Why I take Arella

There was a point during perimenopause when I looked at my temples and thought, hang on – where has my hair gone?

It had become noticeably thinner at the sides, my skin had developed a new and deeply annoying hobby of itching for no apparent reason, and my nails were not exactly giving strong, glossy and thriving. Add in broken sleep, changes in mood and all the other lovely – not – effects of perimenopause, and I was starting to feel as though my body had made several decisions without consulting me.

That is where Arella came in.

I now take Arella Collagen and Arella Pause as a bundle. They have become part of my normal routine rather than another good intention living at the back of a cupboard beside three herbal teas nobody wants.

Why do we need collagen?

Collagen often gets discussed as though it is purely about plumper skin, but it does far more than sit hopefully beneath a moisturiser advert. It is the most abundant protein in the body, accounting for around 30% of our total protein, and provides structure and support throughout the skin, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels and connective tissues. It is also found in the intestinal lining, so it has a place in conversations about the gut as well as hair, skin and nails.

Type I is the most abundant form and makes up around 90% of the collagen in the body. It is particularly important for the structure of our skin, bones, tendons and ligaments.

Our natural collagen production begins to slow during adulthood, commonly described as roughly 1% a year, and the decline becomes more noticeable as we get older. For women, falling oestrogen around menopause can accelerate the changes. That helps to explain why skin can suddenly feel drier or less firm, hair may thin, nails can become weaker and joints may start making noises we definitely did not authorise.

A lot of my friends are currently using weight-loss injections. Rapid or significant weight loss can make changes in facial volume, skin laxity and muscle mass more visible, while a reduced appetite can make it harder to get enough protein and nutrients consistently. A collagen supplement is not a magic replacement for meals or strength work, but it can be a useful part of supporting hair, skin, joints and connective tissue while the body is changing.

For me, collagen is not about chasing a face I had at 25. I would mainly like my hair to remain attached to my head, my skin to feel comfortable and my body to have the building blocks it needs as I get older. That feels like a fairly reasonable request.

What are Arella Collagen and Pause?

Arella is a British vegan beauty and wellbeing brand. Its Collagen and Pause products do different jobs, which is why I take them together.

Arella Collagen is a 12-in-1 liquid supplement aimed at supporting hair, skin, nails, joints, bones and gut function. Alongside VeCollal®, the current formula contains ingredients including vitamin C, biotin, hyaluronic acid, retinol, vitamin D3, niacin and Panax ginseng.

Arella Pause is an all-in-one liquid menopause supplement formulated to support hormone balance, energy and mood. Its ingredients include maritime pine bark, red clover, sage, cinnamon, biotin, selenium and vitamins A, B, D and E.

They come in individual sachets, so there is no measuring or trying to remember whether the tiny scoop was level, heaped or last seen beneath something in the cutlery drawer.

What is VeCollal®?

Traditional collagen supplements are usually made from marine or bovine sources. VeCollal® is completely plant-based and takes a different approach.

It is a biomimetic amino-acid complex designed to match the amino-acid profile of human Type I collagen – the same amino acids in the same proportions. Rather than supplying animal-derived collagen peptides, it provides the precise plant-based building blocks associated with the body’s natural collagen-making process.

That is what makes it more interesting to me than something that is simply labelled 'vegan collagen'. It is not a vague collection of plant ingredients wearing a clever name. VeCollal® was specifically developed around the composition of human Type I collagen and has been clinically studied for its effect on collagen synthesis and skin.

Arella then combines it with ingredients including vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation, plus hyaluronic acid, biotin, retinol, vitamin D3 and Panax ginseng. It is the combination that makes the product feel like a proper all-rounder rather than another sachet taking up residence in my kitchen.

What Pause does for me

Pause is the part of the bundle aimed specifically at perimenopause and menopause. For me, that means more than hot flushes.

Perimenopause affected my sleep, mood, anxiety, focus and general sense of being myself. Pause helps me feel calmer and more balanced. I sleep better, my mood feels steadier and the collection of random symptoms that can make perimenopause feel like a daily lucky dip has quietened down.

