Best Collagen Drink & Water: Which Brand Is Best for the Skin?

Put simply, collagen is the foundation for radiant, plump skin. This is why liquid collagen supplements are popping up everywhere, from features in beauty magazines to #sponsored content in your Instagram feed. With a long list of celebrities including the Kardashian sisters and Jennifer Aniston leading the craze, you might be curious about these beauty elixirs.

Collagen is a protein that gives strength and structure to your skin, while also supporting many other critical connective tissues. You'll find collagen in your joints, muscles, bones, hair, nails, and teeth – it's everywhere. Supplementing with a high-quality collagen drink is the best way to support your skin health from the inside out, while also offering a little beauty boost to your hair and nails, too.

When it comes to finding the right collagen supplement for you, the emphasis has to be on quality. With so many companies jumping on the bandwagon to create these collagen drinks, you need to do some research to find what works and what doesn't. If you're ready to try these supplements for yourself, here's your guide to cutting past the noise and finding the very best collagen drink out there.

How Do Collagen Supplements Work? 

Collagen is a family of proteins that compose the foundations of many tissues throughout the body. It's an essential element in the firmness of your skin, your bone health, the strength of your connective tissues, and more. Collagen fibers are strong and resilient, and they come together to form a mesh structure that supports tissues like your skin – you can visualize it as a form of scaffolding that sits below surface level.

The bad news is that the body's natural collagen production starts to slow down as we get older, which is an unavoidable fact of life. These crucial foundations begin to crumble, and this is a big factor in why wrinkles form, the skin begins to sag, joints weaken, and bones become frailer. So many bodily functions rely on collagen and suffer from its decline, and this is where collagen supplements can help.

Collagen supplements don't synthetically replace your natural collagen. They work by triggering your body's own collagen production process to pick up the pace.

To make collagen supplements, collagen molecules are derived from fish or animal byproducts and broken down into tiny amino acid chains known as peptides, which are easily digested by the human body. When you drink a collagen supplement, these collagen peptides enter your bloodstream and trigger a "wound repair" response. They signal to your brain that your body needs more collagen, fast. This, in turn, activates a group of specialized cells in the body called "fibroblasts" to begin producing new collagen again.

It's an exciting biological process that enables your body to make more natural collagen, which can then be used to strengthen the structural layers of your skin, joints, bones, and more.

Which Form of Collagen Supplement is Best?

If you've been looking into the world of collagen supplementation, you've probably come across a huge variety of formats. Collagen drinks, collagen powders, collagen pills, gummy bears, face creams, injections... there are a dizzying number of ways to get your fix!

When it comes to efficiency and effectiveness, experts tend to agree that liquid collagen is best. Drinking collagen works well because it tends to deliver the highest dosage per serving, it absorbs into your bloodstream very quickly, and it's super convenient too.

Collagen drinks are also backed up by scientific research and are clinically proven to improve skin elasticity, boost hydration, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. 1  

How to Choose a Collagen Supplement

With so many choices on the market, it can be hard to sort high-quality products from empty marketing hype. Without wanting to spend hours peering at ingredient lists and diving into scientific papers, it's important to do your research and check your facts before committing to a supplementation program.

Here are some expert tips for finding the best collagen supplements for your needs:

Check Where the Collagen Comes From

The downside of collagen supplements is that, if you take the wrong type, you might end up spending a lot of money to not get any benefits at all. Yes, you read that right, zero results. So why is that possible?

The truth is that there are actually at least 28 types of collagen in your body, and although each type belongs to the collagen family, they all do something different. The main and most important type for your skin, hair, and nails is type 1 collagen. 2

If you are taking a collagen drink because you want younger-looking skin and Kardashian-esque beauty (we can dream), you need to make sure your supplement contains type 1 collagen. Most brands will tell you which collagen types they use in their product descriptions, but if not, you can find out for yourself from the ingredient list.

