What to look for, and what to avoid when shopping for a Collagen supplement
When it comes to beauty supplements, there's only one popular ingredient that undoubtedly reigns supreme in creating a buzz: collagen. Ever since it splashed onto the beauty scene, the hype surrounding this mighty protein simply hasn't stopped and it's now firmly established itself as the most popular beauty ingredient sold in Singapore.
Collagen is found naturally in your body and plays a crucial role in protecting, smoothing and hydrating your skin to ensure that it remains elastic and firm. Around your mid-20s, your natural collagen production levels slow significantly, which can lead to early signs of aging such as dehydrated skin, fine lines, sagging, and wrinkles. This lack of collagen also causes us to lose the skin elasticity, radiance and plumpness that we’re all so keen to hang onto as we get older.
That’s where collagen supplements come in. These products come in the form of powders, tablets and liquids, and are formulated to help restore your natural levels by boosting your collagen production levels. This helps to slow down natural wear and tear on your body, promote a youthful appearance, and help get your radiant glow back.
The popularity of collagen supplements has surged recently with sales increasing by a whopping 401% over the past year alone. But with so many collagen supplements on the market it can be difficult to know which products are worth your money and which are just a waste of time.
That's why Superfood Reviews Team has compiled months of extensive research on collagen into this handy guide to help you choose wisely and find the best collagen supplement for yourself.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is the largest part of the extracellular matrix which determines the physical properties of your soft tissues. In other words - the appearance of your skin. It's also the most abundant protein in your body which effectively works like scaffolding or glue and plays an important structural role in the building blocks of your cells.
Collagen works in two ways in your skin. Firstly, it supplies the building blocks for collagen and elastin production, and secondly, it holds together the cells in the connective tissue to produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. This is important for regulating skin physiology and structure which are predominantly made by the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline that are responsible for keeping your skin, muscles, and soft tissues hydrated and taut.
As well as its renowned beauty benefits, collagen also plays an important role in building keratin, the primary protein in hair and nails which is also responsible for maintaining the health of your muscles, cartilage, bones, joints, gums, teeth, blood vessels and internal organs.
When you're young, your body synthesizes all the collagen it needs from amino acids in foods like fish, meat, and protein-rich plant sources such as seeds. But studies show that as you get older your natural collagen levels start to drop drastically from around 25 onwards.
While the decline starts out at a rate of 1.5 percent per year, by the age of 60 you've usually lost as much as 80 percent of your natural collagen production levels. Other factors that can also affect our collagen levels are too much sunlight, smoking, environmental pollution, alcohol, and nutritional deficiencies.
While eating a diet rich in protein can help to support collagen production to some degree, taking a supplement is a far quicker and more convenient way to give yourself that much-needed collagen boost and help restore your depleted collagen levels.
Collagen Supplements: What You Need To Know
When it comes to collagen supplements, you are definitely spoiled for choice. There are a plethora of powders, tablets, capsules, shots, and even coffee creamers available to purchase in the market - it all depends on which one you prefer and will stick to on a regular basis.
Many brands have also taken the opportunity to pair collagen with a host of other helpful skin-boosting nutrients like vitamin C, zinc, and selenium, so it's rare that you'll find a product with collagen alone these days.
While there are 28 types of collagen in the body overall, the two most commonly found in collagen supplements are:
Type 1
Widely considered to be the most potent form of collagen and the one most found in beauty
& skin supplements, type 1 collagen is sourced from either fish (marine) or bovine (cattle) and is the type naturally found in your skin. This means it's usually the one to pick if your goal is to reduce wrinkles and fine lines, improve skin elasticity and hydrate your skin.
Additionally, some studies have also suggested it may help to rebuild your muscles, eyes, bones, plus it's also good for strengthening nails and helping you grow stronger, thicker and more luscious hair.
Type 2
Type 2 collagen is the one found in the majority of the protein molecules found in your cartilage, which is the connective tissue that protects your bones, spine and eyes. Type 2 collagen is usually sourced from either chicken or cattle (bovine) and is the one to go for when it comes to supporting healthy joints.
Collagen Supplements: What To Look For
With so many options out there, it can be extremely hard to distinguish which brands are effective and which are just trying to take your money. Fortunately, The Foods Channel has done the homework for you, so that you don't risk wasting your hard-earned money on low-value, misleading, or potentially dangerous products. When it comes to finding a high-quality Collagen supplement that delivers results, you should look for the following things:
✓ Hydrolyzed Marine Collagen Peptides
Always look for products formulated with hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides, which are considered to be a superior form of collagen.
