5 Best Marine Collagen Powders To Improve Hair & Skin

Contents

Your gut, brain, and overall health are crucial for living a long life of feeling good. That’s why you need to consume foods that help you build your body up instead of tearing it down.

That expression “you are what you eat” isn’t just a witty axiom — it’s the truth. Your meals get broken down into energy or building blocks for your body. 

Protein is how the body builds not only muscle but bone, skin, tendons, cartilage, organs, and even teeth.

And the most abundant protein found in the human body? Collagen.

This is why collagen peptides are blowing up as a 2020 health trend, and with good reason. However, that doesn’t mean you should just go for the first collagen you find on Amazon.

One of the best kinds of collagen you can ingest is marine collagen. Below, we go in-depth on our top five marine collagen peptides and powders that fuel your body and keep you young, strong, and brimming with vitality.

At the end, we go over what marine collagen is, what the benefits are, and whether or not marine collagen bests traditional or bovine collagen.

For those who want a quick overview, below is our comparison table:

 
  
 
Our ranking
What we love about it
Wild caught
Ratings
Trusted Brand
Price
Free Shipping
Premium Amandean Marine Collagen
Our ranking : #1
What we love about it : Wild-Caught, Excellent Quality, Very Affordable
Wild caught
Ratings : 4.6 out of 5.0
Trusted Brand
Price : Most Affordable Option
Free Shipping
Vital Proteins Marine Collagen
Our ranking : #2
What we love about it : Wild Caught, Great Quality
Wild caught
Ratings : 4.6 out of 5.0
Trusted Brand
Price : Highest Price
Free Shipping: Orders $50 or more
Premium Marine Collagen Peptides
Our ranking : #3
What we love about it : Wild Caught, Easy To Digest
Wild caught
Ratings : 4.3 out of 5.0
Trusted Brand
Price : 2nd Highest Price
Free Shipping
Marine Collagen Peptide Powder
Our ranking : #4
What we love about it : Wild Caught, Good Budget Option
Wild caught
Ratings : 4.5 out of 5.0
Trusted Brand
Price : 2nd Most Affordable
Free Shipping

Our #1 Pick for the Best Marine Collagen: Amandean Marine Collagen (Excellent Quality, Most Affordable)

Marine Collagen Brand
Features
Our rating
Features
  • I’ve been taking this for years and absolutely love it
  • Most affordable option on our list
  • Great quality – Harvested from wild-caught fish caught in the deep sea
  • Has only one ingredient and contains no harmful additives
  • Easily absorbed by your body
  • Provides a bigger amino acid profile than whey protein
  • Amazing reviews – over 1257 reviews and a 4.6 average rating
Our Rating
Our #1 Rated
5 out of 5

When it comes to a high-quality marine collagen supplement with phenomenal reviews, this one from Amandean is tough to beat, which is why it got our #1 spot.

Amandean Collagen Powder Review

I’m biased here because I take this everyday in my protein shakes and love this option.

While there are some complaints about the fishy taste of marine collagen in general, I’ve been adding it for years to my protein shakes (and even coffee), and I honestly can’t taste it at all–which is a good thing.

best collagen powder for coffee and shakes

The reason I love Amandean collagen powder is for 2 specific reasons:It’s ingredients are fantastic.

  1. It’s ingredients are fantastic
  2. It is by far the most affordable option on the list (and it’s not even close).

Let’s start with its ingredients.

Well it only has one ingredient–Wild caught fish collagen peptides. The less additives a supplement has the better, so this is one of my top ranking factors.

I can’t stress the importance of the collagen powder you choose to be wild caught, as it will have a great nutrient profile compared to farm-raised options. 

Like all marein collagen powder from high-quality, wild-caught fish, it has an amino acid profile of 18 different amino acids, including leucine, isoleucine, and valine, all of which help in the production of your body’s connective tissue, muscle growth, skin, hair and nails. In short, it’s super healthy for you.

Next, let’s talk about it’s price.

Compared to other options, it’s extremely affordable (almost half the price of our #2 option) without sacrificing quality, and comes with free shipping.

Typically, you sacrifice quality for price, but this is a rare situation in which a great quality option is also the most affordable.

And I’m not the only one who likes this one–it has some great reviews with over 1257 reviews, and a 4.6 average rating–both of which are fantastic.

