin hydration, as well as a more plump complexion with fewer lines and wrinkles.
Marula Oil
Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum includes a decent amount of marula oil, a very lightweight, nourishing oil that absorbs into the skin quickly and functions as an emollient.
An emollient is an oily substance that fills in the spaces between dead skin cells, thus creating a smooth skin surface. Basically, an emollient is a film forming substance that makes the skin feel and look smooth.
Marula oil also helps other ingredients absorb better. This is because marula oil contains about 70 to 78% oleic acid, an omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acid that functions as a penetration enhancer.
Plus, marula oil is non-comedogenic, so you don’t have to worry about it clogging pores.
Fragrant Essential Oils
Unfortunately, we noticed that the Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum contains quite a few fragrant essential oils, such as patchouli, cedarwood, and bergamot.
These ingredients can be a problem due to the potential to cause contact allergies, skin irritation, and even skin damage.
In fact, according to a 2016 publication in the scholarly journal Dermatitis, nearly 80 essential oils have caused contact allergy.
This is because all fragrance ingredients (whether natural or synthetic) impart scent through a volatile reaction, and this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin.
Even if you don’t have a full blown reaction to the ingredient, the damage may still be occurring every day. Ultimately, this can cause mild problems for your skin in the short term and worse problems in the long term.
How to Use Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum?
Apply Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum evenly to your face and neck after cleansing and toning.
Where to Buy Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum?
Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum and other Sonage skin care products are sold on the brand’s website (sonage.com), as well as on a few third party websites such as Amazon and Pharmaca.
How Much is Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum?
Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum costs $48 USD for 0.5 fl oz.
What is The Sonage Return Policy?
The Sonage return policy states, “Sonage products may be returned within 14 days for a full refund provided the product has not been opened and used. All unopened products returned after 14 days from purchase will have a 20% restocking fee deducted from refund or exchange. There will be no refunds or exchanges issued after 30 days from purchase date.”
Is Sonage Cruelty Free?
Yes, Sonage is cruelty free.
Is Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum Vegan?
Yes, Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum is vegan.
Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum Reviews
Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum Reviews on the brand’s website are overall very positive, with the product receiving an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars after more than 900 customer reviews.
There are many 5-star reviews for Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum from customers who love that it absorbs quickly, plumps skin, and helps to promote a more youthful-looking complexion.
For example, one review says, “I have been using Sonage natural products for over two years. I have begun to use the Collagen Boosting Serum as part of my daily regimen. I use it along with the hyaluronic acid serum. The Collagen Boosting Serum plumps my skin and makes feel alive. It is great for anti-aging and using on a daily basis.”
And another 5-star review says, “This was a keeper!!! I loved this product and will probably purchase it again afterwards. It boosts your facial skin collagen and totally brightens your complexion! It goes on like silk and absorbs very quickly, so even if I’m rushed in the morning, I can apply my moisturizer and makeup very quickly afterwards.”
Interestingly, there aren’t any reviews below 4-stars on the brand’s website, so we went over to Amazon to evaluate more reviews.
We came across a handful of negative reviews for the Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum, which were mostly from customers who found the fragrance in this serum to be too strong and off-putting. Other negative reviews mention side effects, like burning, itching, and redness.
For example, one review says, “I’ve had good luck with other serums from this line, particularly the Vitamin C serum, but I found this one to be irritating and underwhelming. It has a VERY strong patchouli and cedar scent and immediately made my face red and itchy upon application. I assume both the irritation and the overbearing scent are from the essential oils in the formula. I didn’t find this serum to be particularly moisturizing or plumping. Given that you only receive a half ounce instead of the typical full ounce of serum, this is also very expensive. It’s not worth $48.00 for a half ounce (price at time of review) even if it weren’t irritating. I don’t recommend it, won’t finish it, and would not repurchase.”
Another 1-star review says, “I need a new serum and was excited to try this. Sadly, I am quite disappointed. First, this stuff STINKS. Hours after I applied it, I was still smelling it. To add insult to injury, I did not feel like it did anything. My skin did not feel moisturized or different in any way.”
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum is a well-formulated anti-aging serum with beneficial key ingredients, although we wish the brand would leave out the skin-irritating essential oils.
Pros
- Beneficial key ingredients (L-Proline, Sodium Hyaluronate, Marula Oil)
- Many positive Sonage Collagen Boosting Serum reviews
- Sonage is cruelty free
Cons
- Formula contains fragrant essential oils, which could cause skin sensitivity reactions
References:
de Groot AC, Schmidt E. Essential Oils, Part IV: Contact Allergy. Dermatitis. 2016;27(4):170-175. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000197
Eur J Dermatol 2013 Apr 1;23(2):195-201.
