There has been so much hype surrounding collagen, supplement drinks, and 'beauty vitamins' over the past few years that its hard not to get sucked in by it. I'm definitely guilty of giving anything beauty related a try so Totally Derma was perfect to review! I've tried various different collagen supplements in the past and they've either not agreed with me or tasted disgusting so I've given up on them. I love that TD have recently upgraded their formula to be sugar free as I try to avoid as much excess sugar as possible - FYI sugar is not your skin's friend!!

 

As I am still in my (late) 20's, you may be thinking that I don't need to be wasting my time & money on things such as supplements however, did you know... The Hyaluronic Acid that you naturally produce begins to decrease from around the age of 20 resulting in dehydration fine lines, dullness, and loss of elasticity? And your naturally produced collagen begins to decrease from the age of 25 resulting in sagging, wrinkles, brittle nails/hair, and aching joints to name a few? Prevention is better than cure I say... 

 

 

For best results, Totally Derma recommend that it's most beneficial to take your supplement at night as this is when your skin is repairing itself. It's also essential that you leave a 2 hour window between any caffeine drinks due to them being a diuretic and you want to maintain TD in your system for as long as possible. Clearly I didn't read the packaging thoroughly as I didn't realise this until half way through so I was taking it in the morning to begin with although I'm not a caffeine drinker anyway!

 

On day 1, I mixed 12g of Totally Derma with the recommended 250ml of water and although it was fine, personally, I found the flavour a bit weak for me. I much preferred it with around 150ml. The drink itself is nice and didn't leave me with any stomach ache or bloating like others have previously. It has a subtle, sweet vanilla taste. If you can bare it then you can take TD undissolved however, I tested it with various liquids - water, yoghurt, oat milk, juice and all worked great. I liked putting it in a smoothie too as the vanilla flavouring really sweetened it up without having to add extra artificial sugars seperately. 

 

I have taken whey protein and similar previously, and if you have too, then you know how difficult it is to shake and get smooth but TD is nothing like that! It dissolved very easily with just a quick stir of my straw or fork. I really did feel like after just 1 use I could see a difference!! It was as if the drink had given my body a big boost of vitamins and minerals that I was lacking in which could actually be the case and not me imagining it as the formula is loaded with Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C, Green Tea Extract alongside the collagen peptides. 

 

After the 90 days were up (the recommended time period to take any collagen supplements to notice a real difference) I couldn't believe how much had changed. My skin looks plump, my nails are growing faster than I can file them, my eyelashes look like I've been using a lash growth treatment, and my hair is in great condition and growing like wildfire. Previously, and it can't be a coincidence, it was not normal how much my joints (especially my knees) clicked throughout the day but I just thought whilst writing this that I can't remember the last time that happened. 

Overall, I'm really glad that I tried Totally Derma. Collagen drinks are definitely not an alternative or replacement for a good skincare routine and healthy lifestyle but if you have everything in place and feel like you are lacking something or you want an extra 'boost' and your budget allows then it's definitely something to look into! 

 

Rachel