We’ve always been told that beauty shines from the inside out. But really, who are we kidding? Most of us shove that under the rug and splurge on $50+ creams with miracle ingredients like collagen,  while desperately rubbing them onto our skin in the hopes of getting results.

For an inside out approach to beauty, science says you may want to ditch those creams and and start popping pills, dammit!

Gelatin pills, that is.

If you want the truth, applying collagen to your skin isn’t that effective. However, ingesting the simplistic building block of collagen– gelatin– will help your body to produce it naturally. Plus, the benefits are frickin mind blowing.

Gelatin converts to collagen when we ingest it. This not only will vastly improve your hair and nail growth, but it improves your skin quality and can even reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Models are let in on this beauty secret at the beginning of their careers, and they swear by it for keeping their skin and hair looking gorgeous.

Apart from aesthetics, there are a whole host of other benefits that are enough to make you say WTF and book it to your nearest GNC.

Gelatin even serves as a good source of protein, containing 18 of the essential amino acids. It can also correct hormonal imbalances, mainly over-production of estrogen, which is can lead to infertility and inflammation. It also aids in weight loss (it boosts metabolism), and supports a healthy digestive tract.

Many people use gelatin to improve their joint and bone health, given that your joints are made of collagen. This is especially beneficial for those who suffer from arthritis. Osteoporosis is a serious health issue for women, and gelatin can help supplement the lacking density of your bones. Because realistically, who the F even drinks milk anymore?

Putting it to the test:

Being a total internet troll (as usual),  I found out about gelatin pills from one of my favorite beauty blogs and immediately picked up a bottle. Living in a city means walking 24/7, and since I suck at working out, my hip joints were getting painful. I also tend to have very thin nails that never grow and make my hands look like that of a 12-year-old boy (not cute). I’ve been taking gelatin pills for about a month now, and I’ve seen the benefits myself. My hip doesn’t give me problems anymore, and my nails are stronger and growing beautifully. In terms of hair growth, my hair tends to grow pretty quickly already, so I can’t vouch for that aspect.

If you’re concerned with taking a random supplement, gelatin is already in many food products and isn’t dangerous to your health. Plain gelatin is sold in grocery stores for consumption, so just try it!

Bonus tip: you can buy a box of plain, Knox gelatin from the grocery store, mix it with water and use it as a hair mask. It’ll improve hair quality and give you more volume.