Supplements get their collagen from either animal or marine sources, relying on by-products from farms and fisheries that would otherwise go to waste. The top two choices for beauty supplements are marine collagen peptides (derived from fish skin) and bovine collagen peptides (beef collagen), because these are the better sources of type 1 collagen. However, if you want to get really particular about it, marine collagen is the most potent choice as it is typically composed of 100% type 1 collagen.

If your supplement is derived from a mix of animal sources (chicken, porcine, and bovine collagen) it will likely contain more type 2 collagen, which is great for joint health but not so effective for your skin and hair.

Make Sure It's Hydrolyzed

This is oh-so-important to note: your collagen supplement won't work if the collagen it contains has not been processed correctly.

Collagen molecules in their natural state are far too large to be absorbed by our digestive systems, they would simply pass through and never reach our bloodstream where they are needed. This all comes down to something called bioavailability, which is a term that defines how quickly and easily a substance can be absorbed by your digestive system and put to use in the body.

Hydrolysis is a process that scientists use to break molecules down into smaller pieces, and any collagen drink worth its price tag will contain hydrolyzed collagen peptides. These hydrolyzed collagen peptides will be able to reach your bloodstream intact very quickly after you have drunk them, allowing for maximum collagen absorption.

Look For High Doses

How much collagen per day to take will vary based on what you are using it for and how old you are.

If you want your collagen drink to be effective in combatting fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin, you'll need a reasonably high dose. You'll want a minimum of 8 grams of collagen per daily serving to really get the benefits for your skin, especially past the age of 35 when our skin needs a little more help. Collagen consumption up to 15 grams per day has been clinically studied and recognized as being safe and effective. 3

However, even some of the best collagen powders and drinks will contain lower doses which can be beneficial for younger people whose natural collagen production is at a reasonably high rate already. These types of supplements might contain anything between 1–3 grams of collagen, which can still improve your skin quality but won't make a huge difference for aging skin. 4

Look For Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin C

The best collagen drink won't just contain collagen peptides, ideally, it will also be packed with a rich variety of collagen-supporting ingredients to really maximize your skin health.

Collagen production relies on a variety of factors in the body. To make collagen, your body relies on a number of enzymatic reactions that require vitamin C. Vitamin C is known as a cofactor in collagen production, the all-important sidekick that helps the process along. It also offers antioxidant protection and increases radiance in the skin, so a collagen drink that contains peptides alongside vitamin C will be much more effective than peptides alone.

In your skin, collagen also works in tandem with elastin and hyaluronic acid to form the dermal layer. Elastin, as the name suggests, is responsible for skin elasticity; hyaluronic acid is a gooey, gel-like substance that retains moisture in the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a great addition to any collagen supplement, as it can seriously improve skin hydration and help achieve that soft, plump skin you're looking for.

Watch Out For Nasty Additives 

One last thing to watch out for when choosing your collagen drink is the additives list. Some collagen brands might try to improve the flavor and shelf-life of their products with artificial sweeteners and preservatives such as silicon dioxide, sodium benzoate, magnesium stearate, or hypromellose – all of which are questionable ingredients that would ideally be avoided.

Avoiding toxins in our day-to-day supplements and skin care products is really important to our health and wellbeing, so when choosing a collagen drink, look for options that contain only the essential, natural ingredients – and avoid those cheap and unnecessary fillers.

Top 5 Collagen Drinks You Should Try

According to these expert tips, we've rounded up a guide to the very best collagen drinks out there. Here are the top five results we think you should try:

1. Taut Liquid Collagen Drink 

Taut Liquid Collagen Drink is our own unique formula that checks every box. It's a luxurious, powerful, and effective formula designed to slow down and reduce the signs of aging, and visibly reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin.

Here's why it tops our list:

• It's made with 100% pure marine collagen sourced from wild-caught red snapper.

• It contains an impressive 13 grams of hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides per serving.

