Best collagen supplements UK, tried and tested by experts 2024

As we age, our bodies naturally produce less collagen, so you may consider taking a collagen supplement. But, there's a lot of noise out there about which type of collagen supplement is best and how they taste – plus, they can be expensive.

We put collagen supplements to the test for flavour and quality of ingredients so you can make the right choice when choosing one. Read on for the best marine, vegan and bovine collagen supplements.

Looking for more healthy inspiration? Read our guides to the 10 foods to fight seasonal allergies and what is the dopamine diet.

Jump to:

• Best collagen supplements UK at a glance
• Best marine collagen
• Best vegan collagen
• Best bovine collagen
• What is collagen?
• Types of collagen: marine, vegan and bovine
• What is the best form of collagen to take?
• How do collagen supplements work?

Best collagen supplements UK at a glance

Best marine collagen

• Best flavoured marine collagen: Hunter & Gather Rise & Glow Collagen Daily Beauty Tonic, £38
• Best marine collagen for adding to smoothies: JS Health Vitality X + collagen, £39.99
• Best marine collagen sachets: Revive Collagen hydrolysed marine collagen drink, £33.99
• Best marine collagen powder: Sixways raspberry flavour marine collagen, £42
• Best marine collagen creamer: JS Health Beauty collagen creamer in creamy vanilla, £34.99

Best vegan collagen

• Best unflavoured vegan collagen: Ancient + Brave vegan naked collagyn, £37
• Best flavour vegan collagen: Feel strawberry peach vegan collagen powder, £56.43

Best bovine collagen

• Best bovine collagen: Ancient + Brave cacao and collagen, £24

Best collagen supplements to buy in UK 2024

Best marine collagen

Hunter & Gather Rise & Glow Collagen Daily Beauty Tonic

• Available from Healf (£34.20), Ocado (£38)

Best flavoured collagen

Star rating: 5/5

Despite having a marine collagen base, this supplement from Hunter & Gather didn't have a hint of fishiness, and was our favourite on test for its fruity flavour. The flavour is so good, it can be taken with water rather than needing to be disguised in fruit juice or a smoothie.

The overall taste is sweet yet tangy, with a slight floral undertone thanks to the hibiscus. As well as the 5,000mg of collagen per serving, it also contains vitamin C from the blend of fruit powders, which includes açai, blueberry, blackcurrant and raspberry. This would be a good option if you want to add collagen to your diet but you're worried about the taste.

Available from:
Healf (£34.20)
Ocado (£38)

JS Health Vitality X + collagen

• Available from JS Health Vitamins (£39.99), Amazon (£39.99)

Best marine collagen for adding to smoothies

Star rating: 5/5

From JS Health Vitality, this collagen supplement makes a light, fruity drink. Even though it's made from wild deep sea cod skin – along with other ingredients – there wasn't any trace of marine flavour when we tested it.

Other ingredients include turmeric and blueberry powder, which contributes to the fruitiness. We also noted tropical fruits, which had a nice acidity that balanced the sweetness. We found it tasted best when added to a morning fruit smoothie, which is an easy way to start the day with a collagen hit.

Available from:
JS Health Vitamins (£39.99)
Amazon (£39.99)

Revive Collagen hydrolysed marine collagen drink

• Available from Holland & Barrett (£27.74 for 14), Revive Collagen (£33.99 for 14), Sephora (£66.99 for 28)

Best marine collagen sachets

Star rating: 4/5

Unlike many options on this list, which come in the form of powders, this collagen supplement is a gel, with a similar consistency to an undiluted cordial. In fact, we think adding it to water is the best way to consume it, as the lemony citrus flavour is pleasant. But, you could take it with juice, if you prefer.

As well as marine collagen, these gels contain retinol and hydrolysed keratin, which are known to have skin-plumping benefits. You get two weeks' worth in a regular box (14 sachets), but if you sign up to a Revive subscription, you'll get two boxes every 28 days, with free delivery.

Available from:
Holland & Barrett (£27.74)
Revive Collagen (£33.99)
Sephora (£66.99)

Sixways raspberry flavour marine collagen

• Available from Amazon (£42)

Best marine collagen powder

Star rating: 4/5

This collagen supplement comes in powder form, so it's easy to mix into whatever you fancy. We were hit with sour raspberry, which reminded us of undiluted fruit cordial. Luckily, no fishiness made it through.

