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Best collagen supplements at a glance
- Best collagen gel: Skinglo exotic fruits collagen drink, £34.99
- Best flavoured vegan collagen: Feel strawberry peach vegan collagen powder, £56.43
- Best unflavoured vegan collagen: Ancient and Brave vegan naked collagyn, £37
- Best bovine collagen: Ancient and Brave cacao and collagen, £24
- Best marine collagen: JS Health Vitality X + collagen, £39.99
- Best collagen creamer: JS Health Beauty collagen creamer in creamy vanilla, £34.99
Best collagen supplements to buy 2023
Skinglo exotic fruits collagen drink
Best collagen gel
Score: 5/5
Skinglo designed its rose gold collagen drink to help restore skin to a vibrant and glowy state. The collagen comes in individual sachets of gel, making it easy to know you’re taking the right portions. We found it to have a strong tropical fruit flavour which, we’re relieved to say, masked any flavour of fish. The gel is intensely sweet, similar to undiluted squash, so you may prefer to add it to smoothies. Although, compared to other gels we tried, we found this flavour to be much more palatable and it didn’t leave a coating on our teeth. Just be sure to shake the sachet before squeezing, to stop the gel from going lumpy.
Available from:
Skinglo (34.99)
Oceans Alive (£35)
Feel strawberry peach vegan collagen powder
Best flavoured vegan collagen
Score: 4/5
Feel’s vegan collagen tastes like strawberry sweets with a sour tang, similar to sherbet. It’s designed to cleverly mimic the amino acid profile found in human collagen. It’s combined with gotu kola, an ancient herb that promotes skin healing. This allows it to boost collagen production, helping smooth wrinkles and fine lines. We think the flavour is much better than other collagen powders, and would happily drink a daily glass.
This was the most expensive product we tried. However, we feel that extra steps have been taken to make this a higher-quality supplement.
Available from:
We are Feel (£56.43)
Sephora (£56.43)
Ancient and Brave vegan naked collagyn
Best unflavoured vegan collagen
Score: 5/5
This so-called ‘naked’ collagen is supposed to be neutral in flavour. We think it has a subtle crisp, clear taste (similar to cucumber water) that we really enjoy drinking. It would be a great option for those who don’t like sweet supplements. If you do have a sweet tooth, you could blend it into smoothies.
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This powder is packed with extra nutrients in the form of MCT, MCM, glucosamine and plant proteins – making it the perfect choice for pre- or post-workout. It’s also rich in fibre, so will support a healthy gut.
Available from:
Ancient and Brave (£37)
Well Easy (£37)
Ancient and Brave cacao and collagen
Best bovine collagen
Score: 5/5
If you want the benefits of bovine collagen without the unpleasant flavour, this luxurious blend is for you. It’s combined with raw Peruvian cacao, so it’s bursting with antioxidants, as well hydrolysed collagen peptides (this makes them easier for your body to absorb). It’s earthy and chocolatey, with a touch of spicy sweetness thanks to baobab, beetroot, carob and cinnamon.
Calming ashwaganda means sipping a mug of this could soothe stress, so turn your morning cuppa into a ritual. Alternatively, one of our tasters enjoyed blitzing it with avocado, vanilla extract and honey to make a healthy chocolate mousse.
You get a fairly decent quantity for the price as well, so we imagine it would last you a while.
Available from:
Ancient and Brave (£24)
Ocado (£22.50)
Amazon (£22.80)
JS Health Vitality X + collagen
Best marine collagen
Score 5/5
We were pleasantly surprised by the fruitiness of this powder. Some tasters were skeptical about its marine origins and worried it would taste fishy, but that certainly isn’t the case. It has a blueberry-like sweetness, with a touch of tropical fruit and hit of acidity that covers up any collagen flavour.
It’s made from 100 per cent pure, sustainably sourced, wild deep sea cod skin. That might not sound like something you want to drink, but it means the collagen is primarily type 1 – the most abundant collagen in the body and vital for healthy bones and skin. Blend into smoothies or other cold drinks to reap the benefits.
The products from JS Health are on the expensive side, but the quality of this powder is impressive.
Available from:
JS Health (£39.99)
JS Health Beauty collagen creamer in creamy vanilla
Best collagen creamer
If you’re someone who likes to make it as easy as possible to take your supplements, this could be the collagen for you. Skin-plumping marine collagen and coconut milk combine to make a fine powder that gives tea, coffee or any hot drink a nourishing boost. There’s no dairy or refined sugar, but the creamy flavouring makes your drink taste like a vanilla latte. What’s not to love?
One thing we should note is that the tub is quite small – if you added this to your drink every morning, it wouldn’t last long.
Available from:
JS Health (£39.99)
Bovine, marine or vegan collagen?
If you’re new to collagen supplements, drinking a powder of bovine or marine origins might sound strange. However, these sources are used because they’re the closest match to human collagen. This means our bodies can absorb and use it easily.
Both have their own benefits. Bovine collagen comes from cows, and is the closest match to the collagen in our bodies. Marine collagen is made from fish and contains smaller molecules, potentially allowing the body to better absorb it. Both may help to delay signs of ageing, smooth fine wrinkles and support healthy joints.
There are some vegan options on the market. If you’re considering one of these, be aware these these don’t contain standard collagen (as in, what we have in our bodies) because collagen can’t be vegan. These products will most likely contain vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, which help fuel collagen production in the body.
You might find you prefer one flavour over the other, or that you’re able to digest one type more easily.
What we looked for in collagen supplements
- Taste: is the flavour pleasant? Does it have an overwhelming or artificial taste?
- Type of collagen: bovine, marine or vegan?
- Nutrient profile: are there any added sugars or extra nutrients?
- Type of sweetener: does it contain sugars or artificial sweeteners?
- Dietary requirements: is it vegan or vegetarian?
- Value for money: how does it compare to others on a cost-per-use basis?
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Do you buy collagen supplements? Leave a comment and tell us your favourite below.
This review was last updated in October 2023. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at [email protected].
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