• It combines collagen peptides with elastin peptides and hyaluronic acid for maximum skin hydration and elasticity.

• It contains potent antioxidants like grape seed extract and vitamin C to protect your skin from harmful free radicals.

• It's gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, and naturally sweetened with real orange juice and plant-based Stevia extract.

A daily dose can help supercharge and replenish your skin's collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, which is the all-important foundation for youthful, smooth, healthy skin. As well as supporting your skin health, it can also support hair growth and strengthen your nails, too.

With almost 1000 five-star reviews, Taut Liquid Collagen is a tried-and-tested formula that really works. Just one bottle per day for 3-4 weeks can have a huge impact on your complexion, leaving you with gorgeous glowing skin that's all-natural!

2. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Water 

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Water is a convenient bottled water that contains 10 grams of collagen and 1 gram of sugar. It's made with grass-fed bovine collagen peptides, reverse osmosis filtered water, monk fruit extract, and real fruit juices, making it a relatively natural and clean option for boosting your collagen supplies. It's a simple collagen drink that you can keep in the refrigerator and just grab and go.

Vital Proteins Collagen Water also comes in a variety of flavors: lemon ginger, blackberry hibiscus, blueberry mint, strawberry lemon, and lemon slice. This adds a nice variety to your collagen routine!

Pros: Vital Proteins collagen drink is low in sugar, ready to drink, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Cons: Although it contains an impressive dose of collagen, it's not the best potency out there, earning its #2 listing here. It's also made with grass-fed bovine collagen peptides, rather than our preferred marine collagen, and doesn't contain any other collagen-supporting ingredients.

3. Rejuvenated Collagen Shots

Rejuvenated Collagen Shots is a beauty-boosting supplement packed with 10 grams of marine collagen per serving, along with other supporting ingredients like antioxidant açai berry, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C.

It's a berry-flavored collagen drink that you mix yourself by measuring the collagen powder into a 250ml glass of water. Thanks to its combination of collagen peptides with hydrating and glow-giving ingredients, this is a great option if you want to support skin health from within.

Pros: This sugar-free formula is packed with a good dosage of hydrolyzed marine collagen and other collagen-supporting ingredients.

Cons: This is advertised as a collagen drink but it comes in a powder format, so it needs to be measured out and mixed into water. It's not as easy to travel with, and the powder may not fully dissolve even when mixed well.

4. DIRTYLEMON +Collagen Beauty Elixir

DIRTYLEMON is a hyped beauty and wellness brand that have released their own collagen drink. Their +Collagen Beauty Elixir is a bottled drink that contains 4 grams of hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides, and 1 gram of sugar. Supporting ingredients include lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and Himalayan pink sea salt, giving you a mix of vitamins and antioxidants to add to those collagen benefits.

Although it contains a much lower dosage than its competitors, all in all, this is great little beauty boost for a younger audience.

Pros: It contains marine collagen, the best type of collagen for healthy skin.

Cons: This drink contains a pretty low dosage, so it won't make a huge difference to aging skin.

5. Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen Protein

Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen Protein Powder is #5 in our list of the best collagen supplements because it blends a number of natural sources of collagen to create something potent. This collagen protein powder is packed with a blend of grass-fed bovine collagen peptides, marine collagen, chicken collagen, and eggshell membrane collagen, all supported by vitamin C and probiotics.

One scoop contains 10 grams of collagen, and it can supposedly be added to hot or cold drinks (although we would always recommend sticking to cold drinks when it comes to collagen powder).

Pros: This collagen powder contains a high dosage of collagen with a blend of collagen types that can positively impact your skin, hair, joints, and bones.

Cons: Its protein powder format means it needs to be mixed into water and is less easy to grab and go. There is no clear indication of the quality or origins of the chicken, fish, or egg used, so it's not guaranteed to be hormone-free or antibiotic-free.

Bone Broth: A Natural Collagen Drink?

