The collagen aisle is louder than it's ever been. Marine, bovine, plant-derived, peptides, hydrolysates, "type I and III", every label promises radiance, but few explain what's actually happening inside the sachet.
If you're comparing brands and trying to make sense of the choices, this is the short version of what matters.
What collagen actually does
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. About a third of your total protein content is collagen, and roughly 75% of your skin's dry weight is made of it. It's the structural scaffolding that gives skin its firmness, bounce, and resilience.
Your body produces it naturally but production drops by roughly 1% every year after the age of 25. By your forties, you're producing significantly less than you did in your twenties. That decline shows up as fine lines, loss of elasticity, slower wound healing, and a duller surface.
Supplementing with collagen is one of the few wellness moves with consistent research behind it. The question isn't whether it works. It's which form, from which source, in what dose.
The types you'll see on labels
There are at least 28 types of collagen in the human body, but only three matter for most consumer supplements.
Type I is the one your skin is built from. It also makes up tendons, ligaments, and bones. If you're taking collagen for skin, this is the type you want.
Type II is found in cartilage. It's marketed for joint health, not skin.
Type III appears alongside Type I in skin and blood vessels. Most marine and bovine collagens contain both, which is what you want for a skin-focused supplement.
Anything claiming "multi-collagen" usually means a blend of I, II, and III from mixed animal sources. That's fine for general wellness but not optimised for skin specifically.
Where collagen comes from
This is where most brands differentiate and where the quality gap gets real.
Marine collagen comes from fish skin and scales. It's predominantly Type I, has smaller peptide chains, and is generally considered the most bioavailable animal-sourced option. It tends to be the most expensive.
Bovine collagen comes from cow hides. It contains both Type I and Type III. Less expensive than marine, slightly larger peptides, but still well-absorbed.
Porcine collagen comes from pig skin. Functionally similar to bovine, but often avoided for religious or dietary reasons.
Plant-derived collagen is technically a misnomer, plants don't produce collagen. What's marketed as "plant collagen" is usually a blend of amino acids and nutrients that support your body's own collagen production. Done well, this approach can be powerful. Done poorly, it's marketing dressed up as science.
The newer category to watch is carotenoid-rich plant compounds like phytoene and phytofluene, found in white tomatoes. These don't replace collagen, they protect existing collagen from UV and oxidative damage and support natural production from within.
Bioavailability: the quiet factor
The label doesn't always tell you the whole story.
Most collagen on the market is hydrolysed, which means the protein has been broken down into smaller peptides. This matters. Whole collagen molecules are too large for your gut to absorb. Hydrolysed peptides pass through the intestinal wall and circulate to where your body needs them.
Look for the word hydrolysed or collagen peptides on the label. If a product just says "collagen" without specifying, it's likely less bioavailable.
Format also matters. Liquid collagen tends to absorb faster than powder mixed into water, and powder absorbs faster than a capsule. Ready-to-drink sachets sit at the higher end of the bioavailability curve for a reason.
What to look for when comparing brands
A short checklist, in order of importance:
- Hydrolysed peptides, not unspecified collagen.
- Source transparency. The label should tell you marine, bovine, porcine, or plant-derived. If it doesn't, that's a flag.
- Type I dominant for skin-focused supplements.
- A meaningful dose. Most clinical studies use 2.5–10g of hydrolysed collagen per day. Anything below 2.5g is unlikely to do much.
- Supporting nutrients. Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants like carotenoids help your body actually use the collagen you're taking in.
- A format you'll use. The best collagen is the one you take every day.
Where white tomato fits in
White tomatoes aren't just unripe tomatoes. They're a distinct variety, grown primarily in the Mediterranean, that's exceptionally rich in two carotenoids: phytoene and phytofluene. Both are precursors to lycopene but with a different action profile, they protect skin from UV-induced damage from the inside, support a brighter complexion, and reduce visible oxidative stress.
Collagen GLO+ is built around this ingredient. It combines hydrolysed marine collagen peptides with white tomato carotenoids, protecting the collagen you take in while supporting your body's own production. It's the difference between adding bricks to a wall and protecting the wall you already have.
Collagen works. Not all collagen is the same. The brand you choose should be transparent about source, type, and dose and ideally pair the collagen with nutrients that help your body actually use it.
Look for hydrolysed Type I. Read past the marketing. And give it at least four to six weeks of daily use before deciding whether it works for you.