To be honest (and I don’t say this often), this one’s really a no-brainer–excellent quality, affordable, and great reviews–if you’re looking for a quality mareine collagen powder, this is the one you want.

Ingredients:

  • Hydrolyzed fish collagen from wild-caught deep-sea fish

Pros

  • Fantastic ingredients
  • Easy for your body go digest
  • Tastes great in shakes and coffee
  • Fantastic Ratings
  • Free shipping

Cons

  • N/a

Our #2 Pick for the Best Marine Collagen: Vital Proteins Marine Collagen (Our Top Choice)

Marine Collagen Brand
Features
Our rating
Vital Proteins Marine Collagen
product-image
Vital Proteins Marine Collagen
Features
  • Highest quality collagen  – Sourced from wild-caught Whitefish 
  • Has only one ingredient – Contains no harmful additives
  • Highly rated – over 7,136 reviews and a great rating
Our Rating
Our #2 Rated
4.7 out of 5

Vital proteins is another great option and it has the reviews to back it – it has over 7,136 reviews and a great 4.5 average rating. 

And while I love Amandean marine collagen at #1, the reason Vital Proteins got knocked to #2 is not because of quality. Vital Proteins, like Amandean, has everything you would want in a collage powder–high-quality, wild-caught ingredients, it’s highly rated, and mixes well.

Where Vital Proteins falls behind, in my opinion (and I eluded to this above), is its price. It’s nearly double the cost of Amandean without providing the quality to match the cost, in my opinion.

Amandean costs $47.95 for 17.6 oz while Vital Proteins costs $29.06 for 7.8 oz.

To understand the cost difference, we’ll have to do some math; per ounce, this is how it breaks down:

  • Amandean is $2.72/oz
  • Vital Proteins is $3.73/oz
Vital Proteins Marine Collagen

In summary, when it comes to quality, you can’t go wrong with either of our top 2 options–but if you ask me, it doesn’t make sense to pay double if you’re not getting double the value.

Ingredients:

  • Collagen peptides (from wild-caught whitefish)

Pros

  • High-quality, wild-caught ingredients
  • Trusted brand
  • Easy to digest
  • Tastes great in shakes and coffee
  • Free shipping
  • Good reviews

Cons

  • Price

Our #3 Pick for the Best Marine Collagen: Correxiko Premium Marine Collagen Peptides

Marine Collagen Brand
Features
Our rating
Correxiko Premium Marine Collagen Peptides
product-image
Correxiko Premium Marine Collagen Peptides
Features
  • One simple clean ingredient
  • Derived from wild fish
  • Impressive amino acid profile
  • Improved bioavailability for digestion
Our Rating
Our #3 Rated
4.3 out of 5

When it comes to the most easily digestible collagen on the market, look no further than Correxiko Premium Marine Collagen Peptides.

Unlike the first 2 options on our list, what makes this Correxico collagen powder unique is that it’s made solely from the skin of wild-caught fish, not the scales.

This causes the peptides to be smaller and easier to digest, allowing for enhanced absorption and digestion in your body. 

Research has shown that the smaller the collagen particles, the easier your body can absorb it. 

And when it comes to smaller collagen constituents, fish skin produces the tiniest particles of collagen found in the industry. 

It also has phenomenal reviews: over 1900 reviews and a 4.3 average rating. 

Correxiko Premium Marine Collagen

I went through some of the reviews and some people really swear by it — the most notable reviews discussed how it caused noticeable differences in their skin and bone, reduced joint pain, and how it was a fantastic addition to their recovery shake.

Ingredients:

  • Hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides (from wild-caught deep-sea fish)

Pros

  • Single-ingredient – Wild caught fish
  • Industry-leading micro-particle size for improved bioavailability and digestion

Cons

  • N/A

Our #4 Pick for the Best Marine Collagen: Sports Research Marine Collagen Peptide Powder

Marine Collagen Brand
Features
Our rating
Sports Research Marine Collagen Peptide Powder
product-image
Sports Research Marine Collagen Peptide Powder
Features
  • Paleo & eco friendly
  • Sustainably sourced
  • Clean ingredients
  • Easier to digest
Our Rating
Our #4 Rated
4.2 out of 5

Last up on our list, this Marine Collagen Powder from Sports Research is another great option. 

