What to look for, and what to avoid when shopping for a Collagen supplement
When it comes to beauty supplements, there's only one popular ingredient that undoubtedly reigns supreme in creating a buzz: collagen. Ever since it splashed onto the beauty scene, the hype surrounding this mighty protein simply hasn't stopped and it's now firmly established itself as the most popular beauty ingredient sold in Australia.
Collagen is found naturally in your body and plays a crucial role in protecting, smoothing and hydrating your skin to ensure that it remains elastic and firm. Around your mid-20s, your natural collagen production levels slow significantly, which can lead to early signs of aging such as dehydrated skin, fine lines, sagging, and wrinkles. This lack of collagen also causes us to lose the skin elasticity, radiance and plumpness that we’re all so keen to hang onto as we get older.
That’s where collagen supplements come in. These products come in the form of powders, tablets and liquids, and are formulated to help restore your natural levels by boosting your collagen production levels. This helps to slow down natural wear and tear on your body, promote a youthful appearance, and help get your radiant glow back.
The popularity of collagen supplements has surged recently with sales increasing by a whopping 401% over the past year alone. But with so many collagen supplements on the market it can be difficult to know which products are worth your money and which are just a waste of time.
That's why Superfood Reviews Team has compiled months of extensive research on collagen into this handy guide to help you choose wisely and find the best collagen supplement for yourself.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is the largest part of the extracellular matrix which determines the physical properties of your soft tissues. In other words - the appearance of your skin. It's also the most abundant protein in your body which effectively works like scaffolding or glue and plays an important structural role in the building blocks of your cells.
Collagen works in two ways in your skin. Firstly, it supplies the building blocks for collagen and elastin production, and secondly, it holds together the cells in the connective tissue to produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. This is important for regulating skin physiology and structure which are predominantly made by the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline that are responsible for keeping your skin, muscles, and soft tissues hydrated and taut.
As well as its renowned beauty benefits, collagen also plays an important role in building keratin, the primary protein in hair and nails which is also responsible for maintaining the health of your muscles, cartilage, bones, joints, gums, teeth, blood vessels and internal organs.
When you're young, your body synthesizes all the collagen it needs from amino acids in foods like fish, meat, and protein-rich plant sources such as seeds. But studies show that as you get older your natural collagen levels start to drop drastically from around 25 onwards.
While the decline starts out at a rate of 1.5 percent per year, by the age of 60 you've usually lost as much as 80 percent of your natural collagen production levels. Other factors that can also affect our collagen levels are too much sunlight, smoking, environmental pollution, alcohol, and nutritional deficiencies.
While eating a diet rich in protein can help to support collagen production to some degree, taking a supplement is a far quicker and more convenient way to give yourself that much-needed collagen boost and help restore your depleted collagen levels.
Collagen Supplements: What You Need To Know
When it comes to collagen supplements, you are definitely spoiled for choice. There are a plethora of powders, tablets, capsules, shots, and even coffee creamers available to purchase on the Australian Market - it all depends on which one you prefer and will stick to on a regular basis.
Many brands have also taken the opportunity to pair collagen with a host of other helpful skin-boosting nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, and selenium, so it's rare that you'll find a product with collagen alone these days.
While there are 28 types of collagen in the body overall, the two most commonly found in collagen supplements are:
Type 1
Widely considered to be the most potent form of collagen and the one most found in beauty
& skin supplements, type 1 collagen is sourced from either fish (marine) or bovine (cattle) and is the type naturally found in your skin. This means it's usually the one to pick if your goal is to reduce wrinkles and fine lines, improve skin elasticity and hydrate your skin.
Additionally, some studies have also suggested it may help to rebuild your muscles, eyes, bones, plus it's also good for strengthening nails and helping you grow stronger, thicker and more luscious hair.
Type 2
Type 2 collagen is the one found in the majority of the protein molecules found in your cartilage, which is the connective tissue that protects your bones, spine and eyes. Type 2 collagen is usually sourced from either chicken or cattle (bovine) and is the one to go for when it comes to supporting healthy joints.
Collagen Supplements: What To Look For
With so many options out there, it can be extremely hard to distinguish which brands are effective and which are just trying to take your money. Fortunately, The Foods Channel has done the homework for you, so that you don't risk wasting your hard-earned money on low-value, misleading, or potentially dangerous products. When it comes to finding a high-quality Collagen supplement that delivers results, you should look for the following things:
✓ Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Peptides
Always look for products formulated with hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides, which are considered to be a superior form of collagen.
