Deer placenta is one of those supplements people hear about from a friend or a family member long before they know what it actually is. Then they search for it, find a wall of big promises, and end up with more questions than they started with.
This guide takes eight questions people commonly ask before buying and answers each one plainly, sticking to what is printed on our label and product page. Each answer starts with a short version, so you can skim first and read the detail where you need it.
In a hurry? Deer placenta is a from-within supplement that most people take for skin and general wellbeing. The daily amount is small, a few groups should check with a health professional first, and the label tells you most of what you need to know. You can see the full label on our CtoMi Deer Placenta page.
1. What is deer placenta?
Short answer: a dried, concentrated ingredient made from the placenta of red deer, taken as a capsule.
The placenta is the tissue that nourishes a fawn before birth, which is why it is naturally rich in nutrients. For supplements it is dried, concentrated and put into capsules. Ours is sustainably sourced from red deer.
It is worth being clear about what it is not. Deer placenta is a dietary supplement. It is not a medicine, and it is not a replacement for anything your GP has prescribed.
2. What are the benefits of deer placenta?
Short answer: people take it mainly to support healthy skin and general wellbeing.
Deer placenta is rich in growth factors, contains more than 70 amino acids and carries natural hyaluronic acid. Amino acids are the building blocks your body uses to make and maintain tissue, which is where much of the interest comes from.
On our label, the stated benefits are:
- Supports healthy skin
- Post childbirth support
- Encourages tissue and organ health
- General wellbeing
That is the honest scope, and we would rather keep to it. If a product page promises far more than this, such as dramatic anti-ageing results or a fix for a medical condition, treat it with caution. A supplement can support your wellbeing. It is not a cure for anything, and we would rather tell you that plainly than oversell it.
3. Is deer placenta good for your skin?
Short answer: skin is the main reason most people take it, and the formula is built around that.
Three things in the capsule point in the same direction:
- Natural hyaluronic acid. The same moisture-binding ingredient you will recognise from skincare, here as a natural part of the placenta itself.
- Marine collagen. Marine collagen provides amino acids used by the body in normal collagen and protein production. Our guide to what marine collagen does covers this in more detail.
- Astaxanthin. An antioxidant, included here at 2mg per capsule. If you have not come across it before, our article on what astaxanthin is covers it in more detail.
Think of deer placenta as a partner to your skincare, not a substitute for it. Sunscreen, sleep and what you eat still do most of the work. A capsule works from the inside, a moisturiser works from the outside, and neither one replaces the other.
4. What does "20:1" mean on the label?
Short answer: it is a concentration ratio. Twenty parts of fresh placenta are dried down into one part of the finished ingredient.
This is the line that confuses most people, because two numbers appear for the same ingredient. One is the weight of the dried concentrate in the capsule. The other is the amount of fresh placenta that concentrate was made from. Both are correct, they just measure different things.
Here is what each CtoMi capsule contains:
| Ingredient | Per capsule | At 2 capsules a day |
|---|---|---|
| Deer placenta (20:1 concentrate) | 25mg, equivalent to 500mg of fresh deer placenta | 50mg, equivalent to 1000mg fresh |
| Marine collagen | 60mg | 120mg |
| Grape seed oil | 380mg | 760mg |
| Astaxanthin oil | 2mg | 4mg |
When you compare products, make sure you are comparing like with like. A bottle that advertises 500mg may be quoting the fresh equivalent, while another quotes the dried weight. Look for the ratio and both figures before deciding which is stronger.
A quick way to check any label is to multiply. The dried weight times the first number in the ratio should give you the fresh equivalent. On ours, 25mg times 20 is 500mg. If a label gives you only one of the two figures and no ratio, you cannot do that sum. The concentration ratio helps explain how the ingredient is presented on the label. However, a higher ratio does not necessarily mean a more effective product, as ingredient quality, processing and formulation also matter.
5. Who is deer placenta for?
Short answer: adults who want from-within support for skin and general wellbeing.
One important note comes first, for new mums. If you are breastfeeding, talk to your midwife, GP or pharmacist before you start. The label asks anyone who is pregnant or lactating to check with a healthcare professional, and that advice comes before anything else in this article.
With that said, it tends to suit you if:
- You want to keep your skin looking soft, supple and youthful
- You have recently had a baby, have checked with your healthcare professional, and want to revitalise your wellbeing
- You would rather take one small capsule than manage a shelf of separate products
It is less likely to suit you if you are looking for a single-ingredient product. This is a combined formula, so if you only want collagen, or only want an antioxidant, a product built around that one ingredient will be a simpler choice.
6. How do you take deer placenta?
Short answer: 1 to 2 capsules daily, or as professionally directed.
Pick a time you will remember and keep it the same each day. Many people tie it to something they already do, such as breakfast or brushing their teeth, because a routine you do not have to think about is the one you keep.
A bottle holds 120 capsules, so it lasts about four months at one capsule a day and about two months at two. That is useful to know before you start, because it tells you how often you would need to reorder.
If you already take a deer placenta supplement alongside other products, check the labels for overlap. Collagen and astaxanthin appear in several beauty supplements, and there is no need to double up without a reason. Lay the bottles side by side, read the per capsule amounts, and add up what you take in a day.
7. How can you tell if deer placenta is right for you?
Short answer: keep your routine steady and keep honest notes. Nobody can promise you a result or a date.
Our label does not give a timeline, and we are not going to invent one. People differ, skin differs, and you should be wary of anyone who promises a before and after photo.
What you can do is make your own trial a fair one:
- Take it every day at the same amount, as directed on the label.
- Take a photo of your skin in the same light on day one, so you are not relying on memory.
- Keep the rest of your routine steady, so you are not guessing which change made a difference.
- Write down how your skin feels as well as how it looks, in a sentence or two each week.
- Decide for yourself when the bottle is finished, using your notes, not your mood on the day.
If your notes show nothing has changed for you, that is useful information too. Not every supplement suits every person, and it is better to know that than to keep buying out of habit.
8. Is deer placenta safe, and who should check first?
Short answer: it is a dietary supplement for adults, and a few groups should get advice before starting.
Check with your GP, midwife or pharmacist first if:
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You take prescription medication
- You have a seafood or fish allergy, because the capsule contains marine collagen
- You are managing a health condition
Always read the label and take only as directed. Keep supplements out of reach of children. If anything about how you feel worries you after starting a new supplement, stop taking it and talk to a health professional.
The eight answers at a glance
- What it is: a dried concentrate from red deer placenta, in a capsule.
- Benefits: supports healthy skin and general wellbeing.
- Skin: natural hyaluronic acid, plus added marine collagen and astaxanthin.
- The label: 25mg at 20:1 is equivalent to 500mg of fresh placenta.
- Who it suits: adults focused on skin, post childbirth wellbeing and healthy ageing.
- How to take it: 1 to 2 capsules daily.
- How to judge it: a steady routine, a day one photo and honest notes.
- Check first: pregnancy, breastfeeding, prescription medication, seafood allergy.
Where to go from here
If skin is your focus, deer placenta sits alongside our other from-within options in the hair, skin and beauty range. If you are weighing it up against a more targeted supplement, our article on deer placenta and cranberry compares two very different premium ingredients side by side.
And if these eight answers have covered what you needed, CtoMi Deer Placenta comes in a 120 capsule bottle with marine collagen, grape seed oil and astaxanthin. Shop it online in NZ.
