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The Best Collagen Supplements For Youthful Skin And Healthy Joints
We tested and reviewed the top collagen supplements that help restore wrinkles, sagging skin, and achy joints….and our top choice is a rare find.
Do you know the feeling you get when you see yourself in the mirror and notice a few fine lines creeping in? Or the achy joints and cracking bones you feel with that first step out of bed in the morning?
There’s no doubt about it. Aging has a way of sneaking up on you. But here’s the thing: all these issues share a common culprit — dwindling collagen levels in your body.
Collagen isn’t just any protein. It makes up a whopping one-third of your body’s protein content. Collagen helps your body form connective tissue, so it’s basically the glue that holds everything together.
With proper amounts, your skin looks and feels younger with that healthy glow, and your joints feel good and limber.
But here’s the thing: Your body’s collagen production gradually slows down over time, diminishing by about 1% per year, starting from early adulthood. This happens faster for women, particularly following menopause, with a significant 30% loss of collagen within just five years, as highlighted by the American Academy of Dermatology.
This means your skin lacks the elasticity and strength it needs to thrive.
The silver lining? Collagen supplements can save the day by giving your body a daily collagen boost. But before you dive headfirst into a new addition to your daily routine, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts. After all, knowledge is power when it comes to taking care of your body.
There are lots of collagen supplements on the market, but surprise, surprise — they’re not all created equally. What you really want to know is which collagen supplement helps you maintain a youthful appearance while supporting other areas of wellness, like healthy joints. With all those choices, things can get confusing and overwhelming.
We tested and reviewed the top collagen supplements on the market because we know how time-consuming the research process can be. But before we jump into our top choices, let’s cover a few important things to remember while shopping for the best collagen and how it can help you achieve your beauty and wellness goals.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein within your body, constituting roughly 30% of your body’s total protein content. It serves as the primary structural component for various bodily tissues, including skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues.
Your body creates this vital protein from three key amino acids: proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline. These amino acids work together to create strong, spiraling strands. This isn’t just any pattern; they form a unique triple helix structure, much like a super-coil, that’s the powerhouse behind the strength and stability of your tissues.
There are 28 different types of collagen, but these two are most impactful:
Type I: This collagen variant makes up 90% of your body’s collagen content and is the support system for your skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments.
Type III: This collagen variant works alongside Type I for skin support but also enhances muscles, arteries, and organs, ensuring they stay structurally sound and functional.
Your Top Collagen FAQS
What can collagen do for you?
- Boosts skin elasticity to help improve firmness and texture
- Supports better digestion and gut health
- Helps improve hair and nail growth
- Encourages better joint health and mobility
Collagen is one of the body’s most essential proteins. It helps maintain joint health and supports healthy, youthful skin.
Why should you add collagen to your daily routine?
- Helps reverse the 1% of collagen you can lose each year.
- It’s hard to get collagen from food sources
- Meat proteins don’t have much collagen content
A high-quality collagen supplement is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting enough collagen. Research suggests this can be better for your health than just relying on your diet alone.
Can you boost collagen in your face?
Because collagen is a big molecule, it’s tough for your skin to absorb. However, studies show that hydrolyzed collagen peptides in supplements can boost skin moisture, flexibility, and collagen levels in the deeper skin layer, even in the face.
What to look for in high-quality collagen supplements?
- Type I & III collagen
- Hydrolyzed Bovine Collagen
- Well-rounded amino acid profile
- Collagen with additional ingredients like Colostrum and Polypodium Leucotomos
As you shop among various brands, consider the advantages of opting for a product that combines Type I & III collagen with hydrolyzed bovine collagen. “Hydrolyzed” means it’s broken down into smaller compounds. This process makes it easier for your body to absorb — and put to use. You’ll also want to prioritize options enriched with a diverse amino acid profile and additional ingredients like Colostrum and Polypodium leucotomos. These ingredients enhance immune function, promote skin health, and support digestion.
What to avoid when looking for a high-quality collagen supplement:
- Added Sugars, Flavors, or Sweeteners
These additives can not only compromise the supplement’s purity but may also detract from its potential health benefits.
- Marine Collagen
Marine collagen is derived from fish sources. However, its effectiveness and overall purity can vary quite a bit. It’s not uncommon for marine collagen sources to contain contaminants or allergens. Also, the sourcing and processing methods can impact the quality. Additionally, marine collagen may not be suitable for individuals with fish allergies or those following a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.
- Liquid Collagen
Liquid collagen formulations often require additional preservatives and stabilizers to maintain shelf life. This can make the ingredient list lengthy and compromise the overall quality and purity of the supplement. Powder collagen supplements have better potency and effectiveness, fewer additives, and a more comprehensive range of health benefits in most cases (especially if you find one with Colostrum).
What To Look For In a High-Quality Collagen Supplement
A Good Mix of Different Amino Acids:
Your body depends on a diverse spectrum of around 20 distinct amino acids to function at its best. When considering collagen supplements, looking for robust amino acid profiles is essential. When you have a good variety of amino acids, your body can use them to your advantage.
