If you are looking to add collagen to your diet you may have researched a bit about what is collagen, how collagen helps in general and of course, the next big question you may have, is what is the difference between collagen powder vs liquid collagen - and most importantly, what should you choose?

In this post, we will be comparing both collagen powder and liquid collagen, some of their features, specifications and my opinion on which you should choose.

What Is Collagen?

As you may already know collagen is a type of protein. This protein is actually found in every living thing, including humans (of course). Collagen provides the necessary structure to your skin, bones, tendons, organs, teeth, muscles, and blood vessels.

As far as us humans - in case you didn't know already - collagen makes up to 33% of the protein in our body.

As we have discussed before, collagen decreases as we age. It starts early, from the age of 18y - 20yrs and continues to decline by 1% each year. And that's why collagen supplementation is so important - collagen supplements boost your collagen levels once you start taking a collagen supplement on a daily basis.

With some basic maths skills, this essentially means that your collagen levels are reduced by 30% by the age of 50. Calculate collagen levels when you reach 70 years - and you will be depressed.

Low collagen levels show up as saggy, crepe-like skin, “turkey” neck, achy joints, bone-on-bone pain, an irritated gut, and more.

In the past, before industrialisation and the crazy work life as well as the abundance of choices in ready-made food, the simple human was replenishing most of his collagen from consuming fish skin, meat cartilage and offal, and other parts of animals that we don’t consume now. 

Nowadays, it is simply not possible. Modern diets exclude any collagen found naturally.

Today, you can quickly get your daily dose of Collagen with an easy-to-take supplement, with the most common one being collagen powder.

All you have to do is get a scoop, measure the required dose and simply mix it in your coffee, smoothie, breakfast, lunch or wherever else you want. It's that simple! 

However, there are a multitude of options now available, which can simplify this process even more, hence, the appearance of new collagen supplements in a liquid form—as a pre-made drink.

Who uses collagen supplements?

There's a reason why collagen has exploded in popularity in the last 5 or 6 years. The primary reason, as stated above, is that your collagen levels drop after the age of 18. Collagen supplements have several scientifically proven health benefits. 

• Get More Elastic Skin:

Our skin is made up of about 75% collagen.2 Studies show that women who take collagen daily report improved skin elasticity and increased hydration (source)

• Reduce Wrinkles

Remember what we said above? (that collagen decreases with age?). Collagen reduction is the primary reason why your skin will begin to wrinkle and sag at the age of 40 (plus or minus). Studies in women between the ages of 35 and 65 have found that taking a daily collagen supplement over 12 weeks improved skin thickness and firmness, visible reducing wrinkles and making their skin more "elastic" (source).

• Improve Your Joints:

When joints start to ache, they are creaky and you hear weird noises when you move them, this means that the collagen between the joints is severely reduced, which results in pain and inflammation. Taking collagen daily may help to protect the cartilage around the joints and slow down the effects of arthritis (source).

• Prevent Bone Loss:

Suffering from osteoporosis? There is good news.  In 2016 a published study found that taking a collagen supplement daily can improve bone mineral density and help relieve pain in women with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (source).

• Building More Muscle:

Love exercise? You should (says the person who doesn't). A study back in 2019 found out that if you combine strength training exercises with consuming collagen it helps to build and keep muscle mass  in as little as 12 weeks (source)

• Get A More Healthy Heart:

Did you know that collagen essentially builds, maintains and keeps our arteries healthy (mover over milk!) Over time, these arteries harden because of different materials that are deposited from various sources (milk, instant coffee etc) and lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease.

In 2017 a study that was published, revealed that taking a daily collagen supplement can reduce artery stiffness and helps to prevent and treat artery disease (source)

• Get Stronger Teeth & Nails:

Collagen helps to build better teeth and stronger nails. We will refer to a  2017 study again that researched and found in a clinical study that women with brittle nail syndrome who took a daily collagen supplement, experienced a 12% increase in nail growth and a 42% decrease in nail breakage (source)!

What is powdered collagen?

Well, powder collagen is, collagen in powder form. It looks like protein powder, but it is collagen - just to understand the context here. As with protein powder, powdered collagen usually is mixed with water or anything else you want and then consumed.

Reading this post means that you are interested in CORREXIKO's Collagen product ranges, so let's clarify a few things.

Collagen is separated into two types:

• Marine Collagen

• Collagen Peptides (Bovine Collagen)

The Marine Collagen Powder from CORREXIKO is:

Made of fish skin. Unlike other mainstream brands, which use the fish bones and scales, deriving collagen from fish skin is a much harder process, BUT it yields better quality collagen and you get more collagen concentration than in fish scales. 

The skin we use comes from unfarmed, deep sea fish that is harvested in the pristine Canadian waters. We simply refuse to use farmed fish, because the majority of the fish farms try to grow their profits, cramming fish in little spaces, giving rise to infections and heavy antibody use to combat it.