It’s keto-certified, non-GMO, dissolves easily, and is sustainably sourced from the discards of wild-caught fish. 

It’s packed with amino acids, is hydrolyzed for bioavailability and digestion, and is made with one ingredient only (I bet you can guess what it is).

Like the other options on our list, it is highly rated and has over 490 ratings and a 4.5 average rating. 

Sports Research Marine Collagen reviews

Ingredients:

  • Hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides (from wild-caught, sustainably sourced fish)

Pros

  • Eco-friendly, non-GMO
  • Single-ingredient
  • Highly soluble

Cons

  • Potential fishy taste
  • Lesser-known brand
  • Might have changed their formula to a less-effective blend of fish

What Are Marine Collagen and Marine Collagen Peptides?

Collagen, as we said in the beginning, is the most common form of protein found in our connective tissue. The cool thing is we as humans create our own collagen. The same can be said for other animals as well.

So, technically, collagen products of any kind are strictly non-vegan because they come from animal sources. That’s why you’ll see products like bovine collagen, chicken collagen, and marine collagen (derived from fish).

Both marine collagen and marine collagen peptide products are both derived from collagen but are actually broken down full-length collagen molecules. That means they are made from the same amino acids as actual collagen; however, they have differing properties.

Collagen gelatin or powder is a semi-broken down version of collagen that can get the job done in terms of building up your body tissue. 

Collagen peptides, on the other hand, are the more bioavailable versions. Also known as hydrolyzed collagen, peptides are what’s found in many protein powders. These peptides absorb better in the bloodstream versus regular collagen powder. This is because they go through hydrolysis, which breaks down the collagen into much shorter amino acid chains.

While gelatin goes through partial hydrolysis, you’ll want to look for the most bioavailable form of marine collagen, which will be marine collagen peptides (as we provide in our top list above).

What Are the Different Types of Collagen?

There are a total of 28 different kinds of collagen found in the body. However, these are the most common, comprising almost all of the collagen in our bodies and what’s normally found in collagen products:

  • Type I: About 90 percent of all collagen found in the human body is Type I. Made of densely packed fibers, Type I is the building block for most connective tissue, as well as your bones, skin, and teeth.
  • Type II: This type is made up of looser fibers than Type I. Type II collagen makes our elastic cartilage, which is what protects our joints.
  • Type III: This type is the foundation of our muscles and organs, making it one of the more abundant types. It also creates the structure for your arteries. Type I and Type III are typically combined in the majority of products because they are the two most prevalent types of collagen.
  • Type IV: This type of collagen is known for filtration and can be found in our skin layers.

What Are the Benefits of Marine Collagen?

  • Hydrated, elastic skin: Studies have shown that marine collagen peptides, when paired with plant-derived antioxidants, increases skin elasticity, improves epidermal and dermal thickness, and boosts collagen density after two months.
  • Enhanced nail growth: According to research, taking collagen peptides daily can improve brittle nails and nail growth, while also decreasing broken nail frequency.
  • Increased bone and joint support: Type II collagen is especially therapeutic for those with osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. This is the building block of bones and cartilage, for crying out loud.
  • Reduced inflammation: It’s been shown in scientific studies that fish scale collagen peptides can protect against skin inflammation and other types by inhibiting cellular pathways in the body.
  • Boosted metabolism: Marine collagen peptides can modulate both glucose and lipid metabolism, helping those with type 2 diabetes and anyone with metabolism issues.
  • Improved overall body composition: Because it can aid in metabolic function, you can reduce the amount of stored fat on your body. As well, collagen peptides help build up muscle molecules, which burns more calories than fat molecules. What happens is you get more muscle, and that muscle, along with the collagen, burns more fat, causing an overall improvement in your physique.
  • Aids in sleep quality: Collagen has been shown to be an effective intervention for sleep disorders.
  • Creates a healthier gut: Seeing as collagen is absorbed in the gut and redistributed around the body, it only makes sense that it strengthens the gut lining too.
  • Supports workouts: These are essential amino acids, which are necessary for muscle growth. Paired with consistent, rigorous resistance training, marine collagen helps build muscle.
  • Better hair health: Similar to skin and nails, your hair gets shinier and fuller with marine collagen consumption.
  • Blood sugar stabilization: Marine collagen has a ton of glycine, which has been found to help balance blood sugar levels. For people with type 2 diabetes, they usually have low glycine levels, leading to blood sugar fluctuations.
  • Enhanced brain health: Marine collagen peptides can influence higher brain functions, like learning and memory. 
  • Boosted thyroid: By balancing all of the other proteins in your body, collagen can help aid your liver in converting thyroid hormone into an active T3 thyroid hormone via a lowering of cortisol in the body. Additional T3 can improve your body’s temperature, metabolism, and heart rate by binding to the collagen.
  • Antibacterial and antioxidant effects: The antioxidant effects lead to the reduction in inflammation described above. As for antibacterial purposes, collagencin, a collagen-derived peptide, has been studied to stop the growth of disease-causing bacteria.

