Taking supplements is pointless if you don't give your skin a "building order". How does that work?
What if collagen does work — but we've always misunderstood it? Founder Mardge Pascaud reveals why most supplements don't work, why dermatologists are wrong, and how her revamped Firmness bridges the gap between nutrition and skin intelligence.
Fast Read
• Collagen only works if your skin knows where to use it
• Firmness not only provides building materials, but also cofactors and protectors
• Without a trigger, the collagen goes to work elsewhere in the body
• Pascaud advocates a three-step formula: building material + cofactor + impulse
• New: vegan amino acids, hyaluronic acid & antioxidants in a single daily dose
Give the body a building task
‘It's almost comical,’ says Mardge Pascaud when we start talking about collagen supplementation. ‘For years, people have been swallowing powders, shots and elixirs in the hope of achieving firmer skin. Meanwhile, dermatologists have been saying: it doesn't work, there's no evidence. But both sides have missed the point. You can supply building blocks, but without a building order, the body will do something completely different with them.’
No effect without stimulation
Her tone is calm, but her message disrupts the foundation of a billion-pound industry. According to Pascaud, collagen supplementation only makes sense if the body knows where that collagen is needed. And tissue cells only know that when they receive a stimulus – through natural skin renewal or targeted treatment.
‘You have to look at it this way,’ she explains, when we talk about her collagen-stimulating supplement. ‘The amino acids you ingest are the bricks. The antioxidants added to them are the cement. But then someone has to tell you what to build. A house? A wall? That instruction has to come from the skin itself. That's the trigger.’
The new Firmness
The new Firmness Collagen Supplement Complex is Pascaud's answer to twenty years of experience in skin nutrition. The powder form in which her first generation of Firmness was processed has disappeared – too unstable, too difficult to dissolve – and has been replaced by three capsules and one green tablet in a hygienic sachet.
This is what's in the daily dose
‘Each daily dose contains everything needed for collagen building in the right ratio,’ she explains. "The three amino acids – glycine, proline and hydroxyproline – together form the core structure of collagen fibres. To this we add Dermaval®, a complex of fruit extracts that inhibits elastase. Hyaluronic acid for hydration. And powerful antioxidants such as vitamin C, green tea extract, pycnogenol, zinc fern, lycopene, zinc and selenium."
The supplement is completely vegan and free from animal collagen sources. ‘I have only used the pure building blocks in proportions that are suitable for humans. This is in line with our vision: inner beauty, outer beauty and zen beauty in balance.’
The three-step collagen rocket: why a trigger is essential
Mardge calls it her multi-stage rocket principle: Building blocks – the amino acids that form the collagen chain. Cofactors – vitamin C and antioxidants that stabilise the chain. The impulse – the treatment that tells fibroblasts where to build.
The body's triage system
‘Without that third step, little happens in the skin. The body distributes nutrients according to urgency. First the internal organs, then the skin. I call this the triage principle. If you want it to reach the skin, that skin must be active – through massage, radio frequency, needling or fascia stretching. That is the clue: new collagen must be produced there.’
Scientific research from gynaecology
Her approach reflects recent research in gynaecology (Tafuri et al., 2025): in postmenopausal women with vaginal atrophy, the combination of collagen supplementation and laser or RF treatment yielded significantly better results than treatment with laser and/or RF alone. ‘That suggests it: building material + stimulus = result,’ she says. ‘The skin is nothing more than connective tissue. It works according to the same logic everywhere.’
Build first, then treat
Where many people think that “more” is also “better”, Pascaud advocates a tailored approach. ‘You often see skin being overtreated,’ she says. ‘Microneedling, RF, ultrasound — it's all used at the same time, even though the skin is not in good condition. This doesn't make it stronger, but exhausted.’
She points out the importance of timing and preparation: ‘You have to nourish the skin first before you stimulate it. That is the therapeutic window: the period in which the skin itself is able to respond. Provide nutrients, provide energy, and only then provide a controlled stimulus. Otherwise, you bypass natural regeneration.’
Skin repair is facilitated, not forced
She calls the idea that collagen build-up can simply be bought naive. ‘The body works cyclically, not linearly. Skin repair is an intelligent process. You can't force it — you can only facilitate it.’
Collagen from a pill or drink will not automatically migrate to your cheeks; that is the biggest misconception of our time. ‘The skin is not an emergency organ. It only gets priority when there is a need for repair. That's why I always say: start Firmness a month before your treatment, give it the impulse, and then continue using it for two months afterwards. Then you have building materials, signal and repair all at once.’
Sports doctors know the wisdom
She laughs. ‘Actually, we are now doing with the skin what sports doctors have known for years about muscles and tendons. Collagen peptides only work when you train. There, the mechanical stimulus is the load. In the skin, it is microtrauma or massage. The biology is identical.’
She fully shares my surprise – why dermatologists never mention this. ‘The medical world still too often looks at separate variables: one supplement, one outcome. But skin biology is systemic. You need input and activation. Evidence always follows later; the biology is already there.’
She pauses for a moment, then smiles: "The great thing is: we don't have to wait until everyone understands. The skin has understood it for a long time, we just need to work with it in a much more nuanced way. Firmness by Mardge Pascaud illustrates how collagen supplementation with a trigger can make skin firming successful.
The science behind Firmness
CBA complex (Hydroxyproline, L-Proline, L-Glycine)
These three amino acids together form the core structure of collagen fibres. A study (Journal of Nutritional Science & Vitaminology, 2009) showed that hydroxyproline-rich peptides increased collagen synthesis in fibroblasts by up to 65%.
Hyaluronic acid (75 mg)
Clinical studies (Sato et al., 2017; Nutrients, 2021) show that low-molecular hyaluronic acid improves skin hydration by up to 40% and reduces dryness lines after 8–12 weeks.
Dermaval® (150 mg)
Patented plant complex of fruit extracts (pomegranate, acai, mangosteen, camu camu, broccoli) that inhibits elastase activity and supports skin elasticity (Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2005).
Pycnogenol® (25 mg)
From French maritime pine bark. In a 12-week study, skin elasticity improved by 25% and collagen synthesis increased demonstrably.
Antioxidant blend (green tea extract, zinc fern, lycopene, zinc, selenium, vitamins C & E)
Protects the skin against oxidative stress and UV damage, stabilises new collagen and promotes wound healing.
Source: Monique Lindeboom for Beautyjournaal
