What are the best vegan collagen supplements UK buyers can find?
Scarlett Gray
BNutrDiet (Hons), APD, SDA
Reviewed by Scarlett Gray · About Scarlett
Accredited Practising Dietitian with Dietitians Australia (APD200526). Accredited Sports Dietitian and Credentialled Eating Disorder Clinician. First Class Honours in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Newcastle.
So you're seeking the best vegan collagen supplements UK buyers can take. One of the first things you'll discover is that there is a fundamental difference between so-called vegan collagen and bovine or marine collagen supplements. The collagen protein comes from the bodies of animals with skin and bones — it isn't present in plants. So it isn't currently possible to bring a fully vegan or vegetarian supplement to market that contains actual collagen.
What vegan "collagen" products do contain are various plant-based ingredients and cofactors that play a role in the body's natural collagen synthesis. Let's walk through the full picture.
What is collagen?
Collagen is a protein that's abundant in the human body, made up of a number of amino acids — primarily glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. It plays a fundamental role in the structure of skin, bones, hair, nails, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. As we age, natural collagen production declines — this starts as early as our twenties, at roughly 1% per year, and accelerates around menopause because oestrogen (which directly supports collagen production) drops sharply.
Our body synthesises collagen using amino acids like proline, glycine and hydroxyproline. There are at least 28 types of collagen, each playing different roles in different tissues. To support declining collagen levels, collagen supplements can be taken as a daily habit to support the body's own collagen production.
The main sources of dietary collagen
The most-researched collagen supplements on the market use two main sources: hides, bones and cartilage of cattle (bovine collagen) or the skin of fish (marine collagen). Kollo uses high-quality Naticol® marine collagen extracted through hydrolysis, which breaks down the large collagen molecules into smaller peptides for absorption.
These animal-derived products are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. So they don't belong on a list of the best vegan collagen supplements UK consumers can take.
Does vegan collagen exist?
Not in the true sense. What's marketed as "vegan collagen" is more accurately described as a collagen booster — a product containing nutrients and cofactors intended to support the body's own collagen synthesis, rather than providing actual collagen peptides.
The cofactors typically included (vitamin C, zinc, copper and sometimes manganese) are genuinely involved in collagen cross-linking and hydroxylation — the biological processes by which the body builds collagen structure. So the ingredients aren't fake or arbitrary; they play real roles. But they're supporting the body to produce its own collagen, not supplying preformed collagen.
Vegan collagen booster ingredients typically include:
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
- Copper
- Manganese
- Vitamin B5
- Various amino acids
How do vegan collagen boosters differ from hydrolysed collagen supplements?
Collagen peptides are more bioavailable than intact collagen. They're absorbed as small signalling peptides that reach fibroblasts and may stimulate collagen production in ways free amino acids don't. Your body breaks them down and uses them as building blocks and signals for your own collagen production.
Your body cannot make collagen without:
- Vitamin C — essential for building the collagen structure
- Copper — needed to strengthen and cross-link collagen
- Zinc — supports tissue repair
- Protein / amino acids — provides the actual building blocks
Vegan collagen boosters don't contain collagen itself. Instead, they typically provide the nutrients the body needs to make collagen, such as protein, vitamin C, zinc and copper. These nutrients can generally be obtained from a balanced diet. The body breaks dietary protein down into amino acids, which it uses to build its own collagen, while vitamin C is essential for several steps in collagen production.
This is different from hydrolysed collagen, which is made by breaking animal-derived collagen down into smaller peptides. These collagen peptides can be absorbed and provide amino acids and peptides that may support collagen-related processes.
For most people, a varied diet that provides sufficient protein, vitamin C and other essential nutrients is cheaper than a dedicated vegan collagen booster supplement.
What goes into vegan "collagen" products?
Because plants do not naturally contain collagen, vegan collagen products rely on combinations of plant ingredients, vitamins, minerals and other compounds intended to support collagen synthesis. Some products may also contain fillers, binders, flavourings or other additives to create the desired formulation.
Hydrolysed collagen products, meanwhile, are made from collagen extracted from animal sources such as bovine or marine tissue and then broken down into smaller peptides.
How sustainable are Kollo marine collagen supplements?
The marine collagen that goes into every sachet of Kollo comes from Naticol®, a French company (Weishardt Group, founded 1839) with strong sustainability credentials. Naticol® is dual-certified by Friend of the Sea and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and is sourced from fish skins that are byproducts of the fishing industry — parts that would otherwise be discarded. No fish die specifically for collagen extraction; it's a genuine circular economy input to what would otherwise be waste.
Marine collagen is still an animal product, so it isn't suitable for people seeking vegan collagen supplements in the UK. But the sourcing process is genuinely sustainable, and if you're pescatarian, marine collagen fits your dietary approach.
If vegan collagen boosters are limited, is marine collagen worth considering?
If your reasons for exploring vegan collagen were about seeking effective collagen support (rather than strict vegan dietary requirements), the research on hydrolysed marine collagen is more developed. Research areas where marine collagen has been studied include:
- Improving the health and appearance of skin (systematic review evidence)
- Supporting bone health
- Preserving muscle mass or reducing fat mass*
- Alleviating joint pain
- Supporting heart health*
- Improving the appearance of hair and nails
If you're vegan and remain vegan for ethical reasons, Kollo's marine collagen products won't be suitable. However, Kollo Balance+ is registered with The Vegan Society and may suit you — it's a menopause support supplement rather than a collagen product, formulated with vegan-friendly botanicals and nutrients.
Final thoughts on the best vegan collagen supplements UK buyers can find
At the time of writing, there is no true vegan collagen supplement. There are only vegan food supplements containing nutrients that may support your body's collagen synthesis. Even the best-formulated vegan collagen boosters in the UK are unlikely to work in the same way as actual hydrolysed collagen supplements, because they aren't providing collagen peptides themselves.
A hydrolysed marine or bovine collagen supplement is a different category of product, with different (and generally more developed) research behind it. If your diet allows for pescatarian options, marine collagen is worth considering. If you're strictly vegan, the honest picture is that a balanced diet providing adequate protein, vitamin C, zinc and copper is a reasonable foundation for supporting your body's collagen production — with a vegan collagen booster as an optional add-on rather than a magic solution.
There is emerging research on lab-grown collagen produced through fermentation using bacteria and yeast, which could eventually offer a genuine vegan collagen option. This technology is developing but not yet widely available as a consumer supplement.
Kollo Health was co-founded by Jenni Falconer — TV presenter, Smooth Radio breakfast host, ten-time London Marathon runner and host of the RunPod podcast. Read her story and why she created Kollo.
