Best Collagen Powder: Get Healthier Skin And Joints
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TamaraLast updated:
January 24, 2022While you might associate collagen with elastic, youthful skin, collagen is actually a protein found in the body that has many other important functions too, such as enabling your blood to clot and enhancing the health of your joints.
The focus on collagen’s various health benefits is why this protein has become such a popular supplement, whether in the form of pills or powder.
What is collagen powder? Collagen powder is a supplement that you include in your regular diet to ensure your body stays healthy and you can conveniently add it to your drinks or meals.
In case you’re wondering, your body does produce its own collagen but consuming it in the form of a supplement can enhance your body’s collagen production and boost its health benefits.
If you want to improve the quality of your skin and hair, or get healthier joints, by consuming more collagen, you might be wondering which collagen product is best. Here’s our guide to help you choose the best collagen powder: get healthier skin and joints with these top picks.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Great Lakes Gelatin
- Healthier skin and hair
- Bioactive
- Gluten-free
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Vital Proteins
- Easily digest
- Paleo-friendly
- Dairy-free
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NeoCell
- Joint support
- Gluten-free
- Keto-certified
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Best Overall: Great Lakes Gelatin
Short summary
This is a popular collagen powder on the market that has a variety of benefits, including encouraging joint health and ensuring healthier skin and hair.
It contains collagen hydrolysate and various amino acids.
The manufacturer offers an entire range of these collagen supplements, and they’ve all been made with botanically-sourced sweeteners, colors, and flavors so you don’t have to worry about ingesting toxins.
Hydrolyzed collagen is the same collagen that’s found in the body’s skin, cartilage, and bones, so consuming it in powder form is a healthy addition to your diet.
It’s a bioactive product that contains 90 percent of protein and is easily absorbed by the body. It also regulates the body’s metabolism, which is a bonus.
The collagen used in this Great Lakes gelatin supplement has many other advantages that make it the best collagen powder on the market. It doesn’t contain any GMOs, it’s free of gluten, and it’s sourced from grass-fed bovines, which makes it healthy.
Using this powder is easy. Simply dissolve it in your drinks, such as coffee or juice, as it’s said to dissolve easily in both cool or hot liquids without becoming congealed.
Quick Facts
- Flavour: Unflavored
- Allergens: Gelatin
- Size: 16 oz
Pros
- This best collagen powder doesn’t have any flavour so you can add it to beverages and meals, and even to foods during the cooking process
- Since it’s in powder form, it dissolves easily and quickly
- It forms part of a healthy diet as it only contains 45 calories per serving
- This product is enriched with hematopoietic and/or anti-aging nutrients that encourage joint health
- People who have joint pains have reported improvements after consuming this collagen powder
- This best collagen protein powder supplement fits easily into your lifestyle as it’s Keto-certified and Kosher
Cons
- Some people have said it doesn’t blend as easily in cold drinks as it does in hot beverages
- There have also been reports of the product having a strange odor
- Some people have reported issues with returning the product. Apparently, this is not possible
Runner-Up: Vital Proteins
Short summary
This collagen powder is a trusted favourite of famous actress Jennifer Aniston, who says it’s her go-to collagen product. She’s previously said that she likes to add it to her morning smoothie or cup of coffee.
This collagen supplement is popular with many other people because it’s been sourced from pasture-raised, grass-fed bovine, and it gets digested by the body easily.
Since it can be added to both hot and cold beverages, this collagen powder is easy and practical to use depending on how you want to consume it.
You need to use one to two scoops per day, but you can enjoy it at any time of the day, which also makes it easy to include in busy schedules.
If you’re worried about impure ingredients that can find their way into collagen and other supplements, you’ll be pleased to know that this one contains natural ingredients that are Paleo-friendly and have been approved by Whole30, which has become a viral health movement.
It doesn’t have added sweeteners or sugars, and it’s free of flavour and odors which can be unappealing or hamper the flavour of the beverages or food that you’ve added it to.
Quick Facts
- Flavour: Unflavoured
- Allergens: None
- Size: 20 oz
Pros
- This collagen powder supplement contains Vitamin C to support the immune system
- It contains hyaluronic acid that improves skin quality and results in a glowing complexion, so it’s the best collagen powder for women
- It comes with a scoop to help you measure how much powder you want to add to your food or beverages
- It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and doesn’t contain any heavy metals such as lead
- One serving of this collagen powder contains 18g of protein, which is a good contribution to your daily required amount
Cons
- Some people who have tried this collagen powder have mentioned that it does have a subtle taste
- Some people have reported quality issues with the product, such as misleading product images
- Although it has many benefits, this collagen powder doesn’t dissolve quickly in cold beverages
Alternative: NeoCell
Short summary
When you purchase a collagen powder, you might not think to check its description or packaging to find out what types of collagen it contains and how many of them.
