Written by the Nuvirox Research Team
Key points
- Imedeen Time Perfection combines a fish-derived "Marine Complex" with tomato extract, grape seed extract, vitamin C, and zinc, taken as two tablets a day.
- The best trial of the current formula (2016, 74 completers, 12 weeks) found modest wins over placebo on several investigator-rated and instrumental measures, but not on all of them, and it was industry-sponsored.
- It contains fish and soy, costs roughly £70 for a two-month box at UK pharmacies we checked, and the evidence base is small, old in parts, and the key recent trials are industry-linked.
Short answer: Imedeen has more published human trials than most "beauty from within" supplements, and they lean positive, but the effects are modest, the studies are small and the most recent ones were industry-sponsored, and one larger trial found nothing after three months. If you want an oral skin supplement with an actual paper trail, Imedeen qualifies. If you want independent, replicated proof that it visibly changes aging skin, that evidence does not yet exist. The fair reading is "plausible, modest, and worth a 12-week trial if the price and fish content suit you."
What is actually in Imedeen Time Perfection?
Imedeen Time Perfection is a two-tablet daily supplement built around a fish extract the brand calls its Marine Complex (sometimes described in research as a "biomarine complex"), plus tomato extract, grape seed extract, vitamin C, and zinc. The UK Boots product listing gives the daily amounts as 210 mg fish extract (Marine Complex), 29 mg tomato extract, 28 mg grape seed extract, 54 mg vitamin C, and 4 mg zinc, with fish and soya flagged as allergens.
Two small wrinkles are worth knowing. First, that Boots listing notes its product information was last updated in 2016, and the 2016 clinical paper described the same formula as delivering 60 mg of vitamin C per day, so check the label on the box you actually buy. Second, the brand describes the Marine Complex as a blend of proteins and polysaccharides from fish, but it does not publish a detailed breakdown. The original 1991 paper described Imedeen as "special protein fractions and some glucosaminoglycans extracted from marine fish" [3], which places it in the same family of cartilage-type ingredients as salmon cartilage proteoglycan supplements.
How is it supposed to work?
The honest answer is that the mechanism is proposed rather than proven in humans. The idea is that fish-derived protein fractions and glycosaminoglycans supply building blocks or signals for the dermis, the collagen-rich layer that thins and loosens with sun exposure and age. Vitamin C is a required cofactor for normal collagen formation, which is why the brand's packaging leans on it. Zinc supports normal skin maintenance. The tomato and grape seed extracts are polyphenol and carotenoid sources included for antioxidant support; we cover the second one in depth in our review of grape seed extract for skin.
Much of the mechanistic work on the marine ingredient comes from laboratory skin-equivalent models rather than from people, so it shows what is biologically possible, not what happens after a tablet is digested. That gap is why the human trials below matter more than any diagram on the box.
What human studies actually show
There is a real body of work here, which is unusual for a branded beauty supplement. The catch is that the trials span 25 years, several different formulas, and the most informative recent ones were industry-funded.
The 2016 Time Perfection trial is the most relevant. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study run in Texas, 91 women aged 35 to 60 with photodamaged skin were enrolled and 74 completed 12 weeks of two tablets daily (36 on Imedeen, 38 on placebo) [1]. Compared with placebo, the Imedeen group improved more on investigator-rated global facial appearance, mottled pigmentation, dullness, tactile roughness, and tactile laxity. Ultrasound dermal density rose 11.2% versus 1.0% on placebo, and skin surface moisture rose about 30% versus 6%. Just as important: several investigator measures, transepidermal water loss, and elasticity by cutometry showed no significant difference, and the share of women rating their overall facial appearance favorably was similar in both groups (61.1% vs 55.3%, not significant). The trial was sponsored by Ferrosan Laboratories (acquired by Pfizer in 2011), two authors were Pfizer Consumer Healthcare employees, and the data were collected in 2002 to 2003 but published in 2016.
Study snapshot
Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single center
Participants: Women 35 to 60, Fitzpatrick I to III, 74 of 91 completed
Protocol: Two tablets of Imedeen Time Perfection each morning
Duration: 12 weeks
Main finding: Modest investigator-rated and ultrasound density gains over placebo; no difference in elasticity, TEWL, or overall self-rated appearance [1]
The largest older trial was null at three months. A 1998 study randomized 144 people to Imedeen or placebo for three months, followed by a nine-month uncontrolled continuation [2]. After the three-month placebo-controlled phase, no significant effects were detected. Improvements appeared at 12 months, but only compared with each person's own baseline, without a placebo arm by then, so that phase cannot separate the supplement from time, season, or expectation.
The earliest studies were tiny. The 1991 paper combined an open study of 10 women with a double-blind study of 30 women at 0.5 g/day for 90 days and reported improvement only in the Imedeen group [3]. A 1992 double-blind comparison gave 15 women Imedeen and 15 a competing cartilage-polysaccharide product, Vivida; both groups improved on subjective measures, but Imedeen was significantly less effective than its competitor on every parameter, and on one measure (erythema index) the Imedeen group drifted slightly worse [4]. Neither study is large enough to carry much weight on its own.
Open-label work in men supports but cannot confirm. A 2015 single-center Brazilian study gave 47 men aged 30 to 45 the same marine-protein, vitamin C, grape seed, zinc, and tomato formula for 180 days; 41 completed and showed improvements from baseline in hydration and dermal ultrasound density, but not sebum [5]. With no placebo group and a Pfizer-affiliated co-author, it is supporting evidence at best.
A different Imedeen product showed stronger results. A 2006 six-month randomized placebo-controlled trial of Imedeen Prime Renewal, a formula with soy extract, fish protein polysaccharides, white tea, grape seed, tomato, vitamins C and E, zinc, and chamomile, reported significant improvements in post-menopausal women, with 38 active and 42 placebo completers out of 100 enrolled [6]. That is encouraging for the brand, but it is not the same product as Time Perfection.
