TL;DR

• Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, the structural framework for skin, bone, cartilage and connective tissue. Natural production declines with age, more sharply after menopause.
• There are several collagen types. Type I is the dominant type in skin, bone, tendons and ligaments; Type III commonly occurs alongside it in skin and other soft tissues, while Type II dominates in cartilage.
• Evidence for supplementation varies by outcome. A 2025 meta-analysis found apparent skin benefits disappeared when restricted to higher-quality or non-industry-funded studies, so it's worth trying with realistic expectations rather than as a guaranteed fix.
• Hydrolysis breaks whole collagen down into shorter peptide chains, improving solubility and digestibility and making it much easier to formulate into a powder that disperses readily in drinks.
• Peptide size is measured in Daltons. Ours has an average molecular weight of around 3,000 Daltons, more extensively hydrolysed into shorter chains, which we found disperses readily and tastes noticeably milder, a texture and usability observation, not a proven efficacy advantage.
• We chose a powder because it lets us deliver a full research-range dose without asking anyone to swallow a handful of capsules.

What collagen is, and why the body needs it

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and a major structural component of skin, bone, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue. In bone, Type I collagen forms the organic framework onto which minerals such as calcium are deposited. Collagen content and synthesis decline with age, with particularly marked changes in skin around and after menopause as oestrogen levels fall, older research suggests particularly rapid collagen loss in the early postmenopausal years. That's the biological reason collagen intake becomes more of a talking point later in life, even though the body makes plenty of it earlier on.

The different types, and who might consider it

There are multiple collagen types, but two matter most for supplements. Type I is the dominant type in skin, bone, tendons and ligaments. Type III occurs alongside Type I, particularly in skin and blood vessels. Type II is the dominant type in cartilage and is studied separately, mostly for joint comfort, often as undenatured type II collagen rather than the hydrolysed form used for skin and bone.

Collagen supplements are generally well tolerated in healthy adults, and they're most often used by people interested in skin or musculoskeletal health, although the evidence varies considerably by outcome. Because collagen is animal-derived, it isn't suitable for vegetarians or vegans, and, as with any supplement, existing allergies or medical circumstances are worth considering individually.

The evidence also differs depending on what you're taking collagen for. A 2025 systematic review of 36 randomised trials of Type I collagen hydrolysate found the clearest positive signal for joint outcomes, including pain and physical function. Evidence for bone health was promising but not yet sufficient for firm conclusions, while muscle results were inconsistent and tended to be more favourable when collagen was combined with exercise. On skin specifically, a separate 2025 meta-analysis pooling 23 trials found that once the results were restricted to independently funded or higher-quality studies, the apparent benefit for hydration, elasticity and wrinkles disappeared, the authors concluded there currently isn't good clinical evidence for collagen preventing or treating skin ageing. So collagen is reasonable to try with realistic expectations, not something we'd present as a guaranteed treatment for any one outcome.

Why hydrolysis matters

Whole collagen is a large, structurally complex protein with poor water solubility. Hydrolysis uses enzymatic processing to break it into much smaller collagen peptides, improving solubility and digestibility and making it much easier to formulate as a powder that disperses in drinks. Like other dietary proteins, collagen is further digested in the gastrointestinal tract before its amino acids and some small peptides are absorbed, hydrolysis doesn't switch on absorption that wasn't happening before, it changes the peptide profile and makes the ingredient far more practical to actually consume. That's why collagen supplements intended to mix easily into drinks are generally supplied in hydrolysed peptide form.

What peptide size actually tells you

A Dalton is a unit of molecular weight, used here to describe how far that hydrolysis has broken the protein down. The collagen we source has an average molecular weight of approximately 3,000 Daltons, reflecting more extensive hydrolysis into shorter peptide chains. We chose this particular ingredient because it disperses readily in liquid and has a mild, neutral taste, which is why we could offer the product unflavoured rather than masking a stronger taste with sweeteners. We don't claim that a smaller peptide size produces better skin, bone or joint outcomes than larger collagen peptides, that hasn't been established in head-to-head clinical trials. What it reliably changes is the experience of taking it, not the underlying evidence base.

Why we chose a powder

Published collagen trials commonly use gram-level daily doses, often somewhere between 2.5 and 10 g, depending on the formulation and outcome studied. Our serving provides 11 g of collagen protein. A powder makes delivering that quantity considerably more practical than trying to fit the same amount into capsules, without asking anyone to swallow a handful of pills, and without needing fillers or binders that add bulk without adding collagen. It's a practical choice built around a genuinely usable dose, not a claim that more is automatically better.

This article is for general educational purposes and isn't medical advice. Please consult a doctor or dietitian about your individual needs, particularly if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, given how limited the dedicated safety research on collagen supplementation is in that specific population.

Sources

1. Calleja-Agius J, Brincat M. The effect of menopause on the skin and other connective tissues. Gynecological Endocrinology, 2012;28(4):273-277. https://doi.org/10.3109/09513590.2011.613970

2. Effects of Collagen Supplements on Skin Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. The American Journal of Medicine, 2025. https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(25)00283-9/abstract

3. The Effects of Type I Collagen Hydrolysate Supplementation on Bones, Muscles, and Joints: A Systematic Review. Orthopedic Reviews, 2025. https://orthopedicreviews.openmedicalpublishing.org/article/129086-the-effects-of-type-i-collagen-hydrolysate-supplementation-on-bones-muscles-and-joints-a-systematic-review