There’s more than one type of collagen on the market! What makes this an interesting collagen powder product is that it contains not one but two types of collagen.
It has a blend of Type 1 and Type 3 hydrolyzed collagen peptides that are sourced from bovines. These are basically the building blocks that produce collagen in the body.
Since it contains hydrolyzed collagen, this collagen powder is beneficial for skin, nails, hair, and joints. It contains amino acid building blocks the body requires to produce proteins like keratin, which is found in your hair and nails.
All you need to do to start reaping its benefits is to dissolve one scoop of this powder in your favorite recipe or beverage every day.
This collagen supplement doesn’t contain gluten, soy, lactose, wheat, or artificial flavors, so it offers even more benefits than what you’ll find in other collagen powders on the market.
You can therefore incorporate it into a variety of specialized diets without a problem.
Quick Facts
- Flavour: Unflavoured
- Allergens: None
- Size: 7oz
Pros
- This best collagen powder is both Keto-certified and Paleo-friendly
- The collagen in this product is sourced from grass-fed and pasture-raised bovines
- People who have used it have said it encouraged healthier, more beautiful skin and healthier joints
- This best collagen powder for joints contains collagen peptides that are easily absorbed by the body
- If you’re looking for a flavoured collagen powder, you can choose this powder in berry lemon and French vanilla flavours
- People who have purchased this collagen powder have reported seeing improvements in their body within three weeks
Cons
- It’s a much smaller size than other collagen powder products on the market
- People have reported that the spoon it comes with is very small
- This best collagen powder doesn’t mix very well into meals or liquids
Alternative: Orgain Collagen Peptides
Short summary
Orgain is one of the biggest collagen and protein powder brands on the market. Their collagen powder has undergone some improvements with its label and packaging, but it’s still the same excellent product inside.
It contains collagen hydrolysate that’s made up of both Type 1 and Type 3 collagen.
This powder is one of the few collagen powders that people have said is completely free of odor and taste. You won’t even get a mild flavor in your meals or beverages, which means you can even add it to recipes.
This feature makes it user-friendly and pleasant to use in your daily food and drinks.
This collagen powder provides all the benefits you’ll find in other quality collagen supplements, such as improved joint health, stronger hair and nails, glowing skin, and muscle recovery.
It’s free of gluten, dairy, lactose, artificial preservatives, wheat, eggs, and sugar. It also doesn’t contain any soy or GMOs, so you don’t have to worry about consuming ingredients that you don’t want in your body. It’s both Keto- and Paleo-friendly.
What sets this collagen powder apart from others is that it contains a variety of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, and these include leucine, histidine, threonine, aspartic acid, and glycine.
Quick Facts
- Flavour: Unflavoured
- Allergens: None
- Size: 16oz
Pros
- This healthy collagen powder is sourced from pasture-raised and grass-fed cattle
- It contains 18 grams of protein per serving and just 70 calories per serving
- People have said that this collagen powder has improved their joint and skin health
- It makes beverages a bit creamy, so it’s ideal for adding to your coffee and smoothies
- It doesn’t have a gritty texture so it won’t make your morning coffee unappealing
Cons
- Some people have reported quality issues with the product not being the same as previous versions
- It tends to have a chalky texture when added to cold drinks
- Some people have said that this collagen powder doesn’t dissolve easily
Alternative: Ancient Nutrition
Short summary
While collagen powders can help to enhance your bowel health, you can also find some products that contain probiotics to improve your gut health and reduce inflammation in the body, such as this collagen supplement by Ancient Nutrition.
This product has been developed by Dr. Josh Axe, the author of the book, Keto Diet.
This hydrolyzed collagen powder contains Type 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 collagen that are derived from food sources. It therefore gives you a comprehensive collagen supplement that you can add to your diet to boost your health.
The collagen has been sourced from grass-fed and pasture-raised bovine while being free of hormones. It also comes with a cruelty-free promise so you don’t have to feel guilty or worried about consuming it.
By combining all the types of collagen your body requires, this product prevents you from spending a lot of money purchasing them individually. You get them all in one product, which you can conveniently consume in your morning coffee!
The manufacturer states that you should consume two scoops of this collagen powder on a daily basis, in either hot or cold liquids.
Collagen aside, this powder supplement contains other nutrients to improve your health, such as protein, Vitamin C, and probiotics.
