Collagen plays an essential role in skin health and overall health, supporting the structure of connective tissue, ligaments, muscles, and bones throughout the body. But in terms of your complexion specifically, you might be wondering about the difference between collagen and collagen peptides.
Consider this your guide to collagen versus collagen peptides. We'll go over how each collagen type differs, where they come from, their role in skincare, the benefits of using them, and how to implement them into your routine.
Understanding Collagen and Collagen Peptides
Before we get into the specifics of collagen peptides versus collagen, let's touch on what they actually are.
Collagen is a protein found naturally in the body. It makes bones, tendons, connective tissue, and skin strong and resilient. As you age, your body stops producing collagen, and signs of this can appear externally (on your skin) and internally, as with brittle bones, reduced muscle mass, and joint pain.
There are ways to replenish lost collagen, where topical skincare products and dietary collagen supplementation containing collagen peptides come in.
What Is the Role of Collagen in Skin Health?
The human body contains more collagen than any other protein. These essential amino acids are needed for normal generation of skin cells, tissue repair, and a healthy immune response to damaged skin or dermatitis (skin inflammation).
Types and Functions of Collagen in the Skin
Though there are currently 28 types of collagen that scientists are aware of, about 90% of collagen in the human body is the same type (known as type I).
Type I collagen is relatively dense, giving skin its structure, strength, and firmness. Types II and III are found mostly in cartilage, joints, muscles, organs, and arteries. But types IV and V are present in multiple layers of the skin.
What Are Collagen Peptides?
Sometimes called hydrolyzed collagen, collagen peptides are tiny, easy-to-digest pieces of collagen from animal sources. Once ingested, the smaller peptides are broken down within the body through a process known as hydrolysis.
There are also many benefits of peptides for the skin. That’s why you can often find collagen peptides in topical skincare products. But instead of animal sources, they usually contain short amino acid chains that make up different peptides, such as palmitoyl tripeptide, copper tripeptide, palmitoyl oligopeptide, trifluoroacetyl-tripeptide-2, or carnosine.
What Are Collagen Peptides Derived From?
The collagen peptides you find in dietary supplementation forms (hydrolyzed collagen) are usually derived from animal sources, like bovine (beef) or porcine (pork). You can also get marine collagen, which comes from the skin or scales of fish.
So, when it comes to hydrolyzed collagen peptide supplements, there really aren't any vegan options. But you can help your skin make more collagen by applying peptide-rich skincare products to help improve the signs of skin aging and promote skin elasticity.
Benefits of Topical Collagen for Skin Health
What does collagen actually do for skin health? The benefits of collagen-promoting skincare products include:
- Enhancing skin elasticity and firmness
- Supporting skin hydration
- Reducing wrinkles and fine lines
Here's what to know.
Enhancing Skin Elasticity and Firmness
Skin can lose firmness and elasticity due to the natural aging process and from environmental factors like pollution or smoking. This can result in droopiness, reduced volume, or a crepey appearance.
One way to remedy this is by applying skincare products formulated with peptides. These collagen-synthesizing ingredients can help skin look and feel plumper and restore a youthful bounce. By incorporating peptides for anti-aging into your skincare routine, you can effectively target fine lines and wrinkles, promoting a smoother, more youthful complexion.
Supporting Skin Hydration
By introducing your complexion to peptides, you can help it produce more collagen and elastin while adding much-needed skin hydration overnight. Besides addressing dry skin, this can deposit lost volume back into your skin and make it look immediately fuller and dewier.
Reducing Wrinkles and Fine Lines
Applying a daily moisturizer and non-comedogenic sunscreen is vital for keeping your skin smooth and taut. That said, skin can begin to lose some of its natural structure with age when collagen production slows down, which can result in fine lines and deeper wrinkles.
When you use skincare products that support collagen synthesis, you can help reverse and prevent these very common signs of aging.