What Imedeen won't do
Imedeen will not replace daily sunscreen, which remains the single best-supported habit for slowing visible photoaging. Nothing in the trials suggests it works like a retinoid, a laser, or a filler, and the measured changes were the kind a trained grader or ultrasound probe picks up rather than a dramatic before-and-after. It also will not help if you stop: none of the trials tested whether benefits persist after discontinuation.
It is also not suitable for everyone. It contains fish and soy, so anyone with those allergies should skip it. There is one published case report from the Netherlands in which a serious drug-reaction syndrome (DRESS) in a 56-year-old woman was attributed to Imedeen [7]. A single report cannot establish cause, and the trials reported few adverse events, but it is a reason to stop and see a doctor promptly if you develop a rash with fever while taking any new supplement. See a dermatologist if a patch of pigmentation is changing, bleeding, or growing, rather than waiting to see whether a supplement fades it.
How to give it a fair trial
The brand directs two tablets a day with a meal and recommends at least 12 weeks, which matches the length of the main placebo-controlled trial [1]. That makes 12 weeks the honest minimum. Because the 1998 trial saw nothing at three months, some people may need longer before deciding [2].
Take baseline photos in the same light, keep your skincare routine unchanged, and judge at the end rather than week to week. On cost, UK pharmacy listings we checked in October 2026 put a 120-tablet box, a two-month supply, at about £70, so a fair three-month test runs a little over £100. If you are mainly after collagen peptides rather than a branded marine complex, our guide to marine collagen benefits covers the larger body of hydrolyzed collagen research.
Frequently asked questions
Does Imedeen actually work, or is it just hype?
It has more evidence than most beauty supplements: there are several placebo-controlled trials, and the main 2016 trial found modest benefits over placebo on some measures. But the studies were small, the recent ones were industry-sponsored, and one 144-person trial found no difference at three months. "Modest, plausible, not independently replicated" is the fairest summary.
How long does Imedeen take to work?
The brand recommends at least 12 weeks, and the main trial ran for exactly that. The 1998 study saw no placebo-controlled difference at three months, so give it the full course before judging.
Is Imedeen just collagen?
Not as it is described. The brand presents the Marine Complex as fish-derived proteins and polysaccharides rather than as hydrolyzed collagen peptides, and it does not publish a detailed breakdown. It also contains vitamin C, zinc, tomato extract, and grape seed extract.
Can I take Imedeen if I'm allergic to fish?
No. Fish is the core ingredient and is listed as an allergen, along with soy. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for an alternative if you have either allergy.
Is Imedeen worth the money?
That depends on how you weigh a small, partly industry-funded evidence base against roughly £35 a month. If you already wear sunscreen daily and use a proven topical, it is a reasonable optional experiment; it should not come ahead of those basics.
From Nuvirox
Why we formulated Collagen+ Complex
If you're comparing beauty supplements, the questions in this review apply to every product, including ours: what's in it, what was studied, and whether the dose and duration match the trials.
We built Collagen+ Complex as a simple daily collagen supplement for people who want to support skin, hair, nails, and connective tissue from the inside, the way the oral collagen research has actually studied it: consistently, every day, for months rather than days. It works alongside the basics that matter most, like sunscreen, sleep, and a good skincare routine, not instead of them.
It comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee, which is long enough to actually evaluate it the way the research says you should.
Learn more about Collagen+ Complex →The bottom line
Imedeen Time Perfection is one of the few oral skin supplements with randomized trials behind its own formula, and the best of them found modest, measurable gains over placebo after 12 weeks. Weigh that against small samples, industry sponsorship, a null three-month result in the largest older study, and the fish and soy content. Treat it as a sensible add-on to sunscreen and a proven topical, not a substitute, and judge it after a full three months.
References
- Stephens TJ, Sigler ML, Herndon JH Jr, Dispensa L, Le Moigne A. A placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of Imedeen Time Perfection for improving the appearance of photodamaged skin. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2016;9:63-70. DOI: 10.2147/CCID.S98787. PMID: 27042135. PMCID: PMC4801055.
- Kieffer ME, Efsen J. Imedeen in the treatment of photoaged skin: an efficacy and safety trial over 12 months. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 1998;11(2):129-136. PMID: 9784038.
- Lassus A, Jeskanen L, Happonen HP, Santalahti J. Imedeen for the treatment of degenerated skin in females. J Int Med Res. 1991;19(2):147-152. DOI: 10.1177/030006059101900208. PMID: 1864451.
- Eskelinen A, Santalahti J. Natural cartilage polysaccharides for the treatment of sun-damaged skin in females: a double-blind comparison of Vivida and Imedeen. J Int Med Res. 1992;20(3):227-233. DOI: 10.1177/030006059202000304. PMID: 1397667.
- Costa A, Pegas Pereira ES, Assumpção EC, et al. Assessment of clinical effects and safety of an oral supplement based on marine protein, vitamin C, grape seed extract, zinc, and tomato extract in the improvement of visible signs of skin aging in men. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2015;8:319-328. DOI: 10.2147/CCID.S79447. PMID: 26170708. PMCID: PMC4492544.
- Skovgaard GR, Jensen AS, Sigler ML. Effect of a novel dietary supplement on skin aging in post-menopausal women. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;60(10):1201-1206. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602438. PMID: 16670692.
- van Leeuwen JF, van der Hooft CS, Vos LE, et al. Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) attributed to the oral skin-care supplement Imedeen [in Dutch]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2005;149(24):1353-1356. PMID: 16008041.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.