7 J-Beauty Approved Tips on How To Choose the Best Collagen Drinks for Radiant Skin

Collagen drinks are easy to take and a great way to supplement your usual diet, not to mention to up your beauty game. Do you know how to choose the best collagen drinks?

Japanese women take advantage of the benefits of collagen drinks, and I’ve been certainly one of them for over two decades.

Studies have shown that taking collagen peptides (smaller molecules than collagen) orally is effective in reducing wrinkles, increasing elasticity and moisture in the skin.

To keep radiant skin, sometimes it’s not enough to follow a good skincare regime because ultimately beautiful skin comes from the inside out!

You can start small today to make your skin glow more by adding a collagen drink to your diet!

Even if you get too busy (we all do don’t we?), and occasionally your diet becomes a little off than usual, you still can do your skin a favour by taking a tiny bottle of collagen drink!

With so many collagen drinks available, it is challenging to choose ones that are just right for your skin and your body’s needs.

If you don’t know where to start, I have 7 easy tips on how to choose the best collagen drinks for you below! The list is what I check when choosing mine, and I learned it from a Japanese skin doctor.

Let’s dive in!

How To Choose The Best Collagen Drinks

1 – Choose a Type of Collage Based on Your Needs

In our body, there are several different forms of collagen – up to 90% are either type I, II or III collagen. Different collagen drinks contain different types of collagens.  

Generally speaking, there are two types of collagen drinks. One that is specifically designed to work on the skin and the one on joints.

For Radiant and Beautiful Skin:

If you want to increase firmness, elasticity and moisture of the skin, choose a collagen drink that contains type I collagen.

Type I collagen is the most abundant collagen of the human body, and it makes up of the major part of our skin and bones.

For Stronger Bones & Joints:

If you want stronger joints, pick one that contains type II collagen. 

Type II collagen is present in cartilage (no type I in cartilage), and it is effective in reducing general joint pains, including age-related ones.

2 – Look for Collagen Peptide or Low Molecular Collagen

Studies and doctors will tell you that collagen actually cannot be absorbed by the body. It has to be broken down into smaller peptides for the body to absorb easily.

So, you want to make sure the beauty drinks you are buying contain either “collagen peptides” or “low-molecular-weight collagen peptides“.

If you want more potent one, look for ones that contain “tripeptide” which has even lower molecular weight. It can be a little expensive, but it’s worth a try.

3 – Animal-Based or Fish-Based

The collagen absorption rate depends on the type of collagen peptides. They are mainly categorised into two types. Animal-based or fish-based.

Animal-based collagen products are inexpensive and affordable. If you want to save money or just try out, they are good options. 

Fish-based products are more expensive as fish-based collagen is smaller in molecule size than animal-based and easily absorbed. It is also more effective. If you want to see the effect and results fast, choose fish-based.

For fish-based ones, it’s best to choose one that is made out of fish skin and soft bones instead of fish scales. It’s because fish scales are very hard and they have to be processed with some chemical like hydrochloric acid. Although it’s totally safe to consume and no harm to our body, collagen peptide chains can be damaged during the processing stage with it, so be aware that the effect of those collagen peptides may not be as effective.

Please note that there are many animal-based collagen products which are just as fine molecules as fish-based. They can as effective as fish-based, so the best way is really to try out both types to see which you prefer and works best for your skin.

4 – Check if Vitamin C or Iron is Included

Vitamin C and Iron are known to support collagen production, and they are essential for maintaining radiant skin.

When you consume collagen peptides via drinks, they once get broken down into amino acids and sent to various parts of the body. Afterwards, they are synthesised and become collagen again. And, Vitamin C and iron have the ability to enhance the process.

Vitamin C also can help restrain the formation of melanin pigments which leads to skin spots and freckles. Another reason to make sure Vitamin C is in the ingredient list!

You may also want to look for Vitamin B if you are also interested in taking care of hair too. B Vitamins are one of the best vitamins known for hair growth.

Additionally, this is particular to J-Beauty (and K-Beauty), but you may find an ingredient called “placenta“. It’s widely used in J-Beauty and K-Beauty products, and it’s known for fighting against wrinkles working at the cellular level. It helps to hydrate and rejuvenate the skin.

Other ingredients like “royal jelly” and “ceramides“ are also common in Japanese beauty drinks, particularly for anti-ageing.

5 – 5g for Skin and 10g for Joints

It’s also important to check the amount of collagen included. For collagen peptides to be effective, you want to look for at least 5g (5,000mg) per day for skin and 10g (10,000mg) per day for joints.

Among the collagen drinks sold in Japan, they contain about 1g (1,000mg)+ up to 10g (10,000mg). They do vary greatly, but it’s best to start taking the recommended amount of 5g if you are just trying out.

From my experience, it’s not that the higher the amount, the more effective. I thought like “if I go for higher amounts, maybe I can get porcelain skin!!” Very naive of me – it wasn’t that simple lol.

It also depends on how well the collagen peptides are made for the body to absorb. If the drink has supporting ingredients like vitamins, iron, etc., then it can be as effective with the recommended amount.

6 – Flavour and Amount

Collagen drinks come in many flavours! So, choose one that YOU like. It’s easier to keep it a part of your ritual that way. 

When I tried ones with a high amount of collagen (10g+), the taste was not my liking, and it also had a thick and rich creamy texture which is typical in high amounts of collagen. I couldn’t really continue drinking and gave up after a few days.

Also, you want to consider the size of the bottles. Some come in small quantities, and it’s easy to carry even in your handbag 🙂 

If you find the taste of collagen drinks off-putting in general, I recommend you try collagen tablets instead. Collagen tablets have less amount of collagen peptides than drinks, but it’s easy to keep taking them and cost-saving! Shiseido produced one that is as effective as its drink version and highly recommended! Click the bottle to see it on Amazon.

courtesy of brand

Or, you can even try it in powder form! If you cook it with your meals, it tastes different every time, and you don’t get bored :). I personally recommend Shiseido The Collagen Power.

Click the bag to see it on Amazon!

courtesy of brand

7 – Box Sets & Subscriptions

The price also varies depending on the amount of collagen and supporting ingredients contained in the drinks. 

From my experience, I can say expensive ones are NOT necessarily the best. The high price tag doesn’t guarantee the quality of the ingredients either.  

Sometimes, it’s a case of the other supporting ingredients like hyaluronic acid or royal jelly, making the price shoot up. So watch out!

Once you’ve found the one you like, you may want to buy in a box set or get onto a monthly subscription plan if the company offers that. This way, you can save money and make it easier to keep going.

Long-Term Game

I’ve always loved drinking collagen drinks since my mom introduced me when I was a teenager, and I still drink them regularly. I certainly recommend you try some and add them to your beauty ritual!

Just remember, it is a long-term game. You may not see immediate results like in a few days, but you will see a big difference in five or ten years when your friends have not drunk any at all.

So, start today 🙂 it’s never too late.

If you need more help in which brands to choose, I have a list of most popular collagen drinks Japanese women swear by. I will be sharing soon in a new post. Stay tuned!