Quick Facts
- Flavour: Unflavoured
- Allergens: Shellfish
- Size: 16oz
Pros
- Some people have reported that it suppresses appetite, so it’s the best collagen powder for weight loss
- It contains collagen peptides derived from eggshells, fish, chicken, and cattle, without any artificial ingredients
- This best collagen powder on the market has been tested and found free of hormones and antibiotics
- If you’re not a fan of unflavored collagen powder, it comes in a variety of flavors, such as vanilla, cucumber lime, chocolate, strawberry lemonade, and cold brew
- This best collagen peptides powder is said to be both an odourless and tasteless digestive health supplement
Cons
- This collagen powder is not suitable for people who have shellfish sensitivities or allergies
- Some people have reported that the powder does contain a slight odor
- Some people have reported that it doesn’t dissolve well in thicker beverages, like smoothies
Collagen Powder FAQ
As we’ve seen in our reviews, there are many different types of collagen powders on the market, and some come with additional benefits, such as containing Vitamin C or probiotics.
This can make it difficult to know which one to buy. With that in mind, let’s explore a bit more information about collagen powder and what you should know about it before you purchase it.
How do I choose collagen powder?
When purchasing collagen powder, it’s useful to search for one that has as few ingredients as possible.
This ensures product purity and prevents you from ingesting ingredients that can be harmful to your health, such as additives or hormones.
Other things to look for in a collagen powder include:
- A lack of taste or odor. You want your collagen powder to not have a distinctive smell or taste, otherwise when you add the powder to your meals or liquids you’ll alter their taste. While some products are marketed as being odor- and flavor-free, customer reviews prove otherwise, so it’s definitely worth checking those.
- A lack of chemicals. Make sure that the collagen powder doesn’t contain other harmful ingredients. Just because a collagen powder is marketed as being completely free of artificial ingredients, this doesn’t mean that it is free of growth hormones or antibiotics, so make sure you look specifically for these.
- A collagen hydrolyzed label. Check that the collagen is hydrolyzed as this means that it will easily dissolve in both cold and hot liquids. This makes it easy to mix with foods and beverages.
Once you’ve purchased your collagen powder and have started using it, you should check how it makes you feel as this is an important part of ensuring that you’re consuming a healthy collagen.
Since your body already produces collagen naturally, consuming it in a powder shouldn’t make you experience any negative side effects, such as gut issues.
If it does do this, then this could be a sign that it’s not of a high quality, so you should look for a purer product that won’t have any adverse effects.
Does collagen make you gain weight?
If you’re worried about gaining weight, you will be pleased to know that collagen supplements won’t make you put on extra pounds.
As we’ve seen in our reviews of the best collagen powders, these products usually have a small amount of calories in them. Many are also free of additives and flavorants.
It’s interesting to note that collagen powders can actually assist in weight loss.
Although there has only been a small amount of research conducted on collagen and how it can promote weight loss, it has been found that since collagen is a protein, it helps to promote feelings of fullness so that you don’t reach for foods to nip hunger or cravings in the bud.
Research has also found that collagen peptide consumption improves muscle strength and muscle mass, both of which contribute to weight loss.
Finally, collagen supplements are usually known for how they can relieve joint pain, which can make exercising more comfortable, therefore ensuring you get enough exercise so that you lose weight and keep it off.
What is the difference between Type 1 Type 2 and Type 3 collagen?
There are different types of collagen, and they are mainly categorized according to where natural collagen is found in the human body.
Let’s explore their differences:
- Type 1: This type of collagen is called 1 because it was the first to be identified. It makes up tendon, bone, ligaments, and skin in the body. Type 1 collagen supplements usually contain fish-based collagen.
- Type 2: This type of collagen is found in cartilage, such as in the joints of the body. This is why adding this type of cartilage to your diet can improve your joint health and alleviate joint pain. You’ll find that most of the type 2 collagen supplements on the market contain cartilage derived from beef or chicken.
- Type 3: This cartilage is found in blood vessels, muscles, skin, and hollow organs such as the intestines and uterus. It’s also the type of collagen that’s known for promoting wound healing. Type 3 collagen is usually sourced from bovines.
How much collagen should you have a day?
You might wonder about the dosage rules you should follow when consuming collagen powder.
Most of the collagen powders that are available on the market will have recommendations on their packaging so that you will know exactly how much to consume.
Generally, though, you should take one or two scoops of collagen powder per day. If you’re taking a collagen pill instead, you might need one or two in order to ensure you’re getting enough.
Collagen is usually safe to consume and it’s non-toxic. This means that you can’t experience harmful side effects from consuming too much of it.
That said, some people do experience adverse effects, such as gut issues, so if this happens to you it’s worth trying a different product.
Conclusion
If you want to enhance your body’s production of collagen in order to have healthier joints, skin, hair, and nails, you might consider adding collagen supplements to your regular diet.
With so many of these products being available on the market, you might not know which one is worth your money. Many of them also contain harmful chemicals, metals, or additives that make them unhealthy.
In this article, we’ve featured five of the best collagen powders to buy, looking at their pros and cons as well as what makes them special.
We’ve also answered some important questions about collagen powder so you get all the info you need before you buy one, such as how much you should consume daily and what the differences are between Type 1, 2, and 3 collagen.
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