Hydrolyzed collagen has already been broken down into small peptides which are considerably easier for your body to absorb, thereby stimulating more collagen production.
This form of collagen offers increased bioavailability which makes it more effective and ensures you have the best chance of getting the results you're looking for.
✓ Complimentary Ingredients
While collagen is one of the building blocks of great skin, it also works synergistically in partnership with other important nutrients.
Make sure that any supplement you buy also contains vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which plays a vital role in collagen synthesis as it helps your cells to absorb collagen.
Another useful ingredient to look out for in any collagen formula is anti-oxidants, which help to prevent free-radical damage caused by sunlight, in tandem, these will help to improve effectiveness and nourish your skin from the inside out.
✓ Branded Collagen
Don't settle for low-quality, inferior non-branded collagen. Instead, look for products formulated with premium, quality-branded collagen to ensure that you're getting the best possible quality.
The pick of the bunch right now is Nitta-gelatin Wellnex ® hydrolyzed collagen peptides which have been studied extensively and shown to offer superior bioavailability.
As well as being odorless and tasteless, these type 1 marine peptides are fully traceable and sustainably sourced from 100% wild-caught fish. It's important to know what you're putting in your body and know where your collagen comes from.
✓ No Unnecessary Ingredients
The best collagen supplements on the market are the ones that are made from natural, healthy, non-synthetic ingredients.
By cutting out the fillers, you can be sure you're getting 100% premium, highly-concentrated ingredients in their purest form, with no unnecessary artificial additives or synthetics.
What You Need To Avoid
✗ Bovine Collagen
Many manufacturers offer collagen supplements formulated with bovine (cattle) collagen because it is low-cost and cheaper to manufacture.
However, this animal-sourced collagen is usually far less effective and inferior in terms of quality and bioavailability. This makes type 1 marine collagen a far superior option.
✗ Harmful Artificial Binders, Unnecessary Additives, or Synthetic Fillers
You want to ensure you’re getting 100% premium, highly-concentrated ingredients in their purest form, with no unnecessary synthetic fillers or added artificial additives.
Look out for artificial colorings like iron oxide, polyethylene glycol (PEG), carrageenan, mineral oil, titanium dioxide, and petroleum byproducts, just to name a few.
✗ Fake Reviews
Millions of Singaporeans look to Lazada, Shopee or Amazon before purchasing their products, but most don’t realize that up to 60% of their reviews are written by individuals paid to leave positive feedback. Risking your health with reviews that are likely false is too dangerous a game to play when you’re choosing an ingestible supplement.
✗ Prioritise Quality Over Price
It's vital to prioritize quality when searching for a collagen supplement, even if that means paying a little more for a high-quality, safe, and dermatologist recommended formula. Your health is far too valuable to take such a gamble.
THE BEST COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS
We here at Superfood Reviews have done the research to find out what the best option for collagen supplements in the market. We have graded each choice through a stringent grading based on the following criteria:
Pros:
With Nitta-gelatin Wellnex ® hydrolyzed collagen peptides from Japan
Contains Vitamin C, bilberry extract, mixed berries concentrate juice and additional essential ingredients
No unnecessary ingredients or additives
Rigorously tested for purity and ingredient quality
Produced in a HACCP and ISO22000 certified facility
Highly rated for customer service
Cons:
Only available online
Regularly out-of-stock due to high demand
BOTTOMLINE
With an extremely comprehensive formula and the best customer feedback scores on our list, Collagen Glow Berries by The Purest Co is easily our Number 1 pick.
It delivers a potent dose (5500mg) of Nitta-gelatin Wellnex ® hydrolyzed collagen peptides, which are a superior form of Type 1 marine collagen, as well as a whole host of supporting ingredients like Vitamin C (250mg), bilberry extract, and mixed berries concentrate juice.
This collagen drink was extremely popular with our readers as it contains no unnecessary ingredients, and also was packed with a great berry taste. The company was highly rated for its customer service and questions posed were answered within hours and were also very informative. Additionally, they have a 30-day risk-free, money-back guarantee which shows they are willing to stand behind the quality of their products.
