Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Collagen Supplements for Different Uses

Involved in over 300 processes, collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and acts as a vital building block for your skin, bones, and connective tissues. As we age, our body’s natural collagen production decreases, so it’s important to maintain regular collagen intake through diet and supplementation.

Here, we will summarise everything you should know about collagen supplements for different uses , including skin health and supporting joint pain, and our recommended products stocked at Meaghers Pharmacy.

Collagen Supplements for Skin-Focused Goals: Benefits & Our Top Picks

When it comes to improving skin appearance, certain types of collagen are considered more effective than others. The most common collagen sources are animal-based, such as bovine (cow) and marine (fish) , but vegan collagen alternatives are also gaining popularity.

Type I collagen is the most prevalent in our skin, making up the majority of the dermal layer, and is directly responsible for the skin's structure, firmness, and loss of elasticity. Marine collagen peptides are an excellent source of Type I collagen and have high bioavailability.

Potential benefits of collagen supplements for skin health include:

• Improved Skin Hydration: may help the skin retain moisture, reducing dryness and promoting a plumper look.
• Enhanced Skin Elasticity: linked to better skin resilience, helping it bounce back and resist sagging.
• Reduction in Wrinkles: studies suggest a decrease in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with regular use.

For more information, read our expert guide to choosing collagen supplements to help support skin health and beauty goals here.

Below are some of our recommended collagen supplements to target skin health:

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder

Key Features & Benefits:

• Supports skin, hair, nails, joint health, and overall wellness
• Unflavoured and versatile – mixes easily into hot or cold drinks
• Sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine collagen
• Ideal for daily, long-term skin support routines

Price: €32.35 (284g)

Advanced Nutrition Skin Collagen Support

Key Features & Benefits:

• Contains hydrolysed collagen peptides for skin structure support
• Enriched with additional skin-focused nutrients and antioxidants
• Helps improve skin firmness, elasticity, and hydration
• Convenient capsule format – perfect for on-the-go use
• Designed to complement a broader skincare routine

Price: €52.00 (60 capsules)

How Collagen Supplements Help with Hair Shedding & Recommended Products

Shedding is a normal stage of the hair cycle. However, premature shedding, or hair failing to regenerate fast enough, results in overall thinning, exacerbated by breakage, tension, stress-related issues, and age. As we get older, the hair cycle shortens, follicles shrink and stem cells deplete.

The benefit of collagen supplements for hair health comes down to the dermal papilla – the surrounding structural tissue in which the hair follicle sits, which is made up of collagen. Benefits may include improvements in hair lustre, hair shaft surface integrity, tensile strength and diameter.

Make sure to look out for keratin (a sulphur-rich protein), hydrolysed collagen (marine or bovine), sulphur-rich amino acids (cysteine, methionine, taurine), MSM and essential vitamins and minerals.

For more information, read our guide to the benefits of collagen supplements for hair here.

Here is our recommended collagen supplement for healthy hair, available at Meaghers Pharmacy, which features a blend of ingredients to support your collagen and hair production:

Vitabiotics Perfectil Plus Hair Supplement

Key Features & Benefits:

• Provides vital nutrients to help maintain healthy hair
• Contains a blend of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients
• Key ingredients include biotin, folic acid, vitamin C and zinc
• Award-winning formula

Price: €35.99 (60 tablets)

The Best Collagen Supplements for Joint Health

When the body produces less collagen, the cartilage that protects your joints can break down, leading to bone-on-bone contact, which may cause inflammation, stiffness, and pain.

Collagen supplements are often used to help support joint health and everyday mobility. These are an easy, convenient way to restore collagen levels in the body to help support normal protein and connective tissue processes. Along with other hero ingredients like vitamin C, glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM, it may help support normal collagen formation.

Look for high-quality supplements that contain type II collagen, the key structural protein in cartilage, as well as chicken collagen. A blend of collagen types I, II & III is a great solution for broader support.

For more information, read our expert guide to the best collagen supplements for joint health here.

Explore our recommended collagen supplements to help support joints and mobility below:

Revive Active Joint Complex

Key Features & Benefits:

• Supports cartilage, bones, connective tissue and muscle function
• 5,000mg high-quality marine collagen peptides
• 10 hero ingredients, including 2,000mg MSM, 1,000mg glucosamine, & 100mg hyaluronic acid

Price: €49.95 (30 sachets)

Vitabiotics Jointace Collagen Tablets

Key Features & Benefits:

• Hydrolysed type II collagen
• Combines important trace minerals, Glucosamine and Chondroitin
• Rich in Vitamin C to help support the body’s natural collagen production
• Supplies Vitamin D, Zinc and Manganese to promote good bone strength

Price: €28.80 (30 tablets)

What Are the Best Collagen Supplements for Women’s Health?

Particularly for women, maintaining healthy collagen levels is crucial across key life stages, including fertility support, the postnatal period, and menopause. There are many benefits to taking collagen supplements that are tailored to women’s health, including:

• Improved Skin Health
• Helps Joint Comfort & Mobility
• Hair and Nail Support
• Bone Health During Midlife and Later Life

During menopause, oestrogen levels decline, which may lead to a loss of bone density. As part of the bone matrix, collagen works effectively with essential nutrients like calcium and vitamin D to support and strengthen bone health.

For most women, hydrolysed collagen peptides are typically the best option due to their wide availability, effectiveness, and convenience.

Read more about choosing collagen supplements for women’s health concerns here.

At Meaghers Pharmacy , we stock an extensive range of targeted vitamins and supplements. During different life stages, such as fertility, postnatal and menopausal, hormones fluctuate, so the right supplement formula is vital.

Browse some of our recommended collagen supplements for women’s health below:

Revive Active Collagen Complex

Key Features & Benefits:

• Contains 8,500mg marine collagen peptides per sachet
• Includes 200mg hyaluronic acid
• Contains vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the skin
• Includes beauty-supporting nutrients such as biotin, zinc, selenium, copper, vitamin E, niacin and pantothenic acid

Price: €59.95 (30 sachets)

Swedish Nutra Menoplus

Key Features & Benefits:

• Designed to support hormone balance during perimenopause and menopause
• 10,000mg clinically tested marine collagen
• Supports skin elasticity, joint comfort and connective tissue health
• 31 active ingredients along with premium collagen, including magnesium, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid

Price: €39.95 (500ml)

Should Men Take Collagen?

Collagen production levels and skin thickness may vary between men and women, largely due to differences in sex hormones that influence connective tissue. Typically, men have thicker skin compared to women, partly due to androgens such as testosterone.

Collagen production levels also decline with age in men. However, some visible signs, like skin thinning or fine lines, may be less noticeable or develop more gradually than in women.

Benefits of collagen for men include:

• May Support Post-Exercise Recovery
• Promotes Good Bone Health
• May Support Tendon and Ligament Strength
• Helps Maintain Skin Firmness and Elasticity
• Convenient, Measured Dosage

For more information, read our guide to choosing collagen supplements for men’s health here.

Swedish Nutra Collagen Liquid

Key Features & Benefits:

• 10,000mg of bovine collagen type 1 & III per serving
• Combines additional hero ingredients like biotin and hyaluronic acid
• Hydrolysed collagen peptides for higher bioavailability
• Promotes healthy joints and skin health

Price: €29.95 (500ml)