Maxine Laceby’s founder story: how Absolute Collagen began with Dare to Go Bare

Absolute Collagen began with a deeply personal moment in Maxine Laceby’s life.

As she approached 50, Maxine embarked on an art project that would ultimately lead to the creation of one of the UK’s pioneering collagen brands. Her founder story is rooted in self reflection, visibility and a desire to feel well - from the inside out.

The art project that changed everything.

Absolute Collagen was born out of an art project Maxine created called Dare to Go Bare.

“I stripped myself of make-up and I let my hair go grey - I literally had it all cut off. I also wore really dowdy clothes for 4 months” - Maxine explains.

The question she wanted to answer was simple. As a woman of a certain age, would she disappear in other people’s vision if she removed the signals that society often associates with youth and beauty?

What the experience revealed was more confronting. She realised she had already disappeared in her own vision.

For years, like many women balancing family and responsibility, she’d woken up asking herself who everybody needed her to be that day. With her eldest daughter at university and her youngest learning to drive, Maxine felt it was finally her time to focus on herself.

Looking at wellbeing as a whole.

“I looked at myself as a whole - physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and I had a little yellow Post-it on my mirror saying, 'you are enough'. I looked at it several times a day. This simple message marked the beginning of a shift” - says Maxine.

One of the first physical changes she made was starting to make and drink her own bone broth. After a few weeks of drinking it, Maxine experienced a strong sense of wellbeing. Friends began commenting that she looked well and asked what she was doing differently.

Her answer was simple. She believed it was the bone broth.

The discovery that led to Absolute Collagen.

Curious about why it was having such an impact, Maxine focused on one detail. When bone broth cools, a jelly forms on top.

“I knew the jelly wasn't fat. I just thought, what is that jelly? And like a dog with a bone, I would NOT let it go. I was making this bone broth for my friends, which is quite hard work, by the way - especially for someone who doesn't enjoy cooking too much” - claims Maxine.

By coincidence, her eldest daughter Darcy was studying food science at Birmingham University. Darcy offered to take the broth to the lab and analyse it.

The jelly that formed on top was identified as a protein called collagen .

From this discovery, the UK’s #1 collagen brand was born.

From personal project to pioneering brand.

What started as an art project about visibility and identity evolved into a deeper understanding of biology and wellbeing.

Maxine’s founder story reflects the philosophy that underpins Absolute Collagen today. It began with a woman asking questions about ageing, confidence and feeling well. It continued with curiosity about what was happening inside the body. It led to a commitment to harnessing collagen in a way that was practical, accessible and grounded in science.

A personal experiment became a brand that would go on to pioneer collagen supplementation in the UK.

At its core, the story remains the same. A woman decided to focus on herself, ask better questions, and follow the answer all the way to the lab.