Ingredient guide
Collagen
Collagen products can look deceptively similar. This guide helps you separate collagen types, named peptide materials, daily doses and vegan alternatives — and see which details actually connect a product to research.
Compare products ↓What is collagen?
Collagen is a structural protein found naturally in connective tissues such as skin, cartilage, bone and tendons. Most collagen supplements are made from bovine, porcine, marine or chicken sources and are hydrolysed into smaller collagen peptides so they disperse more easily in foods and drinks.
“Hydrolysed” means the collagen protein has been broken into smaller peptides. It does not mean that all collagen peptide products are identical or supported by the same research.
Why do people take collagen supplements?
Collagen peptides are studied for their potential effects on skin hydration and elasticity, while other formulations have been investigated for joint-related outcomes. Results depend on the preparation, dose and study population, so findings for one collagen type should not be assumed to apply to all.
How should you interpret the evidence?
EFSA assessed a claim for collagen hydrolysate and maintenance of joints and a separate claim for VERISOL®P, skin elasticity and improved skin function. For both assessments, the panel concluded that a cause-and-effect relationship had not been established from the evidence submitted. The resulting claims are not authorised.
What about skin research?
Several randomized placebo-controlled trials have reported improvements in selected skin measures after oral collagen-peptide supplementation. Outcomes studied include wrinkles, hydration and elasticity. The studies, outcomes and evidence submitted for an EU health-claim assessment are not necessarily identical. Results also vary by peptide preparation, dose, population and study design, so it is more useful to ask which material and outcome were studied? than simply does collagen work? Oral collagen research is especially active around skin hydration and elasticity and joint comfort and function. Recent reviews report favourable results across several skin and musculoskeletal outcomes, although study quality and funding can affect how confidently individual beauty outcomes are interpreted.
Specific researched collagen peptides
VERISOL® — collagen peptides
VERISOL® is a named bioactive collagen-peptide material. One randomized placebo-controlled trial in 114 women used 2.5 g/day for eight weeks and reported a reduction in eye-wrinkle volume compared with placebo. This is evidence about the studied material, dose, population and outcome — not an authorised EU health claim for collagen in general.
Peptan® — collagen peptides
Peptan® is another named hydrolysed collagen-peptide material. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 106 women were allocated to 10 g/day of fish-derived Peptan® or placebo for 12 weeks. The Peptan® group showed a significantly greater increase in measured dermal collagen density than placebo after 12 weeks. A smaller 33-woman pilot study using 10 g/day of fish- or porcine-derived Peptan® also reported increased skin hydration after eight weeks.
These findings apply to the tested Peptan® materials, doses, populations and outcomes. The study products were supplied by Peptan's manufacturer and one author was affiliated with the company, which is relevant when weighing the evidence.
Other collagen peptide preparations
Human trials have also studied other low-molecular-weight and bioactive collagen peptide preparations, sometimes at quite different daily doses. This is why the exact material can matter when comparing a product with a published study.
What about vitamin C and collagen?
Vitamin C has authorised EU health claims for contributing to normal collagen formation for the normal function of several tissues, including skin, cartilage and bones. That is a claim about vitamin C's physiological role; it is not evidence that an oral collagen supplement has the same authorised claim.
Does collagen need to be hydrolysed?
For the familiar collagen powders, drinks and sachets, hydrolysed collagen or collagen peptides are the usual form: the collagen has been broken into smaller peptides. This can make the product easier to formulate and use, but the word “hydrolysed” alone does not prove that a product is more effective.
Is a higher dose automatically better?
No. Collagen studies use different peptide preparations and doses. A product using more grams is not automatically superior to one using a lower dose of a specifically studied peptide. The most meaningful comparison is between the finished product, the peptide material it contains, the daily dose and the research relevant to the goal you care about.
Is there a vegan collagen?
Conventional collagen is animal-derived. Many products described as “vegan collagen” do not contain collagen: they may supply amino acids, vitamin C or other nutrients intended to support the body's own collagen production.
Vollagen® is a fermented amino-acid blend designed to resemble the amino-acid composition of collagen. It can be useful to someone avoiding animal ingredients, but it should not be presented as collagen peptides or compared gram for gram with VERISOL®, Peptan® or generic hydrolysed collagen.
What should you compare?
Start with your goal
Skin-focused and joint-focused research should not be treated as interchangeable.
Check the collagen source and peptide identity
For peptide powders and drinks, look for hydrolysed collagen/collagen peptides, the animal source if that matters to you, and whether a specific researched raw material is named.