Benefits of Collagen Peptides for Skin Health
What about the collagen you consume through oral supplements? The benefits of hydrolyzed collagen peptides for skin health may include:
- Improved absorption and bioavailability
- Stimulating collagen production
- Supporting skin barrier and regeneration
Keep reading for insight.
Improved Absorption and Bioavailability
Hydrolyzed collagen is considered a highly bioavailable form of collagen, meaning the body can easily absorb it and use it as needed. Since this type of supplement is broken down into small fragments, you can digest it quickly so the proteins can start doing their job.
Stimulating Collagen Production
Once inside your digestive system, hydrolyzed collagen peptides bind to fibroblasts (the cells that form connective tissues). This stimulates the production of new collagen, along with elastin (another protein found in the skin) and hyaluronic acid, which hydrates skin and prevents volume loss.
Supporting Skin Repair and Regeneration
Collagen peptides (specifically hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides) have been shown to repair damaged tissue to address sun damage and support the healing process for broken or otherwise compromised skin.
Is There a Difference Between Collagen and Collagen Peptides?
The term collagen can refer to many things. But in the simplest sense, it's the body's most abundant protein, making up the structure of connective tissue, ligaments, cartilage, and skin.
When people talk about collagen peptides, they're typically referring to hydrolyzed collagen, the digestible version that can be consumed through dietary supplements like protein powder.
In some cases, collagen peptides might refer to peptides in skincare. These products that increase collagen levels contain amino acid chains often called the "building blocks protein"—including collagens, one of the main types of protein in the skin.
Effectiveness for Skin Health
Both hydrolyzed collagen peptides and topical products that promote collagen production can be great for overall skin health. It might be a good idea to use both to support a healthy, youthful complexion from the inside out.
Forms of Intake and Ease of Use
You can find collagen supplements in many forms, from protein powders, gummies, and chews to bars, liquids, and ready-to-go drinks. You can even find collagen powder coffee creamer. And some folks just sip on bone broth for the collagen benefits.
In its original form, collagen can be hard to digest, so products made with hydrolyzed collagen make it easier for your body to absorb. This will usually be called collagen hydrolysate on an ingredients list.
Choosing the right collagen supplement for you is mostly a matter of personal preference and taste. However, we highly recommend starting slowly with collagen peptides to avoid uncomfortable side effects and overstimulation of collagen production.
How to Choose Between Collagen and Collagen Peptides
Both topical collagen-promoting skincare products and collagen peptide supplements can do wonders for your skin. And you don't necessarily need to choose one or the other.
As long as you're using high-quality products with trusted, science-backed ingredients and paying attention to any adverse effects, you're golden.
Creating an Effective Skincare Routine With CLEARSTEM
CLEARSTEM is here to help you create an effective skincare routine that delivers noticeable results–without any pore-clogging ingredients, parabens, or phthalates.
We have a range of topical products, including acne and anti-aging skincare products for mature skin prone to breakouts, anti-aging skincare products that tackle fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of photoaging, and non-comedogenic skincare products that won't clog your pores or leave you with a greasy complexion.
Our BOUNCEBACK™ Peptide Serum combines three collagen-synthesizing peptides, plus argan stem cells and antioxidants, to address wrinkles, acne scars, and loss of elasticity. Our MINDBODYSKIN® hormonal acne supplement tackles adult hormonal acne from multiple angles while helping collagen thrive and regenerate.
Explore skincare products and supplements from CLEARSTEM today.
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Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Collagen. Health Essentials.
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Murakami H, et al. (2012). Importance of amino acid composition to improve skin collagen protein synthesis rates in UV-irradiated mice. Amino Acids vol. 42,6 2481-9.
Schräder CU, et al. (2018). Elastin is heterogeneously cross-linked. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 293(39), 15107–15119.
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León-López A, et al. (2019). Hydrolyzed Collagen-Sources and Applications. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(22), 4031.
Rahman A, et al. (2024). Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of Marine Collagen: A Scientific Exploration for Delaying Skin Aging. Marine Drugs, 22, 159.
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