What to look for, and what to avoid, when shopping for a collagen supplement.
If you’re looking for the best collagen supplement according to dermatologists, you’re in the right place. Collagen has earned its place as the most popular beauty ingredient in Singapore, but in terms of finding an effective product, there are more misses than hits. From supplements with too little collagen, to products with ineffective collagen—many give collagen supplements an unfairly bad rep.
In this article, we’ll share expert tips on how you can choose the right collagen supplement with ease, so you too can enjoy younger-looking skin.
How Collagen Works
Collagen supplements have been extensively studied for its ability to rejuvenate ageing skin, especially in older women. In a 2021 analysis of 19 randomised, double-blind and controlled clinical trials, participants using hydrolyzed collagen supplements saw improvements in skin firmness, suppleness, hydration, as well as less wrinkles after ninety days. This is primary because collagen acts as the “cushioning” structure beneath your skin, keeping it looking plump and smooth. It’s also able to bind to water, holding onto moisture in your skin. On average, benefits from collagen take around 30-60 days to appear, depending on your skin’s condition.
Is Collagen Actually Absorbed By Skin?
A common misconception is that when you consume collagen, this is the same collagen that is ‘absorbed’ by your skin. However, this is not possible, since our digestive system cannot absorb collagen effectively unless it’s processed into smaller particles – also known as micro or nano collagen peptides.
Currently research indicates collagen supplements are more likely to work by ‘signalling’ your skin to produce more collagen instead. Similar to how muscle steroids help stimulate muscle growth, or how Rogaine triggers hair growth.
Hence, collagen supplements help stimulate collagen production in the skin.
Collagen Supplements: What You Need To Know
Few people know this, but most collagen products in the market contain bovine collagen. That is collagen extracted from cows, which is a less effective form of collagen, as the molecules are too big to be absorbed by your body.
This is largely why collagen has gained a less-favourable reputation. Most products use bovine collagen, which isn’t potent at all.
✅ Choose Marine Collagen
The best form of collagen is actually marine collagen. This is typically collagen derived from fish. While marine collagen supplements are made of smaller molecules that are 1.5x better absorbed by your body – making them more efficient, especially in skin rejuvenation.
Since marine collagen is usually extracted from fish scales, which can contain poisonous mercury, we recommend ensuring that your collagen is third-party tested to ensure purity and zero toxins.
✅ Pick Type I Collagen For Anti-Aging
Most consumers aren’t aware that there are more than 20 types of collagen. The most common are type I, type II and type III. The best for skin and anti-ageing is type I collagen, which is the primary collagen type in marine collagen. Bovine collagen usually contains a mixture of different collagen types, which reduces the amount of type I collagen that you need.
✅ High Collagen Concentration
To avoid being misled by marketing hype, always look at the amount of collagen you are actually getting. Many collagen products have added ingredients to help support collagen production, but make sure you’re not getting less collagen in exchange for these bonus ingredients. When comparing costs, compare how much you are paying per gram of collagen.
Moreover, our research shows you need at least 5000 mg of collagen per day for at least 90 days, for results to show. So you should ensure that you are consuming at least 5000 mg of collagen daily to see an effect.
What To Avoid
❌ Products With No Money Back Guarantee
A money back guarantee demonstrates the manufacturer’s integrity and confidence in the product. Most reputable brands these days offer a 100% refund if you are unsatisfied with the product, even if you have consumed it.
❌ Lack of Ingredient Transparency Since supplements are consumed, it is important to know what you’re putting into your body. This includes the exact ingredients in your supplement, the amount of each ingredient, their origin, and whether there are any studies backing them up. ❌ Collagen That’s Not Clinically Proven Every manufacturer processes their collagen differently, which produces differences in efficacy and results. Avoid collagen that isn’t substantiated by proper clinical results that prove their claims. Products that only rely on anecdotes are less reliable, and this may be due to a placebo effect. Hence it’s essential that you take a collagen supplement with clinically proven results. ❌ Fake Reviews Millions of Singaporeans look to Lazada, Shopee or Amazon 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. |
Our Top 5 Collagen Supplements
We examined hundreds of collagen powders, drinks, jellies and even tablets and shortlisted the five best collagen supplements in Singapore according to our TFC Rating System, customer interviews and comprehensive personal testing.
1. Marine Collagen Peptides by The Purest Co
TOTAL RANKING: 91.8% (314 Votes)
PROS
✅ With 5000 mg Nutricoll Marine Collagen per serve
✅ Made from sustainable wild-caught cod
✅ Best value marine collagen ($0.33/g)
✅ Clinically proven results for skin
✅ Contains skin radical-fighting water bamboo extra & beta-carotene
✅ Low in sugar
✅ Third-party tested for purity
✅ 30-day, 100% satisfaction guaranteed or money back
CONS
❌ Only available online
❌ Powder requires preparation time to consume
THE BOTTOM LINE This product gives you the most premium collagen per dollar, making it the biggest bang for buck item on our list — even when compared to high-end Japanese collagen drinks. At under $50 for a 30-day supply of clinically-tested marine collagen ($43 for a subscription) — we have not seen a bigger steal. By the way, this is the wallet-friendly collagen product of The Purest Co – the brand behind the viral Collagen Glow Berries drink that’s taken Singaporean women by storm. The local brand promises the same quality collagen but made more affordable in a powder form.
