Best Collagen Products: 5 Brands To Improve Skin, Hair And More
The collagen industry is hot right now. In fact, it's expected to reach over $16 billion by 2028. And since the skin is the body’s largest organ, and it holds the largest amount of collagen. As we age, the natural production of collagen decreases, which leads people to search for the best collagen product that can help replenish this important peptide.
Collagen is beneficial to your overall health and wellness. It isn’t just responsible for preventing aging, but can help give you thicker hair, better skin and improved muscle mass. Further, collagen supplements generally have no adverse side effects, so they’re safe to take.
But which ones are right for you and your individual needs? That’s what we committed to figure out.
What are the best collagen products?
Best Overall Collagen Product : SkinnyFit Super Youth Multi-Collagen Peptides
Best Complete Protein Collagen Product : Organixx Clean Sourced Collagens
Best Unflavored Collagen Product : Hers Collagen Protein Powder
Best Collagen Product with Vitamins : AnnieMak Clean Multi Collagens
Best Dairy-Free Collagen Peptides : Earth Echo Collagen Peptides
As you search for a collagen product to implement into your daily routine, you may find it hard to find a reputable brand that offers quality collagen products. For this reason, we decided to compile a list of the best collagen products to save you time and a major headache.
Best Collagen Products in 2022
SkinnyFit Super Youth Multi-Collagen Peptides
Best Overall Collagen Product
Buy from SkinnyFit, starting at $79.96
Why we like it:
Contains five types of collagen
Gluten-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO
90 day money-back guarantee
SkinnyFit is a mission-driven health and wellness company that only uses clean and natural ingredients. They're well known for the efficiency of their supplements. SkinnyFit strives to make the highest quality products that will help women reach their full potential in terms of beauty, fitness and health.
Collagen is often reported as not tasting the greatest, but SkinnyFit made sure to change this and offers numerous tasty flavors, including Peach Mango, Tropical Punch, Chocolate Cake and Orange Pineapple. You can also get it unflavored, which is ideal to add to foods.
The five types of collagen used to make SkinnyFit Super Youth Multi-Collagen Peptides come from three sources: cage-free chickens, wild-caught fish and grass-fed cows. Along with vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and apple cider vinegar, the ingredients are designed to help reduce cellulite, improve skin elasticity, enhance your metabolism, improve intestinal health and improve your hair and nail growth.
What Customers Say
With mostly 5-star reviews on SkinnyFit’s website, customers have reported a lack of appetite, weight loss, glowing skin and an overall boost in wellness. Many say they love the refreshing taste created when added to water.
Organixx Clean Sourced Collagens
Best Complete Protein Collagen Product
Why we like it:
Contains 5 types of collagen
Tasteless and odorless
Third-party tested
Non-GMO, dairy-free and gluten-free
12 month money-back guarantee
Organixx is a supplement company that focuses on educating its customers on general health and wellness while providing them with high-quality formulated products to help them lead healthier lifestyles. They use the purest ingredients available and have proprietary fermentation processes to create bioavailable supplements.
Product Features
Organixx gets its collagen from eggshells, wild-caught fish, chicken and grass-fed cows. In addition, Organixx Clean Sourced Collagen contains vitamin C and zinc to enhance its bioavailability once consumed. It also has camu camu, which is believed to be a very potent antiviral tha helps with the absorption and production of collagen.
Organixx Clean Sourced Collagen is formulated to keep skin hydrated, smooth wrinkles, promote joint and bone health, support healthy hair growth and help with weight maintenance.
Hers Collagen Protein Powder
Best Unflavored Collagen Product
Why we like it:
Collagen sourced from grass-fed cows
Soy-free, gluten-free and non-GMO
Affordable
Him & Hers was first founded as a telehealth company, but has quickly grown into so much more and now offers a variety of personal health and wellness products for both men and women. When it comes to improving overall health, they strive to make the process easy and affordable, which is exactly what they accomplish with this collagen powder.
Product Features
Him & Hers Collagen Protein comes in a powder form and is unflavored so it can be used in your favorite smoothie or main dish — some people even use it in baking! It contains 18 different amino acids that help keep the skin hydrated and promote muscle recovery after exercise.