It is 100%  RAW collagen powder. We do not add any chemicals, sweeteners (like other brands), preservatives or any flow agents. What you get is a completely natural collagen powder.

The Collagen Peptides Powder from CORREXIKO is:

Sourced from Argentinian free range and pasture raised cattle. As with the Marine Collagen, you get 100% Bovine Collagen powder with absolutely no additives.

What Is Liquid Collagen?

In the last few years, consumers were introduced to the new form of mass-produced collagen that comes in liquid form. The main need for making liquid collagen is convenience, as in most developed countries, most consumers are being forced by mainstream media to use ready-made meals and this includes supplements.

Liquid collagen is simply collagen powder dissolved in water.

Are there any benefits of taking liquid collagen?

The main benefit is convenience (tear the pack and drink it, or in the case of bottled collagen supplements, you just open the cap and consume it).

Well, liquid collagen is simply collagen powder dissolved in a liquid. So the effect should be the same. However, collagen powder is normally dissolved in a glass of water, but liquid collagen is in 15ml of water, so is highly concentrated. This means it has a very strong and unpleasant flavour. To disguise this, strong sweeteners need to be added. Sweeteners have been shown to damage collagen.

Also when collagen is dissolved in fluids, it doesn’t last long before expiring, so preservatives need to be added. 

So the effects of liquid collagen may not be as effective as collagen powder.

However, there are many brands claiming that liquid supplements are more bioavailable than powders, so we checked it out. 

Just like powdered collagen, liquid collagen is sourced from the skin and bones of fish or cattle. Is there something that makes liquid collagen more unique?

In all honestly, not really.

Liquid collagen is simply collagen powder mixed in some kind of liquid (most brands will never say this and they tend to keep it hidden).

Essentially the only convenience or "benefit" you get is not having to stir it into your drink. It is only as bioavailable as the collagen powder from which it is made. So whatever claims a liquid collagen brand claims, they are referring to the original source, not the end collagen they sell.

Could I get any allergic reactions to liquid collagen?

Possibly yes. The reason is that because liquid collagen has a lot of additives - like preservatives and sweeteners -  people may experience an allergic reaction to these substances. Always check the ingredient list.

If you experience any symptoms after taking liquid collagen supplements, you must stop taking them and consult a doctor instead.

Ok, It Is Now Comparing Time: How Does Collagen Powder Compare With Liquid Collagen?

• Cost

Each sachet of liquid collagen costs MORE than getting an equal or higher amount of 100% collagen powder. Wondering how? 

With the extra processing, additives, sweeteners, and increased packaging, liquid collagen will be more expensive than collagen powders. So most liquid collagen brands offer 10 - 14 servings per package, whereas collagen powders offer 30 - 45 servings at a similar cost.

• Specific quantity vs what you need:

With collagen powder, you decide how much you need. All you have to do is dig inside your collagen pouch and scoop as much as you want. Not experiencing the results you wanted? Simply add more collagen and see how your body responds.

We’re all different, with different issues to solve. You have the flexibility to decide the dose that works best for you. 

With liquid collagen, you are forced to take the quantity of collagen that the brand WANTS to sell you.

• Taste:

Pure collagen powder (specifically talking about CORREXIKO Collagen powder) tastes neutral.  It is just like you didn't add anything to your coffee or smoothie. It is tasteless, odourless and can mix with any liquid or food. 

In contrast, the liquid collagen supplements you get on the market today can taste very unpleasant.

• Completely versatile:

  • Collagen powder from CORREXIKO can be completely versatile. 

  • You can mix it with any liquid - think tea, coffee, smoothies

  • You can add it to your cereals

  • You can add it while you cook your food, and it doesn't lose its benefits

  • You can bake it into cakes, desserts - even in cocktails and other drinks

  • Some customers reported to us that they make face masks!

• Ingredients used:

While liquid collagen is collagen powder dissolved into a liquid, not all collagen powders are created equal.

We double hydrolyse our collagen to create highly effective fast acting collagen peptides.

CORREXIKO Marine collagen is the only collagen powder in the EU that is made from the skin of wild caught fish from pristine Canadian waters.

If a brand doesn’t state the provenance of its collagen, you have to wonder why. Most collagen in the UK is from farmed fish from China and Vietnam.

Conclusion

Collagen powder is your definitive choice if you want to have a highly effective collagen product, that is free from additives.

Collagen powder gives the flexibility of dosage, allowing you to choose the amount that suits you best.

And it’s cost-effective, costing half the price of most liquid collagen.

Finally, unlike other collagen powders in the market, CORREXIKO is the only brand that offers collagen peptides sourced from the Fish skin of wild caught fish from the pristine Canadian Arctic sea.