Home > Resource Centre > Beauty Complex > Ingredients Guides > Buyers Guides > Marine Collagen > Choosing a supplement > A full guide to choosing a marine collagen supplement to buy

A full guide to choosing a marine collagen supplement to buy

Updated August 16, 2023

Collagen protein is the most abundant in the skin, and it contributes to elasticity and plumpness that is associated with a youthful appearance. As we age, natural collagen levels decline as a result of many different factors, so collagen supplementation has become increasingly popular for supporting the skin, hair and nails as we age.

There are many different types of collagen supplements on the market - such as powder, tablet and capsule supplements, bone broth, marine collagen, bovine collagen and more. Marine (fish) collagen is the most bioavailable type due to the high proportion of type I collagen fibres found in both marine collagen and human skin.

It is important to choose the right kind of food supplement for your needs, so this guide will help you make a decision on which supplements to buy for supporting your skin and hair. You will also come to learn which are the best collagen supplements to buy and what qualities to look for before making a purchase.

Click on a link to jump to that section:

Marine collagen supplements for the skin
Learn about which marine collagen supplements to choose to support the skin.
Marine collagen supplements for the hair
Learn about which marine collagen supplements to choose to support the hair.
The best marine collagen supplements
Understand the characteristics that make the best marine collagen supplements.
Choosing a marine collagen powder supplement
Understand how marine collagen supplement formula can affect the outcome.

Marine collagen supplements for the skin

Marine collagen supplements, also known as fish collagen supplements, are most commonly taken for their potential benefits to the skin. By supplementing with collagen, it is possible to stimulate natural collagen production in the body. Since collagen levels in our skin decline with age, supplementing with marine collagen is a way to replenish this loss.

laughing Caucasian woman with beautiful fresh-looking skin

There are many different ways to support the skin with marine collagen and the best way is to combine it with other ingredients that are known to stimulate natural collagen formation or ingredients that support the skin such as:

Hyaluronic acid – we lose hyaluronic acid as we age which can lead to a lack of moisture and plumpness in the skin, supplementation alongside fish collagen may boost hyaluronic acid and collagen production.
Vitamin C– helps to protect cells from oxidative damage and also plays a vital role in collagen normal collagen formations, supplementation in high doses may increase type I collagen synthesis.
Phytoceramides– ceramides are moisture-locking fatty molecules in the skin that we lose over time, supplementing with plant-based ceramides (phytoceramides) may help to improve skin moisture.
Vitamin E– helps to protect the cells from oxidative damage.

Supplementation with a marine collagen complex supplement has been shown to increase skin elasticity, skin hydration and reduce wrinkles.

Marine collagen supplements for the hair

Although fish collagen is best known for its skin benefits, it may also benefit the hair. Collagen fibres form a matrix in the dermis layer of the skin – this is also where the hair follicles lie. As we age and lose collagen from the dermis, we lose elasticity and moisture from the skin and scalp, this can contribute to hair loss and hair thinning. Marine collagen supplementation may help to restore moisture and elasticity to the scalp, to reduce the impact of collagen decline on the hair. Furthermore, a marine collagen peptide supplement has been shown to increase hair strength.

A smiling, mixed race woman with long curly hair drinking an orange drink.

In order to get meaningful results from marine collagen supplementation for the hair, you may want to consider combining marine collagen with other ingredients that are known to support the hair. Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and hair while, Selenium is vital the maintenance of normal hair and nails; vitamin E helps to protect the cells from oxidative damage, including in the skin. Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation and finally, phytoceramides and hyaluronic acid contribute to maintaining healthy skin moisture.

When choosing a marine collagen supplement for the hair, look for a collagen complex with marine collagen peptides, biotin, copper, selenium, hyaluronic acid, phytoceramides and antioxidant ingredients. Antioxidants fight natural oxidative stress in the hair follicles.

Finding the best marine collagen supplements

Choosing the best marine collagen supplement is important - low-quality supplements will not be worth your investment. When it comes to marine collagen, you either ‘pay nice or pay twice’. You will need to look for characteristics that indicate that a marine collagen supplement is high-quality, highly bioactive and well-sourced.

Read about choosing the best marine collagen supplements here

Hydrolysed marine collagen supplements

You will want to look for hydrolysed marine collagen supplements. The labels may mention collagen peptides, collagen hydrolysate or hydrolysed collagen but what they all mean is that the marine collagen protein has been broken down into more digestible pieces, which have been found to enter the bloodstream in a matter of minutes.

As a result of the proteins being hydrolysed, they are more bioavailable than the proteins you may find in bone broth for example. Read more about finding the best hydrolysed marine collagen supplements here.

Peptan® Marine collagen supplements

One step further than finding hydrolysed marine collagen is finding Peptan Marine collagen peptides supplements. ‘Peptan® Marine’ is the global leading producer of marine collagen peptides, you will not find a better collagen product on the market for supporting skin health. Not only has Peptan® Marine been shown to benefit the skin and the hair but the marine collagen is sustainably sourced following Marine Stewardship Council regulations.

Look for a supplement that mentions Peptan® Marine, Peptan® or Rousselot on their label, or website - this will indicate quality. Read more about Peptan® marine collagen supplements here.

Finding high-quality marine collagen supplements

In addition to looking for hydrolysed marine collagen by Peptan® Marine, you will want to make sure that your entire supplement is of high quality. First check the dosage of marine collagen peptides; many supplements do not contain a high enough dosage for optimal results. A dosage of 5,000mg of marine collagen or higher is recommended.

Also, it is important to check the nutritional information for additional ingredients. Does the supplement contain additional active ingredients to support the hair, skin and nails? Such ingredients may be as follows:

Hyaluronic acid
Vitamin C
Phytoceramides
Biotin
Vitamin E
Selenium
Copper
Zinc
CoQ-10.

Finally, check for non-essential ingredients such as fillers, binders and bulking agents which will not benefit your skin, hair or nails and may take away from the effectiveness of the other ingredients. Avoid ingredients in your supplements such as:

Cellulose.
Stearic Acid
Starch
Magnesium Stearate.
Silicon Dioxide.

Choosing a marine collagen powder supplement

Once you have considered all of the above recommendations for marine collagen supplements, your options will have likely been reduced to mostly powder or liquid collagen supplements. These tend to be higher in quality, purity, potency and are also easily combined with additional active ingredients.

Hydrolysed marine collagen is easily dissolved in liquids such as smoothies, juices or water to make a delicious collagen drink. Beauty Complex takes this one step further by combining marine collagen peptides with additional active ingredients to support the skin, hair and nails, such as biotin, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. This marine collagen powder supplement is also packaged into individual, lightweight sachets for convenient and delicious collagen supplementation every day.