Marie is our in-house health, beauty and wellbeing expert. If a product promises to help you look younger or feel better, then Marie has reviewed it. She’s been writing and researching about natural health, wellbeing and wellness for years. In her spare time, Marie loves doing Pilates and can often be found in her kitchen, blitzing up delicious smoothies.
Collagen can help to hydrate the skin, digesting it is more effective than applying to your skin
The official verdict is IN!
Discover which collagen supplements you should be investing your hard earned cash in and which to avoid.
Collagen supplements have taken the beauty industry by storm. But there’s a lot of confusion, not to mention choice, when it comes to the best collagen supplements. That’s why we’ve created this collagen comparison website to help you make an informed decision.
From collagen liquid drinks, to sachets you mix with water, fruit flavoured gummies that can be chewed on the go, to good old fashioned collagen tablets that you swallow, and even peptide powders that can be blitzed into a smoothie style shake.
How you take your collagen is more important that you might realise. Generically described as collagen supplements, they all have their relative pros and cons.
We’ve got the scoop on the best collagen supplements, designed to deliver anti-ageing results and boost your beauty and wellbeing from within.
Before we dive in and deliver our verdict, let’s answer a few frequently asked questions about what and why you need the best collagen supplements in your life.
Maintain a youthful appearance and firm skin with collagen
What is collagen?
Collagen is one of the most abundant structural proteins found in the body. It forms much of our connective tissues including skin, bones, muscles and also tendons. It’s the glue that holds everything together.
Did you know that gram for gram, collagen is stronger than steel! You could call it a superhero.
Why do we need to take collagen supplements?
Celebrities around the globe swear by the power of collagen. Everyone from Kourtney Kardashian to Jennister Aniston are said to be fans. Chances are, your favourite superstar is secretly knocking back the collagen shots!
And why? Because It has miraculous skin, hair and nail benefits.
Collagen makes up over 80% of our skin and helps preserve skin elasticity, hydration and also helps prevent the signs of aging.
What happens to collagen as we get older?
As we age, our bodies can’t produce the same amount of collagen as they did when we were younger. Plus it also becomes more difficult for our bodies to replace it. So the negative impact is compounded.
- As we hit our 20s we already begin to lose 1% collagen every year.
• By age 40 collagen is depleting faster than the body can reproduce it.• By the time we hit our 50s that can be up to a third
• By the age of 60, over half the body’s collagen has disappeared.
Collagen deep within the body tissue provides strength and support
What happens when we lose collagen?
Loss of collagen can result in drier skin, more pronounced and increased wrinkles, loss of skin elasticity and also issues relating to heart, bones, joints and tendons. If you want to grow old gracefully, it’s collagen, not botox that’s the answer.
BEWARE! Not All Collagen is created equal
What are the different types of collagen?
The body produces four types of collagen, each of which has an impact and effect on a different part of our body:
Type 1 –
This is the main type of collagen that the body produces. It promotes healthy skin, stronger hair and nails, thicker hair, can help boost metabolism, support healthy weight management and reduce body inflammation. When buying the best collagen supplements and skincare, this is the type of collagen they will mostly contain.
Type 2 –
This helps maintain elastin in the body and ensures strong cartilage and joints. This is the kind of collagen you will be interested in taking if you workout, to help keep your joining and muscles strong and healthy. It’s what helps our body to recover from a workout or physical effort.
Type 3 –
This is the second most abundant type of collagen produced by the body. It can help regulate and calm inflammation and helps with healthy functioning of important organs like our lungs and blood vessels.
Type 4 –
This is found in the deeper layers of our skin. It helps with skin renewal and cell turnover. As we get older, it significantly depletes.
What’s the difference between bovine and marine collagen and which
is better?
Bovine comes from animals, marine from fish and their scales. Marine collagen contains type 1 collagen. Scientific research supports this as the most effective type of collagen when it comes to improving skin elasticity and texture and promoting healthy joints, bones and a healthy heart.
What is hydrolysed marine collagen and why is it superior?
Type 1 marine collagen is up to 1.5 times more effective than other forms of collagen and has better bioavailability, meaning your body can use and process it better. The best collagen supplements to look out for are those containing hydrolysed marine collagen. This is the superhero ingredient you should be on the lookout for.
So what’s the best way of taking collagen?
We’ll go on to look at the various categories, but by far and away, the best way to boost collagen production is to take a high quality collagen supplement that’s easy to digest and quickly absorbs into your bloodstream.
A high strength collagen liquid formula benefits from a low molecular weight alongside high-quality active ingredients, which are easily digested, absorbed and distributed throughout the body.
Absorption of collagen in tablet and powder form is less efficient and takes longer to work
One daily convenient capful of liquid collagen is the way to take this
popular beauty supplement.