When compared to other top competitors in the Australian market, Collagen Glow Berries by The Purest Co was unrivaled in effectiveness, quality, safety and value, which makes it our top choice as the best collagen supplement on the market today.
2. Marine Collagen Peptides by The Purest Co
Key differentiators: Affordable, Superior ingredients
Price: $49.90
Pros:
Has 5,000mg of patented Marine Collagen Peptides & 50mg of Water Bamboo Extract
Includes Beta-Carotene
Free SG delivery on all orders
Manufactured in FDA-Registered Facility
Affordable
The Purest Co's Marine Collagen Peptides feature a generous 5,000 mg of top-quality marine collagen peptides in every scoop. Sustainably sourced from wild-caught fish found in the North Atlantic Ocean, this product is further enriched with beneficial components such as beta-carotene and water bamboo extract from Zizania latifolia, effectively shielding the skin from free radical damage and promoting a radiant complexion.
Infused with Peach and Cherry Blossoms, the flavor of this supplement is both delightful and well-balanced, offering a harmonious blend of sweetness and subtlety. The infusion also contributes to effective skin hydration and moisturization, making it a perfect choice for those aiming to rejuvenate their skin from the inside out.
In conclusion, The Purest Co's Marine Collagen Peptides offer a unique formulation and refreshing taste, making it an excellent and affordable collagen supplement for anyone seeking noticeable results.
PROS
A brand with a long history
One of the highest marine collagen peptide amounts
Can be purchased at retail shops
Contains hyaluronic acid and
Vitamin C
Tasty citrus flavored
CONS
Very expensive
Divisive feedback from consumers
Customer service not the greatest
Average consumer may not require that much collagen
BOTTOMLINE
Everyone is familiar with New Moon as a brand, and besides their well-known abalone products, they carry a line of collagen drinks as well. Their collagen drinks contain one of the highest amounts of marine collagen peptides in the market, and they have priced it as such.
Inner Radiance collagen drink also contains ceramide and hyaluronic acid, as well as maqui berry and vitamin C, which complements their marine collagen peptides.
However, each daily intake bottle is almost 25% more expensive than our top choice, which may or may not justify the amount of collagen in each bottle. Studies have also shown that daily consumption of more than 5000mg may not be effective and cost-efficient, as we do get a certain amount of collagen from our daily diet.
Inner Radiance unfortunately does not seem to have discounts for multiple order purchases - meaning if you plan on taking this long-term, it could get very expensive.
This product would be a good option for those who are not price-sensitive, and who require more collagen than the average consumer.
PROS
Well-known brand in Singapore
Available on Lazada
CONS
Very expensive
A comparatively lower amount of collagen
Fewer complimentary ingredients
BOTTOMLINE RubyCollagen Essence by Brands is an offering from a company that has been in Singapore for many years and is well-known for its affordable chicken essence product line.
This product is the only one in our list which contains astaxanthin, which can prevent cell damage and skin stress, and in turn protects the collagen in your skin. However, the product does not contain vitamin C, which many other options in the market contain.
On the downside, RubyCollagen Essence also has the lowest amount of collagen peptides on our list, at only 3000mg. This is in addition to being one of the more pricey alternatives, making the cost per mg of collagen very expensive as compared to other options on the list.
Consumers may potentially be paying a premium for a product made by one of the more well-respected brands in Singapore.
PROS
Relatively affordable
Unique and complementary ingredients
Low in calories
CONS
Not so well-known manufacturer
Taste and smell were divisive
Not many reviews of the product
Return policy not comprehensive
BOTTOMLINE Crystal Collagen by Itoh Hanako contains an interesting formula that includes ingredients such as vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, pomegranate flower, and kiwi seed.
The product is quite affordable for the amount of collagen (5300mg) and has one of the lowest-calorie counts for each serving on this list.
While they are peach-flavored, some people were not fond of the taste and smell based on some of the mixed feedback we received.
Unfortunately, their website failed to mention much on their return policy, which is an important point to note when trying a new product.
BEST PRODUCT OVERALL
After much in-depth research, and testing all the brands as well as studying their reviews…
We have decided that the Collagen Glow Berries from The Purest Co is the best choice out in the Singapore market today.
That being said, a few other options are good as well in terms of quality, but unfortunately there are not that many drink options due to its higher manufacturing costs. As such, we feel that The Purest Co has managed to provide an effective and healthy option at a value-for-money price - we thus think that they are the best choice at this current time.
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