The Best Collagen Powders, According to a Dietitian

We've talked before about how H.O.T. collagen is right now. The industry is expected to grow a little over 10% in the next few years, with a projected industry value of $19.9 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.

Collagen is the "it" ingredient these days. After all, it's now a regular add-in to items like smoothies and smoothie bowls at your gym café or neighborhood smoothie shop. Even big smoothie chains, like Smoothie King and Jamba Juice, have developed smoothies with collagen for athletes, weekend warriors and whoever else wants to reap the benefits of collagen.

But where does collagen come from, why should you pay it any attention and how do you shop for collagen powder? You've got questions—and we've got answers. Read on!

The Different Types of Collagen

Collagen brings strength, structure and elasticity to our connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, bones and skin. But as we age, our body becomes less efficient at producing collagen. Our inefficiency starts in our 20s, and by 40 we're losing about 1% a year. Around age 80, your collagen is about 75% that of a young adult's according to a 2019 study published in Molecules.

While there are a total of 28 types of collagen that have been discovered, there are five that are the most common. Type I is the most abundant in our body, making up over 90% of the collagen in the human body according to StatPearls. This form of collagen is in skin, bone, teeth, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc. Type II is in cartilage. Type III is found mostly in the skin, muscle and blood vessels. Type IV is in the epithelial tissue layers, which cover body surfaces and line body cavities. Type V is one of the main elements of cell surfaces and the placenta. From a supplement standpoint, though, you'll mostly find Types I, II and III.

Collagen powder can be extracted from a few different sources, with the most common being bovine (cattle), porcine (pigs), ovine (sheep), chicken and fish (usually labeled "marine" collagen).

There are also so-called vegan collagen supplements on the market, and they don't actually contain collagen (collagen is inherently not vegan). Instead, these products are comprised of other ingredients said to stimulate collagen production.

What to Look for When Buying Collagen Powders

1. Look for "Collagen Peptides" or "Hydrolyzed Collagen."

Often you'll see collagen powders labeled as such, and these terms are pretty much synonyms. Collagen peptides are hydrolyzed collagen, which means that the collagen has been broken down into smaller units so that it's more easily digestible. Another easy way to tell what you're getting is to see if the instructions say you can dissolve the powder in hot or cold water. If the powder is easy to mix in either temperature, then it's been fully hydrolyzed.

Hydrolyzed collagen has been shown to have great anti-aging benefits. In the skin, its role is twofold: it provides the building blocks for collagen and elastin fibers to form, and it stimulates the production of new collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, per a study published in 2019 in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

2. Check the Collagen Type.

What's most common is Type I, II and III—and sometimes they're found together in a powder supplement, other times they're solo or the product has a combo of two of them.

If you're taking collagen for the anti-aging benefits, look for type I, or a combo of type I and type III. Both are found in the skin and support skin health (think: improved skin hydration, firmness and texture, as well as fewer wrinkles, per a review study in 2019 in the journal Molecules).

If you're interested in collagen for its joint-health benefits and some pain relief, look for type II. Remember, this is the collagen found in cartilage. That said, other forms can be helpful, too: type I was shown to help people with osteoarthritis, per a review study published in 2020 in the journal Rheumatology and Therapy.

The 4 Best Collagen Powders

Even though you now know what to look for, you might just prefer a recommendation. We've got you!

We rounded up a list of top sellers that are also third-party verified for quality. Because collagen protein powders are considered supplements, they aren't closely regulated by the government. There are third-party verifying companies, such as NSF and USP, that test for quality. When it comes to collagen, though, we found that NSF seems to be the only player. USP didn't have any collagen products listed as tested by them on their website.

1. Vital Proteins Original Collagen Peptide