What’s the LOWDOWN on what to look out for when purchasing
collagen supplements.
Don’t be tempted to just go for the cheapest. The most important thing when choosing the best collagen supplement is to go for quality. That way you’ll see, feel and reap the rewards. We’ve listed out the collagen do’s and don’t so you can avoid falling into the trap of wasting your precious cash.
Top 5 Collagen Supplements – Rated
With so many products and brands out there to choose from, we understand that it can be challenging choosing the right collagen supplement. So we’ve rounded up our top 5 collagen supplements across all categories and crowned a winner. We’ve spent hours searching the internet and reviewing all the most popular collagen supplements available to bring you our top recommendations.
How We Picked Our Top Choice – A Guide To Our Ratings:
After intense research and evaluation, including analysing customer feedback, not to mention extensive tasting, we narrowed down hundreds of different types of collagen across various categories, from well respected beauty industry brands to bring you our top recommendations. Read on to discover which product made our No1 spot collagen supplement overall.
Evaluation Criteria
✓ Ingredients Quality
✓ Collagen Potency
✓ Value for Money
✓ Returns & Money Back Guarantee
#1 Best Rated Choice Overall
Reverse Life High Strength Marine Collagen Drink
As seen on TV, Reverse Life is consistently considered one of the best collagen drinks in the UK. The unique formula contains 10,000mg of premium hydrolysed marine collagen to make looking and feeling younger easier than ever before. With added Hyaluronic acid as well as green-tea leaf extract, it also supports healthy weight loss as well as anti-ageing goals.
Available in a pre-measured 25ml dose, it delivers impressive results in as little as 14 days. It’s also the most cost-effective marine collagen drink at just 0.14p per 1000mg. With over 3000 independent reviews and 1200 5 star reviews on Trust Pilot, this is a brand you can really trust to deliver the goods.
The unique sugar-free, gluten-free and diabetic friendly formula used in this liquid collagen is made from amino acids to provide your skin with the structural components required to keep it strong, elastic, and free from fine lines and wrinkles. The beverage uses hydrolysed marine collagen, which is widely considered superior to the more common bovine collagen, as it’s more bioavailable and readily absorbed.
The drink contains science-backed Type I and III collagen peptides plus fish proteins, 50g of hyaluronic acid alongside vitamins C and D, as well as added Zinc and Biotin to provide a range of benefits beyond healthier and younger-looking skin. Biotin helps support healthy hair and nails while green tea leaf extract and caffeine contribute towards weight loss goals and support energy levels and metabolism.
The drink is fantastic for supporting your hormonal balance as you age, improving skin pigmentation and clarity, supporting the immune system and digestive health, improving the quality of your skin, hair, and nails, protecting against oxidative stress, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and much, much more. It also happens to be one of the tastiest drinks we tried with a delicious berry burst flavour and no fishy aftertaste.
It came out on top by our panel of expert reviewers and it’s easy to see why. Check out some of the pros of Reverse Life Marine Collagen below:
#2 Best High Dosage Collagen Powder
Wellgard Gold Standard Pure Collagen
Offering an impressive 13,000mg of pure bovine collagen peptides per serving, this collagen powder is flavourless and odourless so you can easily incorporate it into your favourite drinks or meals for a wide range of beauty and health benefits, both inside and out.
This scientifically-tested collagen powder is packed full of the eight essential amino acids and hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides which can be easily absorbed into the body and provide a huge range of health and beauty benefits, including healthier and younger-looking skin, hair, and nails, and improved gut health.
Because the collagen used in this powder has a lower molecular weight, the body is able to absorb more of the enriching proteins, enabling this collagen powder to pack a really impressive 13,000mg of collagen into every serving. Not only does this make the collagen powder more readily bioavailable and more easily absorbed by the body, but it also enables the powder to be quickly and easily dissolved in hot or cold water with no lumps, clumps, or residue. This means you can enjoy all the benefits of the collagen booster without any weird taste or other effect on your food or drink.
Although this is one of the cheapest powders in terms of overall potency, it’s made from bovine and not marine collagen which is superior.
#3 Best Superfood Infused Collagen Tablets
Infused with superfoods including kelp, blueberry, and turmeric, the Collagen HydroPRO+ is definitely one of the best collagen tablets on our list. The all-in-one collagen supplement boasts of 16 carefully selected ingredients that support healthy skin, joints, nails, hair, muscles, and much more. Made with 100% sustainably sourced marine collagen and “hero” ingredients that aid bioavailability (such as hyaluronic acid), these tablets offer results in as little as one-four weeks. It’s also one of the most expensive in terms of cost per 1000mg of collagen and you will need to take three tablets daily.
