The 5 Best Vegan Collagen Supplements In the UK (2026)

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If you’re embracing veganism or simply looking for plant-based options, finding an appropriate collagen supplement can be a challenge.

That is because traditional collagen supplements are derived from bovine connective tissue or marine collagen extracted from fish. It’s an obvious no-go.

So, if you want to learn more about vegan collagen supplements, this guide aims to shed light on the workings of these supplements, the key nutrients involved in collagen production, and some of the best vegan collagen supplements available in the UK.

Whether you’re a long-term vegan, considering a plant-based diet, or simply looking to reduce your reliance on animal products, this guide is here to help you.

If you’re in a rush, here is a quick preview of the best collagen supplements:

Do Vegan Collagen Supplements Contain Actual Collagen?

The simple answer is no; vegan collagen supplements do not contain actual collagen, which might sound counterintuitive.

After all, if collagen is what you’re after, shouldn’t your supplement contain it?

The complexity lies in the fact that collagen, as it naturally occurs, is not vegan. It’s a protein that’s primarily sourced from the bones, skin, and connective tissue of animals.

However, this doesn’t mean that vegan collagen supplements aren’t beneficial.

They’re formulated with a combination of nutrients that play a role in your body’s own collagen production, so it’s not wrong to call them the building blocks of collagen.

What Nutrients Affect Collagen Production?

When certain sources claim that a red pepper is a “collagen-rich food”, what they’re really saying is that a red pepper helps with the production of collagen because it contains loads of Vitamin C.

The same logic can be applied to vegan collagen supplements.

They don’t contain actual collagen; they’ve got certain nutrients that theoretically affect collagen production.

As far as I know, there are only 4 food groups that contain collagen and none are vegan.

These include bone broth, certain organ meats, meat on the bone (including cartilage, skin, bone, and joint material), and eggs.

These have actual collagen and are not to be confused with other foods that contain nutrients that act as “precursors” in collagen production.

Here are those nutrients:

Amino Acids

There are three amino acids that play a special role in collagen structure.

Those are lysine, glycine, and proline. ¹

It’s theorized that their insufficient availability could be a cause to make collagen synthesis and regeneration difficult.

However, it’s important to acknowledge that these amino acids are but single players in this complex machinery, and are not to be considered the defining factors in collagen production.

Lysine

Lysine, or L-lysine, is an essential amino acid and an important building block of protein. Since your body cannot produce it, you need to obtain it from food or supplements. ²

Although lysine solely represents 3 or 4% of the total amino acids in collagen, it has an important function in the constitution of the cross-links between the molecules that build the fibrils and the fibers of collagen. ³

Low-quality evidence indicates that lysine may be able to improve wound healing and act as a binding agent, increasing the number of cells in a wound. ^{4, 5}

Although more research is needed, data points to a connection between lysine and collagen and its associated benefits.

Glycine

Unlike lysine, glycine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning the body can make it, though slowly, from other amino acids.

And like lysine, glycine is also part of a group of amino acids that are involved in the various processes that lead to collagen production.

A study conducted within the context of osteoarthritis treatment implies that increasing glycine in the diet may be a legitimate strategy for helping cartilage regeneration by promoting collagen synthesis. ⁶

Proline

Proline is a non-essential amino acid that is synthesized from glutamic acid, and it also plays an important role in the biosynthesis of collagen.

Actually, proline accounts for 10% of the total amino acids present in collagen and maintains tissue integrity during wound healing. ^{7, 8}

Zinc

Zinc, a trace mineral that plays a variety of roles in the human body, is also often claimed to play an important role in collagen production.

Based on two studies I found, there seems to be a correlation between zinc and collagen.

One of the studies looked into whether giving rats more zinc could boost the production of collagen. The researchers discovered that zinc helped slow down the process of collagen breaking down, leading to more collagen accumulating in the tissue. ⁹

The other study investigated how a lack of zinc could affect collagen in chicks. They found that when chicks didn’t have enough zinc, their bodies made less collagen, broke it down more slowly, and had lower levels of an enzyme (collagenase) that helps break down collagen. ¹⁰

It’s important to mention, however, that both studies were conducted in the 80s, and they used animals as subjects, which are telltale signs of low-quality evidence, so you should take this information with a big grain of salt.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, was one of the first vitamins discovered and isolated back in the early 1920s.

Also considered an antioxidant, vitamin C is vital for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues including blood vessels, cartilage, muscle, and collagen in bones, not to mention its role as a preventive solution for the common cold.

A systematic review analyzing a series of preclinical studies found that vitamin C supplementation has the potential to accelerate bone healing after a fracture, increase type I collagen synthesis, and reduce oxidative stress parameters, though more research is required to fully confirm its effects. ¹¹

Copper

Copper is an important nutrient that our body needs, albeit in small amounts.

It’s involved in various biological processes in the human body, and yes, it’s also seemingly involved in the production of collagen.

Fundamentally, the way in which copper can aid in the production of collagen is by working with an enzyme called lysyl oxidase to connect collagen fibers together and make them more robust. ¹²

As a result of this relationship, a copper deficiency can be detrimental to the formation of these fibers, and it’s theorized that bone fragility related to nutritional copper deficiency is actually a result of decreased bone collagen cross-linking. ¹³

Our Best Vegan Collagen Supplements in the UK

Raw Beauty Lab Vegan Collagen Booster

Raw Beauty Lab claims to have an anti-aging solution that is ideal for those looking for plant-based alternatives to regular collagen.