2. Amino Collagen Premium by Meiji
TOTAL RANKING: 79.0% (184 Votes)
PROS
✅ 5000 mg low-molecular fish collagen ✅ Value-for-money collagen ($0.42/g) ✅ Features ceramides, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C for skin & joints benefits ✅ Small study shows benefits within days ✅ 27 calories per serving only ✅ Available in Guardian and Watsons stores ✅ Transparent ingredients list CONS
❌ Mild fishy flavor that takes getting used to ❌ Powder requires preparation time to consume ❌ No money back guarantee ❌ Not third-party tested ❌ Collagen origin unknown
THE BOTTOM LINE
Made exclusively in Japan, Meiji’s Amino Collagen Powder Premium is another affordable, high-quality option for collagen seekers. No surprise that they are branded as the best-selling beauty collagen powder in Japan, with 80% voting that they are repeat customers.
The only drawback is the taste. Our tests revealed a slight fishy flavor / smell when mixed in water, so it is best consumed in coffee or juice to mask the taste.
Nevertheless, with a transparent ingredients list, budget-friendly price, and ample fish collagen per serving, it’s a close second-place to The Purest Co’s Marine Collagen Peptides.
3. Crystal Collagen by Itoh Hanako
TOTAL RANKING: 75.2% (148 Votes)
PROS
✅ 5300 mg of fish collagen peptides per serve
✅ Value-for-money ($0.47/g collagen)
✅ Contains skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, pomegranate flower extract
✅ Low-calorie drink
✅ Available in Guardian and Watsons stores
CONS
❌ Not suitable for soy allergies
❌ No money back guarantee
❌ Not third-party tested
❌ Not clinically-proven
❌ Collagen origin unknown
❌ Ingredient transparency can be improved
THE BOTTOM LINE
Coming up in third place is Itoh Hanako’s Crystal Collagen, another value-for-money collagen supplement. We love that it’s graded as ‘A’ on the Nutri-Grade scale, making it a low-calorie beverage. Its convenient packaging also means you don’t need any prep at all - just take one out of the box (or fridge) and drink it before bed. Easy.
We’d prefer knowing how much hyaluronic acid or pomegranate flower extract is in each bottle, so that we can make an assessment on whether there’s enough to make a difference.
4. Inner Radiance Collagen Drink by NewMoon
TOTAL RANKING: 71.4% (98 Votes)
PROS
✅ 13,000 mg fish collagen peptides per serve
✅ Slightly low-calorie drink
✅ Available in Guardian and Watsons stores
CONS
❌ Glutathione and ceramides in low amounts
❌ Collagen origin unknown
❌ Not clinically proven
❌ No money back guarantee
THE BOTTOM LINE
New Moon is a Singapore brand known for abalone, bird’s nest and chicken essence – so you may not know they have a collagen line.
New Moon's product distinguishes itself by offering an impressive 13,000 mg of marine collagen per serving, which surpasses the quantity found in any other item listed here, more than doubling the content. Despite this, when evaluating the cost per gram of collagen, it still falls within the midrange when compared to the other products.
This collagen supplement is marketed as a whitening product with glutathione and ceramide, however on closer look, the amount of each ingredient is quite low.
5. InnerShine RubyCollagen Strips by BRANDS
TOTAL RANKING: 61.6% (67 Votes)
PROS
✅ Trusted health and wellness brand
✅ Contains marine fish collagen
✅ Convenient collagen jelly packaging
✅ Low calorie snack (19 kcal/strip)
CONS
❌ Insufficient daily collagen content
❌ Highest price per collagen gram ($2.40/g)
❌ Low ingredient transparency
❌ Collagen origin unknown
❌ Not clinically proven
❌ No money back guarantee
THE BOTTOM LINE
This well-established British brand is primarily recognized as an essence of chicken manufacturer for many years. InnerShine RubyCollagen is the only product on our list which contains astaxanthin, which can protect against collagen degradation induced by UV rays. However, the amount of astaxanthin is low at only 1mg, so it’s uncertain if it has much effect.
It also has the lowest daily collagen serving at 3000 mg/day despite being one of the pricier products here. The cost per gram of collagen is thus the highest overall – at $2.40/g. With other collagen products more than seven times cheaper, it’s hard to justify the premium price tag for InnerShine, even for an established name.
Best Product Overall
It turns out if you’re looking for a serious collagen supplement, you don’t have to splurge. We were surprised at how The Purest Co’s budget collagen product outperformed the competition by a mile. Backed by clinical evidence, with transparent collagen origins, it is essentially a premium beauty collagen product. Yet it has the lowest price per collagen gram we’ve seen for any collagen supplement made from marine collagen. Additionally, customers tell us they appreciate the added confidence of a 100% money-back guarantee, ensuring a refund if they're unsatisfied for any reason.
Before and after using The Purest Co’s Marine Collagen Peptides.
Sources
Collagen-derived dipeptide, proline-hydroxyproline, stimulates cell proliferation and hyaluronic acid synthesis in cultured human dermal fibroblasts
Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hydrolyzed Collagen—Sources and Applications. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6891674/
Collagen Hydrolysates for Skin Protection: Oral Administration and Topical Formulation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7070905/
Hydrolyzed Collagen—Sources and Applications. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6891674/
A Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Blind Study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835901/
Will Collagen Supplements Really Make You Any Healthier? https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19995031/collagen-supplements/
Best Collagen Supplements 2021: Are They Worth Taking and What Are The Benefits? https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/beauty/skin/a706856/benefits-taking-collagen-supplements/
What are complementary and alternative treatments? https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/
Marine Origin Collagens and Its Potential Applications. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278207/
Recombinant microbial systems for the production of human collagen and gelatin. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-005-0180-x
Top 6 Benefits of Taking Collagen Supplements. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen-benefits
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