We like that Sixways gets its marine collagen from sustainably sourced fish in the Atlantic. As well as collagen, this supplement contains vitamins C and A. With 28 servings per pack, it should last a month, but you can purchase a monthly subscription to save money.

Available from:
Amazon (£42)

JS Health Beauty collagen creamer in creamy vanilla

• Available from JS Health Vitamins (£34.99), Amazon (£34.99)

Best marine collagen creamer

Star rating: 4/5

If you've never tried a creamer before, this collagen powder is a great place to start. Simply add to your morning coffee (or tea) and sip. It combines marine collagen with coconut milk powder and sweetener, as well as other ingredients to give your coffee a sweet, creamy, coconut-like flavour that hides any notes of fish.

You only need a small amount (each serving is 3.25g), and each tub contains 30 servings.

Available from:
JS Health Vitamins (£34.99)
Amazon (£34.99)

Best vegan collagen

Ancient + Brave vegan naked collagyn

• Available from Ancient + Brave (£37), Healf (£37), Amazon (£37)

Best unflavoured vegan collagen

Star rating: 5/5

If you're wondering what a naked collagen supplement is, it's a powder with a supposedly neutral flavour. While testing, we found the flavour was most similar to a glass of cucumber-infused water, with a subtle yet crisp taste. It could be a good option if you're looking for a supplement that isn't too sweet, but we did find it had a strong vanilla aroma.

This powder contains a host of ingredients, including chickpea protein and pea protein, as well as vitamin C.

Available from:
Ancient + Brave (£37)
Healf (£37)
Amazon (£37)

Feel strawberry peach vegan collagen powder

• Available from Feel (£56.43), Beauty Bay (£56.25)

Best flavour vegan collagen

Star rating: 4/5

This collagen has a pleasantly sweet, fruity flavour similar to strawberry sherbet, with a tangy acidity. It was one of the best we tried – most testers said they would happily take it every day. It also comes in a pineapple and grapefruit flavour, although we didn't try these.

As this is a vegan collagen supplement, it's designed to mimic the amino acids produced by collagen in our bodies. It is combined with other ingredients that allow it to boost collagen production, like the ancient herb gotu kola.

Available from:
Feel (£56.43)
Beauty Bay (£56.25)

Best bovine collagen

Ancient + Brave cacao and collagen

• Available from Ancient + Brave (£24), Healf (£24), Amazon (£24)

Best bovine collagen

Star rating: 5/5

Bovine collagen is a close match to human collagen, which makes it easy to absorb, but it can often come with an unpleasant flavour. That's not the case with this option from Ancient + Brave. The collagen is combined with raw Peruvian cacao, which contains antioxidants and ashwaganda. It's chocolatey, with deep, earthy notes and elements of spice thanks to the cinnamon, baobab and carob.

Available from:
Ancient + Brave (£24)
Healf (£24)
Amazon (£24)

What is collagen?

Collagen is a protein that is found in lots of different areas of the body, including connective tissues, organs, blood and bones. It is involved in essential processes, including protecting the nervous system, helping wounds heal and making blood clot.

As we age, less collagen is produced in the body, which can lead to less elasticity in connective tissues and skin.

Types of collagen: marine, vegan and bovine

Collagen supplements generally come from three sources: marine, vegan and bovine. Marine and bovine are the easiest for us to absorb as they are the closest match to human collagen; however, vegan options have been developed to work as well. These don't contain standard collagen, but will more likely contain other products, like vitamin C, to help the body produce more collagen.

Marine collagen, as the name might suggest, is made from fish, while bovine collagen is made from cows. The later is the closest to our own collagen, while marine collagen contains smaller molecules, which may help us absorb them more quickly.

What is the best form of collagen to take?

Collagen supplements come in several different forms. You can find collagen available as powder, gel, capsules and even creamer to add to coffee. There's no real best form to take, except what might work best for you.

How do collagen supplements work?

Collagen supplements mostly contain collagen from external sources. They might be described as 'collagen peptides' or 'hydrolysed collagen', which essentially means the same thing – the collagen has been broken down into smaller peptide particles that are easier for the human body to absorb.

Our friends at Good Food have a brilliant guide on do collagen supplements work, which has lots more information.

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