Japan's collagen for health obsession: Collagen face cleanser

One thing I've noticed quite a lot of since being here in Japan are collagen-based products on the market here. There are collagen based drinks and tablets like these ones made by big-name brand Shiseido, collagen sheet masks to plump up your skin, and even collagen face cleanser, as I recently discovered. 

Collagen is said to have a whole host of benefits for your overall well-being. When it's consumed in tablet form it can help with things like joint pain and digestive health, and has a ton of benefits for your skin. It's said to help with decreasing cellulite and even reversing the aging process, and since so many people I meet here seem to look significantly younger than their calendar age, I'm going to say that the prevalence of collagen products here may have something to do with it.

In an effort to healthify my skin and embrace those benefits of collagen, I purchased this Senka "Collagen-in" Perfect Whip Cleanser. It's a steal at only around 500 yen, and I've found so far that a little goes a long way. So what are my thoughts on it for my skin, after having used it for a few weeks?

It lathers really well

I don't know if this has something to do with the collagen formulation, but this face wash lathers really well. On my first time using it, I squeezed what I thought was a normal amount onto my face scrubber, and I actually ended up with so much foam that I had to halve the amount I used the next time. As I mentioned before, a little goes a long way with this stuff.

It left my skin feeling clean but not tight

Some cleansers I've tried before seem to leave your face feeling squeaky clean by stripping every ounce of natural oil from your skin's surface. In the winter months here I find that my skin gets exceptionally dry at the best of times, so I don't like using cleansers that give off that effect. This cleanser is great since it seems to clean my skin effectively but doesn't make it feel tight and uncomfortable.

I really do think it plumps up my skin!

Okay, it may totally be a placebo effect, but I do like the way this cleanser makes my skin look. I do think it has a bit of a plumping, reinvigorating effect to my skin, and now that I'm in my 30's and noticing those signs of aging creeping in, I'll take what I can get...even if I am imagining it!

Any good collagen-based products you've tried here for your skin health or overall health?