Ingredient spotlight · Marine cartilage complex in Health Royals’ beauty complete · 5 min read
Why skin structure involves more than collagen alone, and what makes a studied marine cartilage complex different from a conventional collagen peptide.
Key takeaways
• Skin structure is an organised matrix of collagen, elastin, water-binding molecules and living cells.
• Cartidyss® is a hydrolysed marine cartilage complex containing low-molecular-weight collagen peptides together with naturally occurring cartilage components.
• Health Royals provides the studied daily amount of 500 mg Cartidyss® in two capsules.
Collagen may be beauty’s most famous structural protein.
It is also easy to misunderstand.
Skin is not simply made from collagen fibres stacked beneath the surface. It is a living, changing matrix in which structural proteins, water-binding molecules and cells interact with one another.
Collagen is fundamental to that architecture.
But it is not the whole story.
To understand why some collagen ingredients are different from others, it helps to look at what surrounds the collagen as well as the collagen itself.
What is skin structure actually made of?
Beneath the epidermis lies the dermis, a deeper layer containing a complex extracellular matrix.
Collagen fibres form an important part of its structural framework.
Elastin contributes to the skin’s ability to stretch and return, while glycosaminoglycans form part of the hydrated environment around the fibres and cells.
Fibroblasts within the dermis help produce and maintain components of this matrix.
These elements do not sit in isolation. Together, they create an organised network that contributes to the skin’s density, resilience and visible surface.
Over time, ageing, ultraviolet exposure and other environmental influences can affect the organisation and characteristics of this matrix.
These changes may eventually become visible as lines, altered texture and a loss of firmness.
The surface is what we see. The architecture beneath it helps shape what becomes visible.
What makes a marine cartilage complex different?
Many collagen supplements are based primarily on isolated hydrolysed collagen peptides.
Cartidyss® begins with a different natural material: marine cartilage.
The cartilage is enzymatically hydrolysed to create a water-soluble complex containing low-molecular-weight collagen peptides together with naturally occurring cartilage components, including chondroitin sulphate.
Chondroitin sulphate belongs to the glycosaminoglycan family, which forms part of the wider extracellular environment found in connective tissues.
This does not mean that more components automatically make an ingredient better.
It means that Cartidyss® has a different composition and research story from an isolated collagen peptide ingredient.
Its identity comes from the marine cartilage complex as a whole, not from collagen alone.
What happened over 90 days?
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled human study investigated the marine cartilage complex in women with visible facial wrinkles.
Forty-six healthy women aged 45 to 59 were enrolled. Participants received either 500 mg of hydrolysed fish cartilage daily or placebo for 90 days, and 43 women completed the study.
The researchers used several non-invasive techniques to examine the skin at different levels.
High-resolution facial imaging was used to assess visible wrinkles.
High-frequency ultrasound examined characteristics of the dermis, while confocal microscopy provided a closer view of collagen organisation and other structural features beneath the surface.
After 90 days, the supplemented group showed significant reductions in wrinkle scores in the nasolabial and periorbital areas compared with placebo.
The study also reported changes in dermal echogenicity and thickness, alongside changes in collagen morphology and elastosis observed through microscopic imaging.
The research was therefore not limited to how the skin looked in a photograph. It also examined structural characteristics underneath the visible surface.
Why are the findings more interesting than one wrinkle number?
Percentage changes in wrinkles are easy to communicate.
In the study, nasolabial wrinkle scores decreased by approximately 31% from baseline, while periorbital wrinkle scores decreased by approximately 26% after 90 days.
But the broader research design is equally important.
Different imaging methods pointed to changes at more than one level of the skin.
Visible wrinkle assessments described what changed at the surface.
Ultrasound provided information about dermal characteristics, while confocal microscopy allowed researchers to examine changes in collagen organisation and elastosis more closely.
This does not mean that one ingredient can rebuild the entire skin matrix.
It means that the study looked beyond one visible endpoint and investigated whether changes could also be observed beneath it.
For an ingredient positioned around skin structure, that depth of assessment makes the research more meaningful.
Why do the specific ingredient and dose matter?
The word “collagen” on a label tells us surprisingly little on its own.
Collagen ingredients can differ in their source, composition, processing, peptide profile and daily amount.
The published study used 500 mg of the hydrolysed marine cartilage complex daily.
Health Royals provides the same daily amount of Cartidyss® in Beauty Complete.
Using a studied ingredient at its corresponding daily amount does not mean that every person will experience identical results.
Skin ageing is influenced by many factors, including age, sun exposure, lifestyle and individual biology.
It does, however, provide a clearer formulation basis than including an undefined collagen material or focusing only on the largest number of grams on the front of a pack.
The quantity of collagen is only one part of the story. The source, composition and evidence behind it matter too.
The ingredient at a glance
A studied marine cartilage complex designed around more than collagen alone.
Form
Hydrolysed marine cartilage complex
Daily amount
500 mg Cartidyss®
Ingredient source
Cartidyss® by Abyss Ingredients, developed from marine cartilage
How Cartidyss® fits into the complete formula
Beauty Complete was designed around complementary aspects of skin quality rather than collagen alone.
Cartidyss® forms the structural centre of the formula at the studied daily amount of 500 mg.
It is combined with Hyabest® sodium hyaluronate and Ceramosides™ phytoceramides.
Hyabest® was selected for its role within the formula’s hydration story, while Ceramosides™ provides a wheat-derived polar lipid complex designed around the skin barrier.
Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the skin.
Riboflavin and biotin contribute to the maintenance of normal skin, while vitamin C and riboflavin also contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Each ingredient has a distinct role.
Structure, hydration and barrier support are brought together in one considered daily beauty formula.
Discover Health Royals’ beauty complete
References
Maia Campos, P.M.B.G.; Franco, R.S.B.; Kakuda, L.; Cadioli, G.F.; Costa, G.M.D.; Bouvret, E. Oral supplementation with hydrolysed fish cartilage improves the morphological and structural characteristics of the skin: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Molecules. 2021;26(16):4880. DOI: 10.3390/molecules26164880.
Wauquier, F.; Boutin-Wittrant, L.; Bouvret, E.; Le Faouder, J.; Roux, V.; Macian, N.; Pickering, G.; Wittrant, Y. Benefits of circulating human metabolites from fish cartilage hydrolysate on primary human dermal fibroblasts: an ex vivo clinical investigation for skin health applications. Nutrients. 2022;14(23):5027. DOI: 10.3390/nu14235027.
Pérez-Sánchez, A.; Barrajón-Catalán, E.; Herranz-López, M.; Micol, V. Nutraceuticals for skin care: a comprehensive review of human clinical studies. Nutrients. 2018;10(4):403. DOI: 10.3390/nu10040403.
Abyss Ingredients. Cartidyss® ingredient composition and technical information.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It summarises ingredient characteristics, published research and manufacturer-provided information. Individual needs and experiences may vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional with questions about supplementation, allergies, medication or personal health.