What Customers Say
As with most other Him & Hers products, customers are happy with the results they have seen with this collagen protein. Some report that it was easy to mix in their drink. Many like that it is tasteless. Some users have reported seeing smoother skin and feeling better after just a couple of weeks.
AnnieMak Clean Multi Collagens
Best Collagen Product with Vitamins
Buy from AnnieMak, starting at $36.55
Why we like it:
Made with five types of collagen
Sustainably sourced
Dermatologist tested
AnnieMak is a well-known skincare company that focuses on producing high-quality and effective skincare products at affordable prices. The company’s main mission is to help you fall in love with your skin all over again. They have very strict standards set when it comes to the ingredients used to ensure they're providing only the best possible to their customers.
Product Features
AnnieMak sources its collagen from fish, chicken, beef and eggshells. The Clean Multi Collagens feature all five types of collagen found in supplements, as well as vitamin C, zinc and other vitamins to promote overall health and wellness.
What Customers Say
Customers report that the collagen mixes well in their drinks and that they have received compliments while out in public on how great their skin looks. Customers also love that the company uses organic and clean ingredients, as this helps them feel safe in using the products.
Earth Echo Collagen Peptides
Best Dairy-Free Collagen Peptides
Why we like it:
Made from 100 percent grass-fed cows
No artificial flavors
Dairy-free, gluten-free, antibiotic-free, corn-free, TSE-free and BSE-free
Known for its environmental commitment, Earth Echo sources only the best organic ingredients that are non-GMO. The company was built out of a love for the Earth and a want to offer people safe, effective products that can improve their health.
Product Features
Earth Echo gets its collagen powder from 100 percent grass-fed bovine that's sustainably sourced. These Collagen Peptides contain various amino acids to assist in the improvement of the skin, hair, nails, sleep, digestion and blood sugar levels.
What Customers Say
Customers report that their skin is glowing after taking Earth Echo Collagen Peptides. Customers have noticed their hair strengthening, nails growing, energy improving and a general improvement in their overall health. Unfortunately, with 22 servings per bag and the average person using one scoop as many as three times per day, one bag doesn’t last very long.
How We Picked Our Winners
We took the duty of determining the best collagen supplementation very seriously. Some of the factors we considered when finding the best collagen supplements included quality and efficiency.
Quality
When it comes to the quality of a product, you must first consider the source of the ingredients. Collagen is sourced directly from animals, which makes it vital to find a brand that has sustainable and ethical practices.
We made sure the top 6 brands had sustainable sourcing and clean ingredients.
Efficiency
We know you don’t want to buy a product that doesn’t work, but it can be difficult to determine exactly how efficient a dietary supplement is.
However, a good sign is that people with various issues and backgrounds have left positive (verified) reviews. It’s even better when there are repeat customers.
Brand Reputation
Making sure the brand you're buying from is of high stature matters. That's why it's important to purchase only from brands who you can trust, and that means they not only test their products, but have those tests available for you to check out yourself.
What Is Collagen?
A natural substance found in the skin and the largest protein in the body, collagen helps to support your overall health while maintaining youthful skin and strong bones. It is the primary component of various connective tissues like muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Collagen helps tissues withstand constant stretching.
Unfortunately, collagen production slows as you get older. This is why people turn to collagen supplements to restore the collagen within their bodies.
How to Use Collagen Supplements
When taking collagen supplements, it's generally okay to take them with or without food (and at any time of the day). However, for best results, it may be best to take the supplements on an empty stomach. This keeps stomach acid from completely destroying the collagen as it moves through the intestines.
What to Expect
When you take a collagen supplement every day, you can expect to see an increase in muscle mass, an improvement in your skin, protection from bone loss, joint pain relief, improved heart health, stronger nails, healthier and faster-growing hair, better sleep, wound healing and weight management.
Dosage
Ultimately, you should follow the dosage on the label of your collagen supplement. However, research has shown that a healthy dose of 2.5 to 10 grams of collagen per day provides the body with benefits. However, some providers recommend as much as 30 grams of collagen per day.
Benefits of Taking Collagen
Taking collagen offers numerous benefits for the user, some of which you may have never guessed.
