I stuck to my self-enforced supplement schedule religiously but hadn’t predicted the main change I saw as a result
Coleen Rooney’s stint on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! won her an army of new fans as viewers fell in love with her down-to-earth personality and willingness to undertake a grizzly Bush Tucker trial. But the WAG also caught viewers’ attention with her ‘glowing’ skin despite the basic conditions of the camp.
Over the years, many I’m a Celebrity contestants have found themselves looking increasingly tired in the absence of home comforts as the competition progresses. But Coleen just continued to glow during her time in the show – with viewers taking to social media to ask what the secret to her clear skin and healthy complexion might be.
The mum-of-four has been open about the supplements she takes to try to help maintain a healthy glow, having recently thrown her weight behind Kirkby-based brand Applied Nutrition. The sports nutrition firm sells all manner of supplements – but it’s the company’s marine collagen products that have seen a huge boost in sales since Coleen emerged from the jungle.
Marine collagen is believed to have anti-aging properties, with fans hoping supplements made using wild-caught fish can reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity, and enhance the overall structure and appearance of skin. I decided to try two of the marine collagen products from Applied Nutrition which proudly state they are ‘used by Coleen Rooney’ on their website, to see if they made any difference.
The company’s hair, skin and nails capsules (priced at £19.95 for 30 servings) are described on the Applied Nutrition website as “Coleen Rooney’s go-to for her radiant, flawless skin”. Packed with zinc, vitamins C & E, biotin, hyaluronic acid, and marine collagen, they are intended to help build healthy hair, glowing skin, and strong nails.
I took two of the capsules every day for a month and I stuck to my supplement schedule religiously to truly test if it would have an impact if I used the product consistently. I also started taking the marine collagen powder (priced at £26.95 for 25 servings) in my water every day to really see how the supplements worked.
The collagen powder comes in a 300g tub that looks a bit like a protein powder or pre-workout supplement that you might add to your drinks. It comes with a scoop inside to help you measure out the correct serving size, and each helping contains 11g of protein and 12g of collagen.
The food supplement is made from wild-caught fish and it’s meant to help support bones and joints, as well as helping firm up your skin. I’ve always struggled with skin issues, from acne to sebaceous filaments, and since turning 30 I’ve definitely noticed some crows’ feet creeping in, as well as a general feeling of dullness in my skin.
Having seen Coleen’s absolutely radiant complexion on I’m a Celebrity, I was keen to try anything that might give me even a tiny amount of that glow. Having taken the capsules and the powder for a month now, I’ve definitely noticed some big changes – but not necessarily in the areas I was expecting.
Starting with skin, because that was my main area of concern, I’ve found that my face feels brighter and clearer, with the wrinkles around my eyes feeling slightly less pronounced. I’ve still found myself getting some hormonal spots on my chin and jawline, but I don’t think this is actually an issue that marine collagen claims to be able to improve as its benefits are mainly focused around skin elasticity, rather than spots and blemishes.
I also think my skin is probably a special case when it comes to testing any product, because I’ve previously had to be prescribed medicated products to try and solve my issues – and over-the-counter solutions don’t always have the desired impact for me. But despite taking the supplements with fresh skin in mind, I found that the biggest changes were to my hair and nails.
Since taking the supplements, I can’t believe how much thicker and healthier my hair feels – especially as someone with thin hair. When washing and styling my hair, I’ve noticed it feels more lustrous – and I’ve even had a few comments from friends and family who told me my hair looked thicker over the last month.
My nails have also felt much stronger – and my nail technician even pointed out how much healthier they were during my Christmas nail appointment. Usually a gel manicure only lasts me around a week before it starts chipping off due to my usually quite weak and brittle nails. But my December manicure is still going strong more than three weeks later, with my nails feeling the strongest they’ve ever felt.
And it seems I’m not the only one to have turned to Applied Nutrition’s supplements in the hopes of a 2025 new year glow-up. Since speculation began that Coleen was using the much-loved Applied Nutrition collagen capsules to maintain her glowing appearance amid the trials and tribulations of the jungle, demand for the product has soared with sales up by more than 1000% in the run-up to Christmas.
A representative for Applied Nutrition said: “Over Christmas, it was clear that everyone wanted a piece of Coleen’s radiance. The interest in the capsules has been absolutely off the scale since the jungle speculation started. Demand has been unprecedented, and we’re hearing more and more people say they want to achieve the same youthful, glowing look as Coleen.”