Five Minutes with Luci

Luci Firth | Adashiko Collagen | 100% Natural Skin Care

How did you get into the collagen business?

I was very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to take over the brand from the creator of Adashiko, Yuko Arquette, an amazing Japanese woman with a research and development background who worked for one of Japan’s largest health and beauty companies. Japanese collagen is known for being the best in the world, and after using the product myself and getting some incredible results, I knew this was something that New Zealand women and men would love too. The collagen industry is so exciting at the moment. We can expect to see more and more innovative collagen products popping up in the next few years.

How does collagen powder work?

A lot of people don’t realise that for collagen to work it must have a small molecule size and be taken at the right dosage (five grams per day). Unfortunately, there are a lot of products out there that don’t meet these standards and simply don’t have any effect on the body. Peptide collagen is the best-absorbed version available – and we’re proud to say that ours has a super small molecule size for optimal absorption. After being ingested, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to cells in the body, where it sends a signal that stimulates fibroblast and cartilage cells to promote the formation of new collagen. It’s a pretty incredible process.

What are some of the benefits of taking collagen?

Initially, there was a huge focus on the beauty benefits, like smoother skin, reduced wrinkles, and increased hydration etc. Collagen is known to be a beauty supplement, but in truth, there are so many additional uses for it, from supporting lean muscle mass and recovery post-exercise, promoting healthy digestion and gut healing, right through to relieving pain and discomfort in the joints. It’s truly a full-body booster.

How do you take it?

The beauty of pure collagen powder is that it is tasteless, odourless, and heat resistant which means you can mix it with anything! I love mine in my morning smoothie with banana and berries, but our customers put it in tea, coffee, bliss balls, oatmeal, or even mix it into salad dressing or hummus. For dosage and absorption purposes it is definitely best taken as a powder which is why we don’t do capsules.

What’s the best way for people to get the most out of their collagen?

My top tip is to take it daily and consider it a long-term lifestyle supplement. We’re all used to instant results and gratification, but I always tell people to give it at least four weeks before noticing tangible benefits. Usually, the first things people see are their nails getting stronger and longer and improved skin radiance I call “the Adashiko glow.” Over time the benefits get better and better. I can’t go without it now.

LUCI’S PERSONAL CASE STUDY

Before Luci took over ownership of Adashiko – or even knew anything about the brand – a friend encouraged her to try Adashiko collagen to help her reduce the prominent frown line between her eyes that had long bothered her. It wasn’t long after she started using Adashiko before she started to receive compliments about her healthy, glowing, even skin. Not only that, she noticed that her troublesome frown line was already beginning to diminish.

While these benefits were great, there were also plenty of less apparent improvements that Luci began to notice. “I had been playing competitive netball and training up to three times a week and had to have surgery mid-season on my knee. I was back playing three weeks later; I no longer have pain in my joints and hardly have to visit the physio at all, where I used to be in and out all the time. I can only put this down to taking Adashiko”.

On top of this, her stretch marks began to disappear. “They used to be so obvious & deep; now they’ve faded and white.” Her fingernails and hair grew healthy and strong.; “I get asked all the time if my eyelashes are this long from using a serum, and I say, no they are my Adashiko Collagen lashes”. She was no longer suffering from a dry scalp or sensitive skin “I used to frequently experience that snakeskin feeling in winter, now my skin is always soft and hydrated”, Luci adds. Luci couldn’t be more impressed with the results she has experienced. She was so impressed, in fact, that she began working for the brand and is now the managing director. You won’t find a more passionate collagen advocate than Luci.