Hydrolyzed Bovine Collagen:
Studies show that bovine collagen offers the highest potency and efficacy. Hydrolyzed collagen is broken down into smaller molecules. This enhances the supplement’s bioavailability (meaning your body absorbs it more easily), allowing you to experience the benefits you’re looking for faster.
Types I & III:
When selecting a collagen supplement, prioritize those containing Types I and III collagen. These types specifically target the primary areas of concern, such as skin, bones, and tendons, offering potent support where needed most. Beware of supplements boasting numerous collagen types, as they may dilute the potency of Types I and III, diminishing the overall effectiveness of the supplement.
Colostrum:
Colostrum contains a variety of beneficial antibodies, growth factors, and nutrients. When included in a collagen supplement, colostrum can provide additional immune support, help with gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, and contribute to overall skin health and healing. Additionally, colostrum may aid in absorbing and utilizing collagen and other nutrients in the supplement, enhancing its effectiveness in supporting various bodily functions.
Polypodium Leucotomos:
When included in a collagen supplement, polypodium leucotomos can enhance skin health by reducing oxidative stress and supporting the skin’s natural defenses against sun damage. This can improve skin texture, reduce wrinkles, and overall rejuvenation. Additionally, it may contribute to the supplement’s overall effectiveness in promoting a more youthful appearance.
Here Are Our Top Collagen Supplement Choices
Colsilk combines Collagen, Colostrum, and Polypodium Leucotomos, delivering a distinctive wellness experience to help combat aging. Its benefits include tighter skin, diminished wrinkles and fine lines, enhanced hair health, and better joint strength and mobility.
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ColSilk contains a unique blend of ingredients that help reduce fine lines, deep creases, loss of firmness, and dark spots. Yes, this is what you expect a collagen supplement to do. But here’s where ColSilk wowed us — you get more benefits by including ingredients like Colostrum and Polypodium leucotomos. Colostrum is a powerhouse addition that helps strengthen immune barriers while reversing cellular aging and so much more. Then, there’s the antioxidant polypodium Leucotomos that helps reduce dark spots and other photoaging effects.
During our testing process, we found that ColSilk mixes seamlessly with various beverages (smoothies, coffee, tea, and water) without clumping or weird aftertaste. We also like how this collagen supplement has the primary collagen types I and III. As noted above, more than these two types of collagen can weaken the benefits. ColSilk takes the number one spot on our list because it’s everything a high-quality collagen supplement should be — and more.
PROS:
- Helps improve skin texture, complexion, and elasticity
- Doesn’t clump mixes well with all your favorite beverages
- Unflavored and undetectable when mixed
- Supports joint health and mobility
- Encourages better gut health
- Contains type I and III bovine collagen peptides, polypodium leucotomos, as well as colostrum
CONS:
- Only sold online
Regular Price: $41
Vital Proteins is a solid choice in the collagen peptides space with types I & III bovine collagen. It also contains other helpful ingredients like vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. We noticed that Vital Proteins stopped including a scoop. This was more of an inconvenience when trying to measure a proper serving. There were also some clumping issues, which could mean this collagen isn’t as hydrolyzed (broken down to mix seamlessly) as other collagen supplements on this list.
PROS:
- Types I & III bovine collagen
- Contains Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid
- Good amino acid combination
CONS:
- Only has a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Some negative reviews about the flavor
- No scoop included
Regular Price: $85
Ancient Nutrition comes as number three on our list with a wide variety of different types of collagen from an array of sources like beef, chicken, fish, and fermented eggshell membranes. While we appreciate the additions, we’ve noticed that an excess of collagen sources can dilute the effectiveness of the most important ones — type I & III. We also saw that this brand doesn’t go into much detail about its amino acid profile, which leads us to believe it’s not as strong as the options above.
PROS:
- Contains hydrolyzed bovine collagen
- Has six different flavor options
CONS:
- Has 10 different collagen types from different sources
- Contains marine collagen
- No transparency about amino acid profile
- Some negative reviews on “flavorless” taste
Regular Price: $100
Super Youth takes a unique approach to collagen peptides with their fruit punch flavored option with Vitamin C, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, and Apple Cider Vinegar. But we see the same thing with this option — an overhaul of collagen sources makes it hard to get the most out of types I & III. SkinnyFit also lacks some essential nutrients and minerals like calcium and magnesium.
PROS:
- Contains helpful ingredients like Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, and Apple Cider Vinegar
- Some positive reviews on fruit punch flavor
CONS:
- Has five different collagen sources
- Contains marine collagen
- Some negative reviews about the price and overall value of product
Regular Price: $67
Whole Body Collagen takes the number five spot with three patented collagen peptides. The company seems to bring a scientific approach to creating products by patented and clinically tested products, but this information isn’t accessible to customers. There are also some negative reviews about the overall value of this product. We found some unhappy reviews about how the container comes half full — with only 15 servings per container.
PROS:
- Blend of three patented collagen peptides
CONS:
- Not a great value with only 15 servings per container
- No customer transparency to clinical research claims
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8620403/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8824545/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12788523/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijd.15518
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/collagen
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3792777/
