If you’re vegan, you know perfectly well how hard it is to get all the nutrients your body needs solely from your food.
And when it comes to collagen - the protein that we mostly source from animal-based foods and supplements, it gets even harder.
Your body can also synthesize its own collagen and help you get back your healthy glow in no time.
So, how can you stimulate your body to produce sufficient amounts of collagen when you’re on a vegan or vegetarian diet?
In this article, we’ll help you understand what vegan-friendly collagen is and which natural supplements to try.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What Is Vegan Collagen?
- Is Vegan Collagen Effective?
- What to look for in a vegan collagen supplement?
- 11 Best Vegan Collagen Supplements
What is Vegan Collagen?
As you already know supplements contain collagen that comes from the bones, skin, and connective tissue of animals like cattle, pigs, fish, and horses.
And of course, for the non-vegans, it comes from foods like bone broth, chicken, fish, and eggs.
The good news is you actually don’t need an external source of collagen because your body can produce its own.
To create collagen, your body needs a sufficient supply of minerals and vitamins. There are a couple of ingredients that take part in collagen synthesis including vitamin C, amino acids (proteins), silica, zinc, copper, and polysaccharides.
However, once you reach your mid-twenties, your body produces less and less collagen each year. That’s when wrinkles start showing and your skin slowly loses its elasticity.
To make up for the decreasing levels of collagen in your body, you just have to get enough nutrients that will stimulate its production.
That’s where vegan collagen supplements come in handy. They provide all the ingredients your body needs to start producing collagen.
And the end result is healthier-looking skin, hair, and nails.
Is Vegan Collagen Effective?
When you take regular collagen supplements, your body can’t actually absorb that collagen fully.
In fact, it’s easier and more effective for your body to build its own collagen from scratch than having to break down collagen from another source.
This is why vegan collagen builders could be a good solution. They provide you with all the natural ingredients that your body needs to synthesize collagen on its own. And most of them are 100% organic and cruelty-free which is not the case with animal-based collagen supplements.
Also, the vegan alternative is not as heavily processed as animal-sourced collagen supplements. This makes it a healthier and more natural way to get your collagen supply.
What to Look For in a Vegan Collagen Supplement?
Pure vegan collagen is still a work in progress, so first of all, be cautious of any manufacturer that claims it sells true vegan collagen. Honorable brands will label their product as either a “vegan collagen booster”, or “vegan collagen builder”.
Secondly, a high-quality vegan collagen supplement will contain some (if not all) of the necessary vitamins and nutrients the body needs to naturally produce collagen. These include:
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
- Copper
- Amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
And third, make sure to purchase from an ethical, transparent, and 100% cruelty-free brand. Look for certified companies supported by research studies that use highly bioavailable nutrients.
This information can typically be found very easily in the brand’s official website’s policy. On top of it, consider reading reviews as a way to reduce your doubts, and evaluate the brand’s credibility and reliability.
We’d also recommend purchasing from brands with solid refund policies. That way, if a product doesn’t meet your needs, or simply doesn’t serve you in the way you’d hoped, the company can compensate you.
11 Best Vegan Collagen Supplements
If you want to try out a vegan collagen supplement but you have no idea which is the right one for you, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite ones:
- Vegan Collagen Builder by Happy Healthy Hippie
- Garden of Life Organic Plant Collagen Builder
- Reserveage Vegan Collagen Builder
- Codeage Beauty Tonic
- PlantFusion Complete Plant Collagen Builder
- Moon Juice Collagen Protect
- Ora Organic Vegan Collagen-Boosting Powder
- Vitauthority Plant Based Collagen Booster Powder
- Sunwarrior Vegan Collagen Building Protein Peptides
- Amazing Grass GLOW Vegan Collagen Support
- Organifi Glow
Keep on reading to learn more about each of the top featured 11 vegan collagen supplements!
#1. Vegan Collagen Builder
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This vegan collagen builder contains 30 active non-GMO ingredients among which are different fruits, vegetables, herbs, and minerals. All of them work towards giving you a healthy glow and stimulating the production of the 3 beauty building blocks collagen, keratin, and elastin.
Once you start taking the supplement you will notice that your hair is shinier, nails are stronger and skin looks brighter. It can also reduce joint and muscle pain.
And if you’re not a fan of mixing powders, this supplement comes in the form of tablets that are flavorless and easy to take.
#2. Garden of Life Organic Plant Collagen Builder
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This vegan collagen supplement contains silica - an important mineral responsible for the strength of your hair, nails, and the elasticity of your skin. Another ingredient is the polyphenolic pomegranate which will protect your skin from dangerous UV rays.
The rich food blend contains all the vitamins and antioxidants you need including vitamin A, C, E, biotin, turmeric, and green tea extract. This way you get a full-blown health boost and better-looking hair, skin, nails, and stronger joints.
#3. Reserveage Vegan Collagen Builder
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With time, it’s normal that you start noticing some wrinkles, especially if your skin is exposed to sun, cosmetics, and other environmental toxins.
But that shouldn’t discourage you. All you need is to replenish the supply of nutrients your skin needs to get its fresh and plump look back. In this vegan collagen supplement, you can find all ingredients you need to rejuvenate your skin and keep it moisturized.
And with the all-in-one combination of vitamins, amino acids, silica, and ceramides you can do that in no time.
#4. Codeage Beauty Tonic
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The beauty tonic is an all-in-one multivitamin and collagen builder that will make you feel healthy inside and out.
The food blend contains bamboo, guava, holy basil, and alma berry among other ingredients.
Combine that with all essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants like vitamin C, B-complex, Amla berry, and holy basil and the end result is a healthier and more youthful look.
