After years of meeting formulators, brand owners and ingredient buyers across trade shows, one shift stands out: the US collagen conversation is becoming much more application-specific.
Beauty remains a major driver, but collagen and gelatin are increasingly being explored across healthy aging, joint health, sports nutrition, food and beverages.
The question is no longer simply: “Which collagen?”
It is: “Which collagen, for which application, at what dosage, and backed by what evidence?”
Beauty Is Still Big. But Evidence Matters More.
Beauty remains a strong collagen category. Euromonitor reports that 20% of dietary supplements launched globally since July 2024 carried a beauty claim.
But stronger demand for evidence is changing the conversation.
A 2025 meta-analysis reviewed 23 randomized controlled trials involving 1,474 participants on collagen and skin aging. While the overall analysis reported improvements in hydration, elasticity and wrinkles, the effects were not significant when researchers focused on higher-quality and non-industry-funded studies.
Key Takeaway
A collagen claim needs more than a familiar ingredient name. Evidence, dosage and study quality matter.
Collagen Is Moving Beyond Skin
The application landscape is widening into joint health, mobility, active aging and sports nutrition.
A 2025 systematic review screened 4,246 articles and included 36 randomized controlled trials examining type I hydrolyzed collagen across bone, muscle and joint outcomes.
The review found encouraging evidence for joint outcomes, including pain and mobility, while noting that evidence for bone health remains less conclusive.
Key Takeaway
The application should come before the ingredient. Different claims and applications require different evidence, dosage and specifications.
Food & Beverage Opens Another Opportunity
Collagen is also moving beyond traditional supplements.
Innova Market Insights reports 10% CAGR growth for collagen in global food and beverage over the past five years, with applications including on-the-go formats such as beauty elixirs.
For formulators, this creates a different set of requirements: solubility, sensory profile, processing performance, dosage and batch consistency.
Key Takeaway
The right collagen needs to work in the formulation, not just on the specification sheet.
Collagen and Gelatin Need Different Conversations
Collagen and gelatin may come from the same broader protein family, but their functional roles differ.
Collagen peptides are increasingly used in nutritional and functional applications, while gelatin has established roles across food and pharmaceutical applications.
That makes application-specific sourcing increasingly important.
Key Takeaway
Start with the job, then choose the ingredient. The application determines the functionality, specifications and supplier requirements.
What This Means for Buyers
The US collagen market is not moving away from beauty. It is outgrowing it.
For formulators and procurement teams, the sourcing conversation is becoming more specific:
- What application is the ingredient intended for?
- What dosage has been studied?
- What evidence supports the positioning?
- What technical specifications matter?
- Can the supplier provide consistent quality and documentation?
- Can they support formulation development beyond the COA?
At Vinh Wellness, we take an application-led approach to collagen and gelatin, with single-sourced freshwater fish collagen, traceability from farm to peptide, and product options designed for different formulation needs.
If you are evaluating collagen for a new formulation, explore our collagen and gelatin solutions or talk to our team about your application.