Well, like most brands, they achieve that by combining organic fruits, veggies, and seeds in a whole package.

This includes natural foods such as camu camu, raspberry, dragon fruit, sunflower seed, strawberry, carrot, baobab, beetroot, and inulin (a prebiotic fiber).

Based on my limited knowledge, the ingredients above are good sources of vitamin C, zinc, and potentially copper.

It seems to be missing relatively good sources of lysine, glycine, and proline, which are amino acids associated with collagen production.

However, based on the individual reviews I’ve read, there is largely a positive reaction to this supplement, with many of them unveiling before and after results, which are quite remarkable.

Another interesting aspect (certainly for those that prefer eco-friendly products), Raw Beauty Lab’s products come in fully recyclable and compostable packaging.

Nutravita Vegan Collagen Booster

If you’re looking for a highly affordable vegan collagen supplement, I think Nutravita is the most budget-friendly choice.

You can get a 3-month supply for less than £20, which is surprising considering that Nutravita does include all the collagen-boosting nutrients I mentioned initially, including vitamin C, zinc, copper, as well as the amino acids lysine, glycine, and proline.

In fact, you have way more nutrients and amino acids in the formula, but I wanted to emphasize the main ones.

One of the downsides of this supplement is the size of the capsules— they’re too big and pretty hard to swallow. Given that you’ve got to take this supplement on a daily basis, you want the experience to be frictionless, which isn’t the case.

Moreover, several users have noted that the capsules tend to spoil rapidly, an issue that becomes evident by the unpleasant odor they start to emit.

With all that being said, the formula seems to be quite effective, and many users do note an improvement.

WeightWorld Vegan Collagen Booster

This formula by WeightWorld is a vegan collagen supplement that is different from the previous one as it mixes in some synthetic components.

For instance, its vitamin C content not only comes from a variety of fruits (like acerola cherry, and orange) but also calcium ascorbate, which is normally used to prevent or treat low levels of vitamin C.

Likewise, its zinc content also comes from zinc gluconate, which is a popular synthetic form of zinc delivery, given its bioavailability.

Despite not being a whole foods formula, it’s still legitimate in the sense it’s effective at increasing vitamin and zinc levels.

What is more fascinating is the inclusion of ingredients like Vitamin E, Resveratrol, as well as Hyaluronic Acid.

Vitamin E, according to the manufacturer, was used due to it being considered an antioxidant, which, is also a characteristic shared by Vitamin C. Resveratrol, if you look it up, is also an antioxidant, which means they’ve been stacked to increase the overall antioxidant content in the formula.

To provide a bit of background, antioxidants seem to slow down collagen degradation by decreasing the concentration of free radicals.

Hyaluronic Acid, on the other hand, is an ingredient that is often found in topical solutions and is often claimed to have skin aging effects.

One study investing its effects in women with mild-to-moderate skin aging found that taking oral hyaluronic acid (200 mg/day for 28 days) decreased wrinkle size and increased skin hydration and elasticity. ¹⁴

However, the study’s results are disputed due to a potential conflict of interest, as the authors are employees of the company that produces the specific form of hyaluronic acid used in the research.

Additionally, there’s not that much reliable research on hyaluronic acid, so it’s difficult to ascertain whether it’s actually beneficial for your skin.

Arella Beauty Vegan Collagen Booster

Rather than focusing purely on collagen synthesis, Arella is a rather popular formula that was specifically conceived to make your skin glow.

You can observe this by looking at some of the ingredients of choice like retinol, hyaluronic acid, biotin, and niacin.

However, there are unique ingredients, like Panax ginseng, that seem to positively affect collagen production.

It wasn’t easy to find relevant research, but Panax ginseng seems to have some benefits when it comes to collagen synthesis, namely through bioactive compounds known as ginsenosides, which appear to increase the production of type 1 collagen in human dermal fibroblasts. ¹⁵

At the same time, there’s also some evidence suggesting that ginseng can improve procollagen type I expression and decrease the secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-1, an enzyme that degrades collagen. ¹⁶

The other ingredient that is associated with collagen synthesis is Vitamin C, which we’ve already covered in this article.

Out of all the other ingredients that are known to have skincare benefits, the most documented one is retinol with studies suggesting it can delay signs of aging. ¹⁷

However, it’s important to emphasize that when discussing retinol’s skincare benefits, the majority of the high-quality evidence supports its effectiveness through topical application— and not as an oral supplement.

Cytoplan Vegan Collagen Booster

This vegan collagen supplement by Cytoplan is unique; particularly because they believe amino acids are important for collagen production.

This belief is noticeable in this formula, where all the ingredients are amino acids that come together in a single blend.

This single blend contains a variety of amino acids, including the main ones: lysine, glycine, and proline, which are more heavily involved in collagen synthesis.

The supplement offers a two-month supply, and when you weigh up the cost, it presents a fair balance between price and its benefits.

But keep in mind, there are other supplements offering a broader range of nutrients, and even better, they can be more budget-friendly.

Do You Have Any Other Suggestions?

If you’ve discovered a brand that deserves to be on this list, I’d also love to hear your suggestions. You’re also free to let me know what you think about my suggestions!

Your feedback is invaluable in making this guide as comprehensive and up-to-date as possible, so please don’t hesitate to share whatever you can!

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Editor’s note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, or exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.

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