These superfood-infused collagen tablets are 100% British made and contains sustainably sourced Type I marine collagen combined with “hero” ingredients including hyaluronic acid and Vitamins C, E, B2, and B7 to ensure maximum bioavailability, digestibility, and absorption in the body, so you can reap the maximum benefits.
The capsules are 100% GMO-free and contain absolutely no gluten, soy, or artificial ingredients such as sweeteners or preservatives. The website and packaging are incredibly transparent when it comes to the ingredients used in the tablets, and you can also find details on the benefits of each individual ingredient easily from the product page. These include renewing and revitalising skin, reducing inflammation, promoting healing after an injury or illness, building muscles, and repairing skin and nails, among others.
#4 Best Dissolvable Capsule
Weight World UK Advanced Marine Collagen Drink
These easy-to-swallow capsules utilize a unique formula featuring 1,000mg of premium NatiCol® marine collagen sustainably sourced from Asia and America and enriched with hyaluronic acid and many other naturally beneficial ingredients to boost declining collagen levels, fight common signs of ageing, and help you lead an active and healthy lifestyle.
Each capsule is made with only the highest quality premium natural ingredients with no artificial colours, sweeteners, flavours, or preservatives anywhere in sight. The capsules can be effortlessly dissolved to create one of the best collagen drinks available, and they’re also easily swallowed when you’re in a rush and need to fit in a collagen boost on a busy schedule.
The unique and scientific formula is ideal for aiding with multiple body functions that can deteriorate with age, including combatting sagging skin and creaking joints, plus aiding with skin appearance, digestion, joint health, and much more. The odourless, flavourless tablets are packed full of essential vitamins and minerals, including 1,000mg of NatiCol® premium marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, Coenzyme Q10, zinc, and aloe vera.
#5 Best Collagen Sachets for Men and Women
Absolute Collagen Liquid Sachet
These liquid collagen sachets from Absolute Collagen are available in three different flavours to suit your personal tastes and are made from premium marine collagen peptides, boosted with Vitamin C for optimum rejuvenation and tissue renewal.
Available with specially selected ingredients that boost skin, hair, and nail health in men and women and in a range of fruity flavours, these collagen sachets are easy to consume and packed full of beneficial ingredients. The sachets are formulated to be taken directly from the sachet or if you prefer, you can mix with water or juice. They contain natural ingredients and have just 32 calories per sachet. Some reviewers complain that the collagen leaves quite a bitter aftertaste that’s not to everyone’s liking.
Each box contains 14 ready-mixed premium hydrolysed collagen in a convenient 10ml servings. With 8,000mg of collagen per serving, this is by no means the most cost-effective collagen drink and works out at 0.24p per 1000mg serving. However, it does also contain Vitamin C, antioxidants and 7.7g of protein. They’re also free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and are suitable for diabetics. You can even take these collagen sachets while you’re pregnant. While the sachets can be recycled, they’re not suitable for your regular home recycling bin. Based on their price per serving, they are an expensive option and they don’t offer a 30 day money back guarantee like many of their competitors.
Collagen drinks have a higher absorption rate than tablets and powders
Our Overall Assessment
When it comes to overall quality, you can’t argue with Reverse Life’s high-strength formula or it’s results. It has a higher collagen and protein content than Absolute Collagen and is certainly more cost-effective overall. It also benefits from currently having over 1200 5-star independent consumer reviews, testimony to the fact that this product is Tried, Tested and also Trusted.
While Absolute Collagen does come in 3 different flavours and Reverse Life currently only has the one, some customers advise that there’s a slightly bitter aftertaste with Absolute Collagen which isn’t to everyone’s liking. There aren’t many people who don’t love the taste of berries and now that the sugar has been removed from the new Reverse Life formula, it’s also diabetic and keto friendly too.
If you prefer the convenience of a sachet, especially if you travel away from home a lot and don’t want to miss out on our daily dose of collagen, then certainly you’ll appreciate the convenience of the Absolute Collagen sachets. However, the process of recycling them certainly isn’t as friendly. While the company does offer a sachet recycling service, they need to be set back, by post, as opposed to immediately disposing of in your domestic recycling bin.
Pretty Smart Food and Weight World are good options if you prefer to take your collagen in tablet format but for those of you who struggle to swallow a capsule, then a collagen supplement in a liquid format is going to be preferable.
Wellgard is an excellent choice if you want something that you can mix with your breakfast smoothie, but it contains bovine collagen which isn’t as bioavailable as the high-quality marine collagen found in the Reverse Life formula.
It’s clear to see why overall, we rated Reverse Life as the best and most effective collagen supplement in the UK right now.
Reverse Life also offers a 30 day money back guarantee plus free UK postage.