When it comes to drinking collagen, you may have come across the hype around collagen bone broth. A simple soup made by simmering the bones, cartilage, and bone marrow of animals like pigs, cows, and chickens, this is a meal that is rich in amino acids that can help support your collagen production.

Bone broth is considered to be a good boost for your health because simmering bones for a long time releases gelatin, which is a form of collagen. This results in a drinkable soup packed with health-boosting amino acids, but because it's made from bones and joints, it's going to be richer in type 2 collagen than the beauty-boosting type 1 collagen.

This is great for your joint health and it offers other connective tissue benefits, but it won't do much for your skin and hair. So if you want to boost your joint health or you simply enjoy the taste of bone broth, it's a great addition to your diet. If it's targeted beauty improvements that you're looking for, just note that bone broth won't do as much for collagen synthesis in the skin as a hydrolyzed type 1 collagen supplement.

Where Can I Find a Plant-Based Collagen Drink?

With all of this talk about collagen drinks being made from animals and fish, many vegetarians and vegans may be wondering how to get in on the action without compromising their diets. Unfortunately, the reality is that vegetarian or vegan collagen drinks simply aren't possible right now.

Collagen has a unique amino acid formation that cannot be found in plants, and outside of our own bodies, it only exists in animal and marine sources. There is some research that is attempting to manufacture plant-based collagen from bacteria and yeast, but these products are still in the early testing phases.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan looking to boost your collagen supplies, you can try incorporating collagen-boosting foods into your diet instead. Vitamin C, zinc, and copper are key to collagen synthesis in the body, so you can help that process along by getting plenty of these nutrients and other plant-based proteins in your diet.

How Many Collagen Drinks Do I Need to Take to See Results?

How much collagen you need to see results will vary from person to person, with the main defining factors being your age and your lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol, and sugar can all negatively impact collagen production).

If you're using a good quality drink with a high dosage per serving, one collagen drink per day is plenty. With Taut Liquid Collagen, you should begin to see results in 3-4 weeks.

Scientific studies have shown collagen supplements to offer increased dermal collagen density after just 4 weeks, and better skin hydration after 8 weeks. In one 2019 study, which looked at women over the age of 35, there were big improvements in skin hydration, elasticity, smoothness, and thickness after 12 weeks. 5, 6

If you're taking collagen drinks for other health benefits like relieving joint pain or boosting bone density, your dosages and result timeframes will vary.

Discover How 3 Weeks Can Transform Your Skin

Here at Taut, we truly believe that healthy skin starts from within. A healthy lifestyle and nutrient-rich diet will go a long way in supporting your natural radiance and protecting your skin's foundations from harm. We've designed our collagen drinks to support your lifestyle, supplementing your routine with only the best quality collagen and skin-loving ingredients.

We know that our collagen drinks can offer transformative results for your skin in as little as 3 weeks, so we've created the Intense Transformation Program for you to get started with. This beauty bundle contains a little over a 3-week supply (24 bottles) of our Taut Liquid Collagen Drink, giving you the ideal daily dose to kickstart your collagen production and dramatically improve the quality of your skin.

With 13 grams of hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides in every bottle, alongside elastin peptides, hyaluronic acid, grape seed extract, vitamins B and C, and ceramide, you'll have everything your body needs to strengthen skin from the inside out. Results include firmer skin, reduced wrinkles, better skin elasticity, increased hydration, reduced scars and stretch marks, and an overall plumper, more radiant complexion. Even better, this elixir helps support healthy hair and nails, too!

After the Transformation Program is complete, we have maintenance kits to help you carry on with your regime. Check out our auto-ship service to subscribe and save up to 15% on your Taut products!

References:

1. Beneficial Effects of Hydrolysed Collagen
2. The Collagen Family
3. Significant Amounts of Functional Collagen Peptides
4. Collagen Supplement Improves Skin Hydration, Elasticity, Roughness, and Density
5. Effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture