The Best Collagen Supplements of 2024

How We Chose The Best Collagen Supplements

We put a lot of thought and consideration into the products we highlighted in this guide. Here are some of the things we look out for:

• Skin Safety - Any supplement or cream you apply to the skin should not cause irritation. So we chose mild, safe products for our list.
• Effective Ingredients - We made sure that the products we selected had high quality ingredients that are likely to have the most beneficial effect.
• Consumer Response - It’s always a good sign when a product has a lot of good reviews from unbiased 3rd party sites so we selected products based on consumer response as well.

An Overview of Collagen

Collagen supplements are all over the market. But you may be wondering to yourself, ‘what is collagen anyway?’ or ‘How collagen protein might work for me?’ Here is how the Cleveland Clinic officially defines collagen:

“Collagen accounts for 30% of your body’s protein. It provides structure, support or strength to your skin, muscles, bones and connective tissues.”

In a nutshell, collagen is the connective tissue that supports your skin. When you lose collagen, your skin becomes unsupported, saggy, droopy and less resilient overall. That’s because the proteins it needs to remain firm and strong become limited.

This is why a collagen supplement may be necessary for you. Also for your convenience and reference, we have included some of the best collagen powders. But how do you choose the best collagen supplement? Read on to find out!

What Are the Benefits of Collagen Supplements?

A collagen supplement is any product that claims to restore your skin’s natural collagen or to introduce external collagen to the skin. A supplement like this could have a number of benefits for the right kind of user.

For instance, collagen supplementation could have long and short-term benefits for skin elasticity, resilience and can help prevent wrinkles. The best collagen supplements will also make the skin appear firmer.

And the benefits go beyond beauty. Some collagen supplements can even help strengthen the bones, muscles and joints since they provide a necessary protein for the structural integrity of these body parts.

Are Collagen Supplements Effective?

The short answer to this question is yes. Collagen appears to be one of the most effective treatments for anti-aging that we know of today. That’s because collagen is a naturally occurring protein in our skin. And we know that it acts as a connective and strengthening tissue.

So the more collagen our skin has, the stronger and healthier it will be. And there is scientific evidence that drives these ideas home. Take a look at the following quote pulled from a Harvard Health report:

“Research on skin includes: A review and analysis of 19 studies, published in the International Journal of Dermatology, that had a total of 1,125 participants. Those who used collagen supplements saw an improvement in the firmness, suppleness, and moisture content of the skin, with wrinkles appearing less noticeable.”

This was a large, high-quality study that proved that collagen has anti-aging effects. So it’s clear that collagen supplements can be effective. You just have to know how to choose the right one.

What To Look for in A Collagen Supplement

Apart from Hydrolyzed Collagen, collagen supplements come in many forms. Some have only a few ingredients while others have many. In the following section, we sift through all the filler that you can skip and tell you the ingredient components that you should be looking out for:

Type II Collagen

According to the National Institutes of Health, type II collagen is the main constituent of cartilage. It is especially effective for repairing cartilage damaged by arthritis.

But it can also help joints retain their elasticity by restoring much of the cartilage they initially contained.

Type I Collagen

Type I collagen is especially helpful for skin because it closely mimics the external cell matrix that makes up the outer layer of our skin. The NIH puts it like this:

“Collagen type I (Col-I) is unique due to its high biocompatibility in human tissue. Despite its availability from various sources, Col-I naturally mimics the extracellular matrix (ECM) and generally makes up the larger protein component (90%) in vasculature, skin, tendon bone, and other tissue.”

In a supplemental sense, it can help restore the proteins that protect the outer layer of the skin - promoting skin resilience and resisting damage from environmental contaminants.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid works very well in conjunction with collagen because of its ability to draw moisture to itself. While collagen works to restore proteins to the outer layer of the skin, hyaluronic acid helps repair the moisture barrier on the outer layer of the skin.

Studies have shown that hyaluronic acid plays a key role in slowing common signs of skin aging including wrinkles.

Vitamin C

When used as a supplement, vitamin C has a lot of health benefits. But for the skin it acts as a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants take on a protective role with skin cells.

They help lessen the damage and subsequent changes that occur to the skin as a result of UV exposure and photo-aging. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production and for the body to make proper repairs.

Tips for Maintaining Youthful Skin

The best collagen supplements will have a lot of benefits for your skin. And to make sure you get the most out of them, take a look at some of these tips for keeping your skin youthful:

• Always Use Sunscreen - Even if you will be in the sun for a few minutes, you should still apply an SPF 50+ sunscreen or higher. Exposure to UV rays from the sun accounts for many of the signs of skin aging. Wearing a good sunscreen will also help prevent signs of photo-aging like dark spots and blotchy skin.
• Drink Enough Water - Your skin needs moisture to stay looking youthful. The best source of hydration you can give it comes internally. That means you should drink plenty of water on a daily basis.
• Get Antioxidant Support - Antioxidants help the body in many ways but they can be especially helpful for skin health. They protect it from free radical damage and damage caused by sun exposure. Make sure to eat foods rich in antioxidants like berries, teas and nuts.
• Quit Smoking - Smoke inhaled from cigarettes contain many chemicals that can contribute to the breakdown of vital skin proteins. Smoking causes sagging because it breaks down the elastin that makes the skin firm. In order to get the most out of your collagen supplement, consider quitting or cutting down smoking.

Pros & Cons of Collagen Supplements

Who Should Use Collagen Supplements?

Collagen supplements are good options for people who want to prevent sagging, drooping skin. They can also benefit anyone who has wrinkles but wants to reduce their appearance.