A $40 ‘miracle’ collagen powder from Australian business Imbibe was a nutritionist’s secret weapon for banishing stubborn acne and developing a radiant glow in just six months.
Amber McKenna, a holistic nutritionist, suffered acne in her early teen years but in her 20s the cystic bumps reared their heads again and she battled painful bumps all over her face, neck and back.
With her self-esteem, social life and confidence diminishing, Amber experimented with topicals, acids, cleansers and treatments and found her skin became exponentially worse.
So, Amber turned inwards and decided to overhaul her gut health and get to the root of the problem; this led to her discovering an allergy to eggs and bananas through a blood allergy test and starting on her skincare routine.
A $40 ‘miracle’ collagen powder from Australian business Imbibe was a nutritionist’s secret weapon for banishing stubborn acne and developing a radiant glow in just six months (left, month one, right, month six)
Developed by Australian mother Felicity Evans in 2014 to help her ‘intense digestive troubles’ Imbibe has quickly gained a loyal following thanks to its best-selling product: Miracle Collagen
‘Acne is an inflammatory condition and to heal inflammation, you must first remove the causative culprits. I uncovered a high histamine reaction to both eggs and bananas, both of which I was eating almost daily,’ Amber said.
‘After removing both from my diet completely I immediately saw an improvement. Within three weeks the reoccurrence of the painful cystic acne on my back and cheeks was fast diminishing and I was on my way.’
She then started on gut repair using the Imbibe Miracle Collagen – a product she can’t rave about enough.
‘To heal and repair the gut you need abundant and very specific amino acids available for the body to create new skin cells and to rebuild the integrity of the cellular matrix (in particular L-Glutamine + Glycine),’ she said.
Amber, a holistic nutritionist, suffered acne in her early teen years but in her 20s the cystic bumps reared their heads again and she battled painful bumps all over her face, neck and back
‘Over time and consistent use with Miracle Collagen, not only did my digestive upset and bloating go away, but my skin became clearer and clearer by the day.
‘Not only did my active breakouts begin to diminish, but my hyperpigmentation started to clear, my skin became incredibly soft, bouncy and dewy and intensely hydrated.’
Amber said one of the biggest misconceptions in acne treatment is to dry it out, when in fact, hydration is the key to letting the bacteria naturally come out of the skin and to then allow healing and repairing.
‘This is my can’t-live-without piece of advice: repair + rebuild the gut.’
Once Amber had her gut repair well underway, she started on the Imbibe topical skincare to create new, healthy skin cells and strengthen the active skin barrier.
The topical skincare plays a role in healing the skin’s barrier and boosting hydration
While the Collagen Powder and probiotic liquid Beauty Renewal are the two most popular products, the brand also sells Protect, an ‘immune protection’ powder with Vitamin C and a recently-launched organic skincare system called Skin Science (pictured)
‘I obsessively use this skin care system, with a focus on the hydrating and marine based healing properties of Collagen Restore and Collagen Protect, completely embracing hydrating nutrients and oils to replenish my skin,’ she said.
‘Showing off my skin is not something I ever dreamed was possible, least of all the idea that I would be complimented on having nice skin,’ Amber said.
The organic, cold-pressed products have received millions of reviews online from thrilled customers who have had similar results.
Developed by Australian mother Felicity Evans in 2014 to help her ‘intense digestive troubles’ and ‘health challenges’, Imbibe has quickly gained a loyal following because of the Miracle Collagen – the brand’s top-selling product.
Felicity Evans (pictured) has developed a legion of fans thanks to her organic brand
The Protect formula has antioxidants, Vitamin C, Zinc and Amino Acids for immunity, stress, cellular repair and defense
The odourless $40 powder is made with 100 per cent Bioactive Bovine Collagen Peptides that contain amino acids designed and clinically proven to improve hair growth, skin elasticity, skin smoothness, collagen production and nail strength.
By consuming two teaspoons of the powder per day in a hot or cold drink, customers are said to be able to ‘combat early signs of aging to restore the look of juicy, hydrated skin’ as the supplement has been shown to stimulate collagen production in skin.
The powder is sourced from global certified livestock welfare animals, it’s non-GMO, kosher and halal and contains no fillers, flavourings, soy, corn, dairy, sugar, chemicals, fake flavourings, preservatives, artificial colours, stabilisers or food acids or gluten.
Since its launch, the product has received hundreds of five-star reviews online, with many showing off incredible before after after images after as little as 30 days.
Customer Eliza Hartigan (pictured) started using the powder after struggling with dull, blemished skin that felt ‘rough, bumpy and lack-luster’ for years
If I had a dollar for every time someone mentioned how glowing my skin was, then I would be a very wealthy woman,’ Eliza said (pictured before and after using Imbibe)
Customer Eliza Hartigan started using the powder after struggling with dull, blemished skin that felt ‘rough, bumpy and lack-luster’ for years.
‘I had tried everything under the sun: changing my diet, changing my skin care routine, face masks and hopping around on one foot singing a song (hypothetically), and yet nothing worked,’ she wrote, before reading reviews and trying the collagen powder and the brand’s probiotic product, Beauty Renewal ($44).
‘My hair was damaged from heat styling and from dying it, what seems like, 100 times over. It literally never grew, then suddenly it started to become so full of life, bouncy and continuously growing that my hairdresser inquired about what I had changed.
‘My eyelashes grew and my skin bloomed with happiness. I feel and look like a different woman. My period cramps are minor now and my hangovers are not nearly as bad. If I had a dollar for every time someone mentioned how glowing my skin was, then I would be a very wealthy woman.’
Ellie, another fan of the brand, noticed her acne completely clear up after discovering Imbibe (pictured before using it)
‘For the past few weeks, every morning I wake up and my cystic acne and deep scarring is healing. My hair is looking healthy again and I can’t keep up with how quickly my nails are growing,’ Ellie said (pictured before and after)
While the Collagen Powder and probiotic liquid Beauty Renewal are the two most popular products, Protect, an ‘immune protection’ powder with Vitamin C and organic skincare system called Skin Science all have a legion of fans.
The latter took two years to create and is formulated to ‘drench’ cells in all-natural, sustainable ingredients like Golden Sea Kelp, precious petal oils and Australian native super-berries to target acne, dullness, ageing, enlarged pores, puffy skin and fine lines.
It includes Polish, a Konjac Pearl Powder Sponge (Step 1); Lift , a resurfacing and toning mist (Step 2); Collagen Restore , a hydrating serum (Step 3); Collagen Protect, a collagen inducing Oil (Step 4) and Sculpt, a Vibrating Gold Facial Bar (Step 5).
The five-step system ranges in price from $25 to $130.
NB. These results are based purely on personal experience using Imbibe products and were recounted voluntarily. A qualified health care professional should always be consulted prior to following any advice.