Improved Skin Health
Collagen plays a significant role to promote skin health, as well as maintaining its elasticity during natural skin aging. Unfortunately, the older we all get, the less collagen our body produces. This can lead to wrinkles and fine lines forming and dry skin. Research has shown that collagen supplements can stimulate the natural production of collagen and help with skin hydration and elasticity.
Joint Pain Relief
Since collagen is the main part of your connective tissues, the risk of osteoarthritis and other degenerative joint disorders increases as you age due to the lack of full collagen production.
Some research suggests that collagen supplements may not only help with collagen production, but it may reduce joint pain and improve symptoms related to joint disorders. In fact, one review shows that 10 grams of collagen daily for roughly 24 weeks resulted in improved joint pain and stiffness.
Prevent Bone Loss
Collagen is what gives your bones structure and strength. As collagen production decreases with age, bone mass does as well. This can lead to a higher risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. Research shows that collagen supplements may hinder the breakdown of bones which often results in osteoarthritis. One study has found that 5 grams of collagen per day for one year resulted in as much as a seven percent increase in bone mineral density.
Improve Muscle Mass
Collagen is an important component of the muscles in your body. Muscle mass is lost as we get older, but taking collagen supplements may help boost muscle mass. In one study, it was shown that 15 grams of collagen daily while exercising can lead to more muscle mass and strength in individuals who have sarcopenia.
Promote Heart Health
Heart health may not be something you consider collagen being able to help with, but research suggests that it may reduce the overall risk of heart conditions. Without a sufficient amount of collagen, your body’s arteries may become less flexible, potentially leading to atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. One study shows that 16 grams of collagen per day can help reduce the stiffness of the arteries and improve HDL (good) cholesterol by an average of six percent.
Collagen supplements can offer a wide variety of other benefits as well, including helping your hair and nails grow strong, improving gut health, improving mood, reducing anxiety symptoms and promoting weight loss.
Potential Side Effects
As a general rule, side effects of collagen supplements are minimal, if there are any at all experienced. The most common side effects reported are a bad taste in the mouth and mild digestive symptoms. In addition, collagen supplements may interact with certain prescription medications and may not be appropriate for certain individuals, such as pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, those with certain dietary restrictions, common food allergies and those with certain medical conditions.
Because there is a potential for side effects — even mild ones — it's recommended to schedule an appointment to seek professional medical advice to discuss whether collagen supplements are safe for you.
FAQs
Have more questions? These are some of the most common questions women have when deciding whether or not to start taking collagen supplements.
Can I take collagen every day?
Since collagen is considered a safe and nontoxic dietary supplement, it can be taken every day as long as you stick to the recommended dosage. Although there is no official recommendation regarding collagen dosage, clinical studies can help determine the most effective dosage based on your goal.
However, it's important to note that some people may experience stomach issues or an unpleasant taste, although most will never experience any adverse side effects at all. To ensure it's safe for you to take collagen every day, consult with your healthcare provider.
How long does it take for collagen supplements to work?
Collagen turnover is not a quick process that occurs at the snap of your fingers. As a general rule, and per information from most brands, it will take around eight weeks for you to start noticing results.
Studies have shown that it normally takes a minimum of eight weeks to experience the effects of collagen on joint pain relief and skin health, although it may be longer for other effects, such as bone health.
Will I really get tighter skin?
Collagen is not only known for strengthening your skin, but it can also help tighten the skin. One study suggests that taking collagen supplements can give your skin what it needs to fight back against age-related wrinkles, fine lines and sags.
Are there any side effects?
Overall, collagen supplements are safe to take. However, like with all supplements, there are side effects that some people may experience, such as heartburn, mild digestive symptoms and a bad taste in the mouth. Further, if you have a common food allergy, such as eggs, shellfish, fish, etc., you should avoid many collagen supplements since they contain these ingredients.
Conclusion
Collagen supplements offer a wide range of health benefits, but each person will respond to the supplements differently. Your lifestyle habits will play a considerable role in how you feel and look. However, the top six collagen products we selected offer the best in the industry.
So, take this time to choose a collagen supplement to add to your daily wellness regimen and work on making minor lifestyle changes to lead a healthier life.