Is Marine Collagen Better Than Regular Collagen?

Marine collagen is best for skin, nail, and hair health. Also, it comes with antioxidant and antibacterial properties, which can’t be said for regular collagen or gelatin.

The biggest factor is marine collagen’s superior bioavailability. It might have a fishy taste if you get the wrong product, but nothing can beat marine collagen in absorption within your body. Which Is Best: Marine or Bovine Collagen?

Same question as above, with the same answer: Marine collagen peptides are the number one option. It has smaller peptides, which means it has a higher bioavailability. It digests 1.5 times easier than beef (bovine) collagen, and it absorbs and distributes just as easily.

Not only that, but marine collagen is more soluble, which means it can dissolve in water better than bovine collagen. And marine collagen has a higher Type I to Type III ratio, which mimics the ratio found in humans. As we age, we lose a lot of collagen; with marine collagen, we can get back to our natural ratio and internal amount.

Lastly, marine collagen is simply better for the environment. It’s made from the millions of tons of discarded fish parts that are scrapped during processing. Plus, fish produce way less greenhouse gas emissions than their four-legged counterparts. 

Conclusion

No matter if you opt for marine, bovine, or some other form of collagen, make sure you choose a collagen peptide. They’re more bioavailable and can get you all of those awesome benefits quicker.

Hopefully, though, you select marine collagen peptides. They’re extremely good for you, and there are some fantastic marine collagen supplements on the market right now, like our #1 pick that I take daily from Amandean.

Still Unsure Which Option Is Best For You? Here’s The Recap, Based On Our Testing & Research

  • Amandean Marine Collagen: The best marine collagen with excellent quality and affordability. Wild-caught, organic, non-GMO, third-party certified and pure.
  • Vital Proteins Marine Collagen: The second best marine collagen with great quality and convenience. Wild-caught, organic, non-GMO, third-party certified and unflavored.
  • Premium Marine Collagen Peptides: A good marine collagen with easy digestion and high potency. Wild-caught, third-party certified and rich in type 1 collagen and amino acids. May boost energy and athletic performance.
 
  
 
Our ranking
What we love about it
Wild caught
Ratings
Trusted Brand
Price
Free Shipping
Premium Amandean Marine Collagen
Our ranking : #1
What we love about it : Wild-Caught, Excellent Quality, Very Affordable
Wild caught
Ratings : 4.6 out of 5.0
Trusted Brand
Price : Most Affordable Option
Free Shipping
Vital Proteins Marine Collagen
Our ranking : #2
What we love about it : Wild Caught, Great Quality
Wild caught
Ratings : 4.6 out of 5.0
Trusted Brand
Price : Highest Price
Free Shipping: Orders $50 or more
Premium Marine Collagen Peptides
Our ranking : #3
What we love about it : Wild Caught, Easy To Digest
Wild caught
Ratings : 4.3 out of 5.0
Trusted Brand
Price : 2nd Highest Price
Free Shipping
Marine Collagen Peptide Powder
Our ranking : #4
What we love about it : Wild Caught, Good Budget Option
Wild caught
Ratings : 4.5 out of 5.0
Trusted Brand
Price : 2nd Most Affordable
Free Shipping

Daniel Maman

Daniel is a certified personal trainer (ACE), has a Bachelors of Science degree in Sports, Exercise, and Wellness, and spends his free time keeping up to date with the latest research in health and fitness. In his free time, you can find him playing basketball, doing muay thai, camping, traveling, reading, and eating tomatoes like they're apples.

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