Compare the studied dose with the product dose
If a product refers to research on a specific peptide, check whether its daily serving actually provides the studied material at a comparable dose — and how many scoops, sachets or capsules that serving requires.
Don't judge only by grams or marketing words
“High strength”, “premium” and a long ingredient list do not by themselves tell you whether the product matches the evidence.
Product comparison
Compare collagen supplements
Compare collagen amount, material or named peptide, animal source, format, other active ingredients and vegan suitability.
Default order: collagen-containing products by the labelled collagen or collagen-complex amount in the recommended daily serving, from lowest to highest; equal amounts alphabetically. The separately headed vegan alternative is not included in that order because it does not contain collagen. The order is not a ranking.
| Product | Collagen / day | Collagen material / unit | Recommended daily serving | Collagen material / named peptide | Animal source | Product format | Other active ingredients | Vegan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solgar Collagen Hyaluronic Acid ComplexView product ↗ | 1,200 mg complex | 1,200 mg BioCell Collagen II® complex / tablet | 1 tablet daily, preferably with a meal | BioCell Collagen II® hydrolysed type II collagen complex | Chicken sternum cartilage | Tablet | Vitamin C; the complex naturally contains chondroitin and hyaluronic acid | No |
| Oslo Skin Lab The Solution™ Beauty CollagenView product ↗ | 2.5 g | 2.5 g / sachet | 1 sachet | VERISOL® hydrolysed type I collagen peptides | Bovine | Single-dose powder sachet | — | No |
| Herology COLLAGENView product ↗ | 5 g | 5 g / 7.5 g sachet | 1 sachet | VERISOL® hydrolysed type I and III collagen peptides | Fish | Berry-flavoured powder sachet | Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid | No |
| Absolute Collagen Marine Liquid CollagenView product ↗ | 8 g | 8 g / 10 ml sachet | 1 sachet | Hydrolysed marine collagen peptides | Fish | 10 ml liquid sachet | Flavouring and formulation ingredients; see current label | No |
| Puori CP1 Pure Collagen PeptidesView product ↗ | 10 g | 10 g / scoop | 1 scoop | Hydrolysed type I and III collagen peptides | Bovine | Unflavoured powder | — | No |
| Therascience Peptan® Collagen PeptidesView product ↗ | 20 g | 10 g / scoop | 2 scoops | Peptan® 2000 LD hydrolysed type I collagen peptides | Bovine | Neutral powder | — | No |
| Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides UnflavouredView product ↗ | 20 g | 5 g / tablespoon | 4 tablespoons | Hydrolysed collagen peptides | Bovine | Unflavoured powder | — | No |
| Vegan collagen-support alternative — does not contain collagen | ||||||||
| Terranova Vollagen® ComplexProduct link unavailable | 1,000–2,000 mg Vollagen® | 500 mg Vollagen® / capsule | 1–2 capsules twice daily with food | Fermented amino-acid blend designed to reflect collagen amino-acid composition; not collagen | Non-GM corn fermentation; no animal ingredients | Vegetarian capsule | Rose hips, matcha green tea, aronia berry and bilberry | Yes |
Collagen itself is animal-derived. Vollagen® is a fermented amino-acid blend, not collagen or collagen peptides. It gives vegan readers a relevant product option, but its amount and evidence should not be compared directly with the collagen products above.
Material note: BioCell Collagen II® is a multi-component complex, so its declared complex weight should not be read as purified collagen peptide weight.
EU health claim details
Authorised health claims
No EU-authorised health claim is listed for this ingredient.
Other assessed health claims
Open a claim to see the EFSA assessment detailsMaintenance of jointsCollagen hydrolysate · joints
EFSA reference
EFSA Journal 2011;9(7):2291 · Article 13(5) assessment
Change in skin elasticity leading to improved skin functionVERISOL®P · skin function
EFSA reference
EFSA Journal 2013;11(6):3257 · Article 13(5) assessment
Sources
Sources & further reading
- EFSA: Collagen hydrolysate and maintenance of joints ↗
- EFSA: VERISOL®P and skin function ↗
- Proksch et al.: Oral collagen peptides and skin wrinkles ↗
- Asserin et al.: Peptan®, skin moisture and the dermal collagen network ↗
- Kim et al.: Low-molecular-weight collagen peptide and skin parameters ↗
- Terranova: What is Vollagen®? ↗