And the best part is that you get the purest ingredients that are certified as 100% organic and non-GMO with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
#5. PlantFusion Complete Plant Collagen Builder
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This powder collagen builder helps your body to build new collagen and it supports the already-existing collagen in your body by preventing it from breaking down.
The vegan collagen supplement is a unique blend from Saberry amla fruit extract, plant protein, white tea extract, and amino acids like glycine and proline. But it also contains the additives guar gum and tapioca powder, which are put in to improve the consistency and thickness of the mix in the liquid.
You can choose from 3 flavors - chocolate, vanilla, and original, all of which go well mixed in your morning coffee, hot chocolate, or a shake.
#6. Moon Juice Collagen Protect
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This vegan collagen supplement contains Hyaluronic Acid, Tocos, and Silver Ear Mushroom. With only 3 ingredients, you get all the nourishment you need for better-looking skin, hair, and nails.
Additionally, you source your body with protein, vitamin D, E, and other minerals that help boost the natural production of collagen in your body.
And you get all these benefits in the form of a tasty creamer. So if you’re not a fan of pills or weird-looking powders, that’s a good alternative.
#7. Ora Organic Vegan Collagen-Boosting Powder
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This vegan collagen booster contains aloe vera, which helps with the building of stronger collagen structures in your body. That’s because aloe vera contains polysaccharides that are essential ingredients for the collagen formation.
Besides this ingredient, the powder-like supplement also contains vitamin C, E, silica, and protein. This way, you have all the ingredients you need to start producing sufficient amounts of collagen to get your healthy glow back.
#8. Vitauthority Plant Based Collagen Booster Powder
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This vegan collagen booster powder is made with 100% organic ingredients and no added sugars or artificial additives.
The powerful plant blend includes Camu Camu, pomegranate, and Amla berry extract, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on your skin, hair, and nails. They help neutralize any free radicals that cause the formation of wrinkles and saggy-looking skin.
The combination of Hyaluronic Acid and coconut water will leave you refreshed and hydrated for a long time. The powder has a light pink lemonade taste that is sweetened with stevia and contains only 15 calories per serving.
#9. Sunwarrior Vegan Collagen Building Protein Peptides
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The collagen-building protein peptides powder is a good option if you're on a vegan, keto, or paleo diet. The powder has zero added sugars and no artificial sweeteners.
And if you’re looking for a tasty vegan collagen supplement that also contains lots of protein, this one’s a good choice. The powder comes in 3 flavors - original, chocolate, and vanilla, and contains 18 g of protein per serving.
The peptides come in combination with biotin, lysine, and vitamin C among other ingredients. This stimulates collagen production in your body and results in healthier skin, nails, hair, joints, bones, and muscles.
#10. Amazing Grass GLOW Vegan Collagen Support
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Our VEGAN COLLAGEN BUILDER is a natural & vegan-friendly solution that supports you by:
- Promoting glowing skin, healthy nails, and beautiful hair.
- Boosting your body's natural production of collagen, keratin, and elastin.
- Completely plant-based and vegan-friendly
- Contains 35 powerful, pure herbs, fruits, veggies, and vitamins
Try it risk free with our 60-Day Money Back Guarantee.
This vegan collagen supplement is a combination of a collagen booster and a protein supplement.
It comes in 3 flavors - berry, chocolate, and vanilla, and at a very affordable price. But even though it has no added sugars, the stevia sweetener might be too strong for some of you.
But if you don’t mind the stevia, this supplement might be a good option. It’s a great source of biotin, vitamin C and B-complex among other ingredients that support the collagen synthesis in your body and give you shinier skin, stronger hair, and nails.
#11. Organifi Glow
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This organic supplement is a mix of 13 superfoods that will boost your collagen production levels in no time. And you get that in the form of a powder with fresh raspberry flavor.
The end result is a low-calorie tasty juice that has all the collagen-making ingredients you need. It’s a good solution if you want to avoid the more filling and nutritious collagen supplements.
Not only do you get a more moisturized and softer skin, but also a full vitamin complex, including iron, zinc, vitamin C, and calcium.
Vegan Collagen FAQ
#1. Do vegans get enough collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body. It’s what holds together our muscles, bones, and skin.
But if you’re vegan, that means you can’t get collagen directly from your food, because as we already know, collagen is 100% animal-based.
So, chances are, your body probably needs to consume more foods that can boost its ability to naturally make collagen. This includes foods rich in vitamin C, zinc, copper, and amino acids. Besides dieting, vegan collagen boosters and builders are a second great way to boost collagen without consuming meat.
#2. Is vegan collagen effective?
As we’ve mentioned, there’s no known source of a vegan collagen, and scientists are still looking for ways to develop a vegan collagen product under laboratory conditions.
This being said, vegan collagen boosters and builders are highly effective alternatives. They contain all of the nutrients necessary to boost the body’s natural collagen production, strengthen bones and muscles, increase energy levels, and fight off stress & anxiety.
#3. Which vegan foods are high in collagen?
Foods that help collagen production contain vitamin C, zinc, copper, and amino acids.
Some of the best alternatives to incorporate into your vegan diet include:
- Strawberries
- Citrus fruit such as oranges, mandarine, lime, grapefruit, lemons, etc.
- Tropical fruit such as kiwi, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, acai, etc
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Legumes such as lentils, beans, and chickpeas
- Oats
- Tofu
- Nuts and seeds such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc.
Conclusion
Knowing exactly what you put in your body is very important.
A vegan collagen builder provides you with vitamin-dense formula and high-quality ingredients that support the creation of collagen in your body.
This way, you avoid sourcing collagen from regular supplements that usually go under heavy processing before making their way to you. Substituting them with vegan alternatives is a natural and cruelty-free way of getting your daily dose of collagen.
In the end, aim for the collagen supplement that works best for you and makes you feel amazing.