Hydrolyzed collagen has already been broken down into small peptides which are considerably easier for your body to absorb, thereby stimulating more collagen production.
This form of collagen offers increased bioavailability which makes it more effective and ensures you have the best chance of getting the results you're looking for.
✓ Complimentary Ingredients
While collagen is one of the building blocks of great skin, it also works synergistically in partnership with other important nutrients.
Make sure that any supplement you buy also contains vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which plays a vital role in collagen synthesis as it helps your cells to absorb collagen.
Another useful ingredient to look out for in any collagen formula is anti-oxidants, which help to prevent free-radical damage caused by sunlight, in tandem, these will help to improve effectiveness and nourish your skin from the inside out.
✓ Branded Collagen
Don't settle for low-quality, inferior non-branded collagen. Instead, look for products formulated with premium, quality-branded collagen to ensure that you're getting the best possible quality.
The pick of the bunch right now is Nitta-gelatin Wellnex ® hydrolyzed collagen peptides which have been studied extensively and shown to offer superior bioavailability.
As well as being odorless and tasteless, these type 1 marine peptides are fully traceable and sustainably sourced from 100% wild-caught fish. It's important to know what you're putting in your body and know where your collagen comes from.
✓ No Unnecessary Ingredients
The best collagen supplements on the market are the ones that are made from natural, healthy, non-synthetic ingredients.
By cutting out the fillers, you can be sure you're getting 100% premium, highly-concentrated ingredients in their purest form, with no unnecessary artificial additives or synthetics.
What You Need To Avoid
✖ Bovine Collagen
Many manufacturers offer collagen supplements formulated with bovine (cattle) collagen because it is low-cost and cheaper to manufacture.
However, this animal-sourced collagen is usually far less effective and inferior in terms of quality and bioavailability. This makes type 1 marine collagen a far superior option.
✖ Harmful Artificial Binders, Unnecessary Additives, or Synthetic Fillers
You want to ensure you’re getting 100% premium, highly-concentrated ingredients in their purest form, with no unnecessary synthetic fillers or added artificial additives.
Look out for artificial colorings like iron oxide, polyethylene glycol (PEG), carrageenan, mineral oil, titanium dioxide, and petroleum byproducts, just to name a few.
✖ Fake Reviews
Millions of Australians look to Amazon, Ebay or Catch before purchasing their products, but most don’t realize that up to 60% of their reviews are written by individuals paid to leave positive feedback. Risking your health with reviews that are likely false is too dangerous a game to play when you’re choosing an ingestible supplement.
✖ Prioritise Quality Over Price
It's vital to prioritize quality when searching for a collagen supplement, even if that means paying a little more for a high-quality, safe, and dermatologist recommended formula. Your health is far too valuable to take such a gamble.
THE BEST COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS
We here at Superfood Reviews have done the research to find out what the best option for collagen supplements in the market. We have graded each choice through a stringent grading based on the following criteria:
Pros:
With Nitta-gelatin Wellnex ® hydrolyzed collagen peptides from Japan
Contains Vitamin C, bilberry extract, mixed berries concentrate juice and additional essential ingredients
No unnecessary ingredients or additives
Rigorously tested for purity and ingredient quality
Produced in a HACCP and ISO22000 certified facility
Highly rated for customer service
Cons:
Only available online
Regularly out-of-stock due to high demand
BOTTOMLINE
With an extremely comprehensive formula and the best customer feedback scores on our list, Collagen Glow Berries by The Purest Co is easily our Number 1 pick.
It delivers a potent dose (5500mg) of Nitta-gelatin Wellnex ® hydrolyzed collagen peptides, which are a superior form of Type 1 marine collagen, as well as a whole host of supporting ingredients like Vitamin C (250mg), bilberry extract, and mixed berries concentrate juice.
This collagen drink was extremely popular with our readers as it contains no unnecessary ingredients, and also was packed with a great berry taste. The company was highly rated for its customer service and questions posed were answered within hours and were also very informative. Additionally, they have a 30-day risk-free, money-back guarantee which shows they are willing to stand behind the quality of their products. Shipping to our Australian address was also quick, and through DHL express which was a plus.