I describe it as helping me feel like me again. Not a relentlessly positive, perfectly rested version of me who greets every morning with a green juice – just me, with a clearer head and fewer days when my hormones appear to be running the meeting.

The formula includes maritime pine bark, red clover and sage, alongside vitamins and minerals selected to support hormone balance, energy, mood and common menopause signs.

What the MTick® means

Arella Pause carries the MTick®, the universal menopause-friendly shopping symbol and certification created by GenM.

It is not simply a badge a brand can add because the packaging had a spare corner. Products displaying it have been independently assessed against GenM’s menopause-friendly criteria and must show how they support at least one of the 48 recognised signs of menopause through authorised claims, credible testing or proven product technology.

For anyone standing in front of a shelf or scrolling through pages of menopause products, it is a useful signpost that the product has been through a proper certification process.

What I have noticed from the bundle

The most obvious physical change for me has been my hair. It had thinned around my temples during menopause and those areas now look much healthier and fuller. I could see far too much scalp at the sides before; now I can see new growth and my hair feels like it has recovered some of what menopause quietly wandered off with.

My hair also feels healthier generally. It looks better, feels stronger and does not have that depleted quality it had when my hormones were causing absolute scenes.

My skin feels more comfortable and the unexplained itchy skin I had during menopause has settled. My nails are healthier too and less inclined to behave as though opening a ring-pull is an extreme sport.

Then there are the less visible changes from Pause – better sleep, a more settled mood and feeling more balanced in myself. Those matter just as much to me as the changes I can photograph.

These are my results, not a promise that everybody will have exactly the same experience. I also use HRT, eat well, walk, practise yoga and pay much more attention to what my body needs than I did a few years ago. I cannot put each improvement into a separate labelled box, but I noticed enough of a difference when taking Arella to make it something I continue to buy.

Can I take Arella with HRT?

I take HRT and use Arella Collagen and Pause alongside it. Arella and GenM state that Pause can be taken with or without HRT.

For me, they work as different parts of the same wider routine. HRT helped me over a major bump in the road; Arella supports the hair, skin, sleep, mood and general wellbeing side of things. I am perfectly happy using both and do not see it as an either-or decision.

How I make it part of real life

I am far more likely to stick to something when it requires almost no negotiation with myself. The individual sachets make that easy. I keep them somewhere visible and link them to something I already do each day.

This is apparently called habit stacking. In my house it is called putting the thing where I cannot forget it.

I also give products time. Hair and nails grow slowly, so I did not expect to assess the results after a long weekend. Taking photographs of my temples in similar light helped me see the difference more clearly, because gradual changes are easy to miss when you look at yourself every day.

Is the bundle worth it?

For me, yes. I use both products, they are easy to take and I have noticed changes that genuinely matter to me – fuller-looking hair around my temples, healthier hair, skin and nails, no more unexplained itchy skin, better sleep and a steadier mood.

I also like that the products are vegan, the collagen uses a biomimetic alternative to human Type I collagen rather than an animal source, and Pause carries the independently assessed MTick®.

If you want to try them, you can shop the Arella Collagen and Pause bundle here and use EMILY20 at checkout for 20% off your first order.

Frequently asked questions

Is Arella Collagen vegan?

Yes. It uses VeCollal, a completely plant-based alternative, rather than marine or bovine collagen.

Does VeCollal contain human collagen?

No. It is a vegan amino-acid complex designed to identically match the amino-acid profile of human Type I collagen. It supplies the same amino acids in the same proportions using plant-based sources.

How quickly did I notice a difference?

The changes were gradual rather than an overnight reveal. Hair, skin and nails need consistency and time. I paid particular attention to my temples because that was where the thinning had bothered me most.

Can Pause be taken with HRT?

Yes, Arella and GenM say it can be taken alongside HRT. That is how I use it.

What does the MTick mean?

It is GenM’s universal certification and shopping symbol for menopause-friendly products. It shows that a product has been independently assessed against defined criteria and can support one or more of the 48 recognised signs of menopause.

Where can I buy the bundle?

Buy the Arella Collagen and Pause bundle here, then enter EMILY20 at checkout for 20% off your first order.

This post contains affiliate links and a discount code. If you buy through my link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. This is my personal experience, not medical advice.