The wellness industry has exploded in recent years, with social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok driving everything from fleeting fads to global crazes. Yet amid the churn, one supplement has proved unusually durable: collagen. Once seen as a niche beauty aid, it has steadily reinvented itself while retaining a core promise – to support skin health and preserve suppleness across generations.
Why has collagen endured while so many other wellness products fade? The answer lies in its breadth of benefits. Although it is an animal protein, collagen is no single-purpose compound. Long promoted for its role in skin radiance, research and marketing have expanded its appeal into areas ranging from muscle repair and injury recovery to flexibility and joint health. Its multifaceted nature has allowed it to adapt to the changing priorities of health-conscious consumers worldwide.
Protein power
Collagen is the most abundant protein structure in the human body, accounting for roughly 25–35% of total protein content. As the Collagen Stewardship Alliance notes, natural production declines with age, making supplementation increasingly attractive. Different collagen types perform distinct roles: Type I provides structural support for skin and bone, Type II for cartilage, while others are found in blood vessels, organs and connective tissue. Collagen is unusually durable, remaining in skin and joints for decades, which helps explain why it is central to maintaining strength, elasticity and flexibility.
Exposure to ultraviolet light or simple wear and tear can degrade these structures, prompting interest in supplementation. Collagen products work by stimulating skin, bone and cartilage to renew their own supply, supporting tissues in optimal condition. Though it lacks tryptophan, collagen remains a valuable protein source, particularly for connective tissues.
Growing awareness of whole-body protein intake – and the desire to ‘future-proof’ health in ageing populations – is driving collagen into ever more accessible formats. Its potential links to reduced inflammation, and improved immunity and hydration also resonate with today’s consumers.
Collagen occurs naturally in skin, hair, nails, tendons, cartilage and bone, where it acts like scaffolding alongside hyaluronic acid and elastin to maintain firmness and elasticity. It also supports keratin production, which underpins the structure of skin, hair and nails.
The Collagen Stewardship Alliance’s 101 Guide distinguishes several types: Type I in scar tissue, tendons and ligaments; Type II from chicken or bovine sources for cartilage; Type III in hollow organs such as blood vessels, uterus and bowel; Type IV in the basal lamina supporting epithelial tissue; Type V at the dermal/epidermal junction and in placental tissues; and the rarer Type X, involved in the growth and repair of articular cartilage.
Into the everyday
But increasingly, we’re seeing collagen finding its way out of the body and feeding into routine foods and beverages. Often, these might not be associated with the health store shelves you once expected. Protein bars, gummies and shakes are all examples. As an example of the former, Bullet Proof’s Collagen Protein Bars have “11g of protein, 2g of sugar, lownet- carbs & gluten-free… have grass-fed collagen, which provides building blocks for healthy skin, bones and joints.”
This reflects growing awareness that natural collagen production declines with age.
“Powders have the versatility to allow personalisation. This means collagen can be readily, easily added to smoothies, coffee and other liquidtype formats. As a prepared product, yoghurt, bars, ready-to-drink beverages and soups are increasingly being developed and consumed,” explains Len Monheit, executive director of the Collagen Stewardship Alliance.
“On the supplement side, recent developments have allowed higher dosing of formats like gummies that are extremely well done and palatable.”
“As a prepared product, yoghurt, bars, ready-to-drink beverages and soups are increasingly being developed and consumed.”
Len Monheit
In fact, IMARC Group’s ‘Collagen Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast’ paper estimates the market for collagen is set to reach $17.7bn by 2033.
The 2025 functional food and beverage survey by the Industry Transparency Centre found that 613 respondents in the US (61%) and 596 the UK (59%) were collagen consumers. Rationale included the health of features like bones, hair, gut and brain, but also sometimes to deal with weight management, athletic performance, arthritis or even paleo benefits.
The findings also suggest global variations in trends underpinning how people take collagen. For instance, it ranged from a high of 38% in Korea, down to 22% in Germany. Yet, according to IMARC Group, it’s Europe that dominates the current market, with a share of 33.2% in 2024.
Monheit anticipates more gummies hitting retailers imminently.
Public perception
Traditionally, collagen sources have been the by-product of food/meat production; for instance, chicken, fish, bovine and porcine skin, scales and cartilage further broken down or rendered.
But this is changing in line with a society that places rising value on the ethical origin of many products, not just types of food products.
“The innovations and improvements in farming and manufacturing industries mean we can now provide ethically sourced, sustainable and environmentally friendly collagen products, with efficiently hydrolysed peptides providing clinical benefits that consumers can believe in,” says Dr Dave Reilly, senior scientist at Absolute Collagen.
“Increasing protein intake generally is important but ensure that part of the increased protein intake is provided by collagen, as it’s been shown to help maintain bone and muscle health in elderly populations.”
Dr Dave Reilly
“It’s no surprise that it’s gaining popularity and it’s expected to continue reaching more people and a wider age range, as consumers look to improve their well-being and enjoy living a healthier lifestyle to a later age in life.”
However, Monheit warns to be aware of the recent trend of the “vegan collagen misnomer”.
He explains: “To claim collagen can be vegan isn’t factually accurate. Rather, it should be noted [in] the technique of production. For the Collagen Stewardship Alliance, we would argue that the language should be something like: ‘is a non-animal collagen produced by fermentation (or another technique)’.
“Part of the reason for this is transparency and expectation management; the other is a need for identification of both source and type when talking about collagen, as the scientific benefits are directly related to source and type. And lab or cell-grown collagen, like ‘meat alternatives’, don’t contain any of the matrix or scaffolding elements found in animals.
“Not all hydrolysed collagens are exactly equal. The process or degree of hybridisation is often different, impacting effect and other factors.”
What else could explain its appeal across all ages?
Usage of collagen supplements is rising across almost all age groups, including younger adults under 50, despite their naturally higher collagen production. Experts note that collagen levels decline with age and can be further affected by lifestyle factors such as smoking, UV exposure and excessive alcohol consumption, which may contribute to visible signs of ageing, weaker nails, thinning hair and joint discomfort. Research reviews suggest that collagen supplementation may improve skin firmness, suppleness and hydration, while reducing the appearance of wrinkles. There is also some evidence that collagen could support joint health by alleviating pain and slowing cartilage degradation, although additional studies are needed to confirm these benefits.
“Loss of muscle strength, such as sarcopenia, and loss of bone strength, such as decreased bone mineral density post-menopause, are increasingly difficult problems affecting the elderly,” Reilly adds. “Increasing protein intake generally is important but ensure that part of the increased protein intake is provided by collagen, as it’s been shown to help maintain bone and muscle health in elderly populations.”
Those taking GLP-1 agonists, and therefore losing muscle mass, might also benefit.
Other reasons for the widespread appeal include the ‘influencer effect’, traditionally tailored more towards younger audiences; emerging science on hydration, joint support and protein applications; and collagen’s versatility in various formats and applications. Industry Transparency Centre data shows that the hair, skin and beauty sectors are predominantly female, but are associated with sizeable male consumer groups, too.
Markets seem to care about clinically backed branded ingredients. “The market itself has seen new supplier participation from around the world and the protein/muscle/strength market is a big one for those suppliers. Typically, the beauty or joint markets are more elastic, higher margin,” advises Monheit.
“For ingredient manufacturers and formulators, collagen remains a high-potential platform for innovation and will continue to offer wide-ranging opportunities across beauty-from-within, active nutrition and healthy ageing categories,” Monheit concludes.