When compared to other top competitors in the Australian market, Collagen Glow Berries by The Purest Co was unrivaled in effectiveness, quality, safety and value, which makes it our top choice as the best collagen supplement on the market today.
Pros:
Marine collagen peptides
Heat stable
Sustainably sourced
No unnecessary ingredients or additives
Widely available online
Positive feedback from readers
Cons:
Non-branded marine collagen source
No complimentary ingredients such as Vitamin C
Can be pricey
BOTTOMLINE:
Marine collagen powder by Vida Glow is a high-quality powdered collagen supplement from a reputable brand.
Their powder contains strictly marine collagen without any other added ingredients, and as it is tasteless, it can be added to your daily drinks, making regular consumption very convenient.
We do like the fact that Vida Glow has focused on providing just a no-frills high-quality collagen powder, without unnecessary additives. While Vida Glow does have a subscription option that allows you to save some money per order, their absolute price of 140 AUD may be a barrier for some customers.
This is a good option with a good amount of collagen per 2 servings, and can be your go-to daily collagen supplement if you are able to add it to your morning coffee or smoothie. As research has shown that drinks typically have a higher absorption rate than powders, we would typically recommend a collagen drink (rather than a collagen powder) as the preferred form factor however.
Pros:
Marine collagen peptides
Heat stable
Sustainably sourced
No unnecessary ingredients or additives
Widely available online
Positive feedback from readers
Cons:
Non-branded marine collagen source
May include some unnecessary ingredients
Includes stevia
BOTTOMLINE:
JS health has produced a collagen powder which also doubles up as helping to boost your vitality through a number of interesting ingredients that they have added to their offering. Not only is it marketed as helping your skin, but it also supports energy production and relieves digestive discomfort.
While we at TFC are not huge fans of all-in-one powders that claim to treat a large number of things at the same time, the Vitality X + Collagen powder from JS health does include a number of ingredients that are believed to increase vitality. For example, they have added Turmeric and also Siberian Ginseng, which are ingredients not commonly found with collagen supplements.
In addition, JS health has also added Vitamin C in their product, which is always something we like to see as we consider it complementary to a collagen supplement.
While each tub only gives a moderate amount of marine collagen, this product would be a good option for those who are looking for not only the benefits of collagen, but also for an increase in energy throughout the day.
Pros:
Convenient tablet form
Affordable
Contains Vitamin C and E
Cons:
Uses generic collagen - no information on collagen type
Not much information online about their processing standards
BOTTOMLINE:
Collagen Boost & Glow by Centrum is the only collagen supplement in tablet form on our list. While tablets as a form factor may be less effective than drinks, we feel that this offering by Centrum does provide a good option for customers who value convenience above all.
While each tablet does not have a large amount of collagen (1000mg), they do include a small amount of Vitamin C (100mg) which we feel is a good, complimentary ingredient.
Even though there are a decently large number of customers who give centrum a good review, we feel that because they do not provide enough information about their collagen source, it may not be the best option out there.
However, for those who are on a budget and would like to try collagen supplements for the first time, this could be the go-to option.
Pros:
Large amount of collagen per serving
Contains camu camu extract
Uses “branded” collagen
Cons:
Bovine collagen sources
Regular feedback of container being half full
BOTTOMLINE:
Collagen Beauty by Nutra Organics is a collagen powder supplement made from bovine sources from Brazil and Germany.
Due to this usage of bovine collagen, they are able to provide a whopping 10g of collagen in every serve, compared to the average of 3g for typical marine collagen products. Nutra Organics are able to do this as collagen supplements formulated with bovine collagen are cheaper to manufacture.
While the brand states that there is no large difference between bovine and marine collagen sources, and it is more so due to the process in which they are treated, we feel that there has been enough research to show that marine collagen is more effective in terms of quality and bioavailability.
We would recommend this option only for customers who are on a budget and would like to try collagen for the first time. Additionally, we would recommend switching to a collagen supplement that utilizes collagen from marine sources after that.
BEST PRODUCT OVERALL
After much in-depth research, and testing all the brands as well as studying their reviews…
We have decided that the Collagen Glow Berries from The Purest Co is the best choice out in the Australian market today.
That being said, a few other options are good as well in terms of quality, but unfortunately there are not that many drink options due to its higher manufacturing costs. As such, we feel that The Purest Co has managed to provide an effective and healthy option at a value-for-money price - we thus think that they are the best choice at this current time.
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