Your body makes collagen naturally. Collagen is what keeps skin firm, joints moving, and everything connected. From your mid-20s, production starts to slow. That's why collagen supplements have become so popular. But, are any of them worth the money?
Here's our Bare Solutions tips on what to look for.
What makes a good one
You want a specifically named collagen peptide, usually a patented ingredient ending in ®, backed by real clinical trials. A brand's own blog post doesn't count, and ideally you want research that wasn't funded solely by the brand itself. That's harder to find in the supplement world than it should be, but it's worth looking for. Independent, peer-reviewed studies with a meaningful number of participants are the gold standard.
Dose matters too. Most well-studied peptides show results at 2.5–5g per day. If the label doesn't tell you how much is in each serving, that's a problem.
And don't skip Vitamin C, your body can't convert collagen peptides into usable collagen fibres without it.
Look for:
- A named ingredient with clinical research behind it
- 2.5–5g per serving
- Vitamin C included
- Short, clean ingredient list
Walk away from:
- Vague "collagen blend" — no name means no evidence
- Big claims with no cited study
Food matters more than you think
No supplement works well on a poor diet. Collagen is built from amino acids: glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline - and your body needs Vitamin C, zinc, and copper to do the job properly.
Easy dietary wins:
- Vitamin C - citrus, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli
- Protein - fish, chicken, eggs, legumes
- Antioxidants - blueberries, dark chocolate, tomatoes
- Zinc and copper - nuts, seeds, legumes
Worth knowing: excess sugar causes glycation which make collagen fibres stiff and less functional. UV, poor sleep, and chronic stress speed up breakdown too. No supplement outruns a lifestyle working against it.
What about vegan collagen?
Plants don't contain collagen, that's just the truth. All collagen peptide products come from animal sources (bovine, marine, or porcine).
Vegan "collagen" works differently: it gives your body the building blocks to produce its own. Research is growing and results are promising, especially for skin.
For clients with acne-prone or reactive skin, a vegan formula can actually be the smarter clinical choice. Some animal-derived supplements can contribute to inflammation in sensitive skin types. If that sounds relevant to you, ask us at your next visit.
Check any product in 2 minutes
Use Claude or ChatGPT and ask:
- "Is there independent clinical research behind [ingredient name]?"
- "Does [product] contain the clinically tested dose per serving?"
No published research on the ingredient? That's your answer.
The bottom line
Collagen works, but only if the product is worth taking.
- Named ingredient with real trials behind it
- Right dose matching what was actually tested
- Diet that supports Vitamin C, clean protein, low sugar
Buy smart, eat well, skip anything that can't show you the evidence.