Look, I am the first person to roll my eyes at a miracle powder. I have spent enough money on green juices that tasted like lawn clippings to know better. But when I realized my knees were making a louder entrance into the kitchen than I was, I knew it was time to address the collagen situation. I picked up the Great Lakes Wellness Collagen Peptides Powder because I was tired of hearing everyone on the internet claim it changed their life. I wanted to see if the hype was real or just very good marketing for expensive dust.
The Hunt for a Truly Invisible Powder
Most wellness powders have a way of making themselves known. Usually, unflavored translates to tastes like the back of a vitamin shop or smells faintly of wet dog. When I cracked open the Great Lakes Wellness tub, I was bracing myself for that specific supplement scent. Instead, it was... nothing. The powder is incredibly fine, almost like powdered sugar, and it does not have that aggressive chemical smell that usually makes me want to plug my nose. The packaging is a no-frills, sturdy tub that actually fits in my pantry without looking like a science experiment.
The 7 AM Coffee Test
I am very protective of my morning coffee. If a supplement ruins the crema or leaves a gritty sludge at the bottom of the mug, it is dead to me. I decided to put this through the ultimate test: a chaotic Tuesday morning where I barely had time to find matching socks. I dumped two tablespoons of the Collagen Peptides into my hot coffee, gave it a quick stir with a spoon, and waited for the inevitable clumps. They never came. It dissolved into the liquid almost instantly, and miracle of miracles, it did not change the flavor of my medium roast at all. It just added a slightly creamier mouthfeel that I actually ended up liking.
- Dissolvability: It vanished into my hot coffee in about five seconds flat. No frother required.
- Flavor Profile: Truly neutral. It did not leave that weird metallic aftertaste some bovine collagens have.
- Nail Progress: Around the three-week mark, I noticed my nails were not snapping off while I was folding laundry.
- Joint Comfort: My knees felt significantly less creaky during my morning stretching routine after a month of consistent use.
Is It Actually Doing Anything?
The biggest question with wellness products is always: am I just paying for expensive pee? After about six weeks of daily use, I can say the results are subtle but definitely there. My hair feels a bit more substantial, and my skin has a bounce to it that was definitely missing during the peak of winter. But the real win was the joints. I did not realize how much I was compensating for minor aches until they started to fade. At $29.99 for a tub that lasts nearly a month, it feels like a fair trade for not sounding like a bowl of Rice Krispies every time I stand up.
Who Should Buy This:
- People who want the benefits of collagen but refuse to drink something that tastes like grass.
- Anyone dealing with brittle nails that refuse to grow past their fingertips.
- The gym girlies who need a little extra support for their joints after heavy leg days.
Who Should Skip This:
- Strict vegetarians or vegans, as this is bovine-sourced (cow-based).
- People who prefer a flavored supplement they can just mix with plain water.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Lauren