Daynee Collagen milk tea

Collagen gummies are a supplement designed to help your health — primarily your skin, nails, joints, and bones.

So what is collagen, exactly? Collagen is almost everywhere in your body, present in your skin, tendons, and muscles, the Cleveland Clinic notes. “It's one of the most abundant proteins in the body, responsible for the strength of your skin, muscles, bones, and connective tissue,” says Jamie R. Manning, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon with specialty in skin cancer surgery and cosmetic and procedural dermatology.

Collagen plays a particularly important role in the skin. The catch is that as we age, we lose some of that collagen, and it’s more challenging for the body to keep producing it, the Mayo Clinicnotes. That’s where collagen peptides come in.

The purpose of collagen gummies — and collagen supplements in general — is hypothetically to promote anti-aging. “They are intended to decrease skin wrinkles, as well as thicken hair,” says Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN, a Chicago-based registered dietitian-nutritionist and the host of the podcast Nourishing Notes. “Collagen is a major component of connective tissue; it provides your skin with structure and makes for strong joints and bones,” Retelny says