For many years, creatine was thought of as a supplement reserved for athletes and bodybuilders. Today, the emerging conversation is very different.

Researchers are now exploring creatine’s role in healthy ageing, muscle preservation, brain health, recovery and cellular energy. Naturally, that has led scientists to ask another question:

Could supporting the body’s energy systems also help support healthier skin?

It’s an exciting area of research, but it’s also one that deserves a balanced conversation.

At Curated Skin & Wellness, I’m less interested in chasing trends than I am in understanding how the body works. The more we learn about healthy ageing, the clearer it becomes that beautiful skin isn’t simply created by what we apply to the surface. It’s influenced by the health of the cells beneath it.

Healthy skin relies on healthy cells.

When we think about improving our skin, it’s easy to focus on products.

A new serum.

A stronger vitamin A.

A richer moisturiser.

Professional treatments.

These all have a very important place in skin health and wellness, and I’m one of the first to say that. However, I am also one of the first to say that each of these only tells a part of the story.

Healthy skin depends on millions of cells quietly doing their jobs every single day.

Your skin is constantly repairing tiny amounts of damage caused by sunlight, pollution and normal daily life. It’s producing collagen, maintaining its protective barrier, regulating inflammation, replacing old skin cells with new ones and helping defend your body against the outside world.

These processes never stop, and every single one of them requires energy.

That’s why researchers are becoming increasingly interested in nutrients that support cellular energy,not simply because they may influence how skin looks, but because they may help skin function at its best.

Where creatine fits.

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound made by the body and found in foods such as red meat and fish. Around 95% of it is stored in our muscles, but it’s also found in tissues with high energy demands, including the brain.

Its role isn’t to stimulate the body like caffeine. Instead, creatine acts like a rechargeable energy reserve.

Every cell in your body runs on a molecule called ATP, often described as the body’s energy currency. Whenever a cell suddenly needs more energy than usual, creatine helps recycle ATP so that energy production can continue efficiently.

That might mean helping a muscle contract during exercise, it might help brain cells continue working during periods of mental fatigue, or it may help skin cells carry out the countless repair and maintenance tasks they perform every day.

It’s a subtle job, but an incredibly important one.

Ageing isn’t just about wrinkles.

For many years, the conversation around skin ageing focused almost entirely on collagen. While collagen certainly matters, researchers now understand that ageing is much more complex than simply losing structural proteins.

As we age, the tiny energy factories inside our cells (called mitochondria) become less efficient. Cells don’t produce energy quite as well as they once did. Repair slows, recovery takes longer, the skin barrier can become less resilient and inflammation may linger for longer after an injury or irritation.

Scientists increasingly believe that one of the keys to healthy ageing is supporting how well our cells repair, recover and adapt.

That’s one reason creatine has become such an interesting area of research.

What about collagen?

Collagen is produced by specialised skin cells called fibroblasts.

These cells are responsible for maintaining much of the skin’s strength, firmness and resilience. Like every other cell in your body, fibroblasts need energy to do their work.

Early studies suggest that when creatine is available, these cells may be better able to produce and use energy, particularly during periods of stress. Researchers are investigating whether this improved cellular energy could help support collagen production and tissue repair.

It’s important to keep these findings in perspective.

Most of this research has been performed in laboratory settings rather than large human clinical trials. That means we can’t yet say that taking creatine will directly increase collagen or reduce wrinkles. What we can say is that helping collagen-producing cells function efficiently is biologically plausible, and it’s an exciting area of ongoing research.

Recovery matters just as much as repair.

One of the recurring themes you’ll hear me talk about is recovery.

Whether we’re recovering from UV exposure, inflammation, lack of sleep, stress or professional skin treatments, recovery is where much of the real work happens.

Skin that recovers well generally functions better and adapts more successfully to life’s everyday challenges.

Because these recovery processes require significant amounts of energy, researchers are investigating whether nutrients that support cellular energy, such as creatine may also support healthy tissue repair. The evidence is still emerging, but it’s another reminder that healthy skin isn’t simply about stimulating the skin harder.

Sometimes it’s about supporting it better.

Why menopause changes the conversation.

One of the biggest shifts I see in clinic happens during perimenopause and menopause.

Women often tell me,

“I’m doing everything I’ve always done… but my skin feels different.”

They’re right. During this stage of life, estrogen begins to fluctuate and decline. In turn, this means collagen production slows, skin feels thinner, hydration decreases and healing can take longer. At the same time, we naturally begin losing muscle mass, and our cells become less efficient at producing and using energy. These changes don’t happen in isolation. They’re all part of the same ageing process.

Creatine won’t stop menopause, and it certainly isn’t a replacement for personalised skincare, movement, prescribed medication or good nutrition.

However, because it’s one of the most well-researched supplements for preserving muscle health and supporting physical function, it’s becoming an increasingly interesting option for women looking to support healthy ageing more broadly.

Healthy muscle matters for metabolism, posture, balance and long-term independence. Those things may not seem directly related to skin, but they’re all part of creating a healthier, more resilient body, and healthier bodies tend to create healthier skin.

It’s not just about muscles.

One of the biggest misconceptions about creatine is that it only benefits people who spend hours in the gym. In reality, muscles simply happen to store the largest amount of creatine, they’re not the only tissue that uses it. Your brain, heart and immune cells use creatine relies on creatine, and research shows your skin appears to use it too. That’s why creatine has become part of the broader healthy ageing conversation rather than remaining purely a sports supplement.

Should everyone take creatine?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

Supplements should always be considered within the context of your overall health, medical history and lifestyle. For most healthy adults, creatine monohydrate has an excellent safety profile and is one of the most extensively researched nutritional supplements available.

The amount most commonly used in research is around 3–5 grams per day.

It doesn’t need to be timed around exercise, and it doesn’t need to be cycled on and off. Consistency is far more important than timing. Some people will notice a small increase in body weight during the first few weeks. This is usually due to water being drawn into muscle cells, where creatine is stored and used. It’s different from the puffiness or fluid retention many people worry about, and it often settles as the body adapts.

If you have kidney disease or another significant medical condition, it’s important to speak with your doctor or healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.

A whole-body approach to skin.

One of the things I love most about skin therapy is that it continually reminds us how connected the body really is.

Your skin reflects far more than the products sitting on your bathroom shelf.

Sleep.

Nutrition.

Stress.

Movement.

Hormonal changes.

Inflammation.

Muscle health.

The way your cells produce and use energy.

They all contribute to the skin you see in the mirror. That’s why conversations at Curated Skin and Wellness often extend beyond skincare alone.

Supporting healthy skin sometimes means talking about protein, exercise, sleep or nutrition. Not because skincare doesn’t matter. But because skin doesn’t exist in isolation.

My perspective.

I don’t recommend supplements simply because they’re fashionable.

I recommend understanding the evidence, recognising where it’s strong, acknowledging where it’s still evolving, and considering whether something fits your individual circumstances.

Creatine isn’t a miracle supplement. It won’t erase wrinkles. and it’s certainly not a replacement for healthy lifestyle habits or a thoughtful skincare routine.

What I find so interesting is that it reflects a much bigger shift happening in skin science.

Instead of asking,

“What’s the next miracle anti-ageing ingredient?”

Researchers are increasingly asking,

“How can we better support the cells that create healthy skin in the first place?”

To me, that’s a far more exciting conversation, because the future of skin health isn’t just about treating the surface – it’s about supporting the remarkable biology underneath it.

This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace personalised medical advice. If you’re considering taking creatine and have an underlying medical condition or take prescription medication, speak with your healthcare provider first.