As you go through the natural aging process, you might notice your body changing. This might include weaker nails, brittle hair, or skin lacking its normal glow. If you are noticing changes in your hair, skin, and nails or are not getting the results you want from skincare products alone, you might begin considering a collagen supplement.* If you are, you might be deciding between a vegan or animal-based collagen supplement.
If you are considering a collagen supplement, it is important to know the differences between the varying options. Let’s first dive into: what is vegan collagen powder?
What is Vegan Collagen Powder?
As you might already know, there is no such thing as vegan collagen per se. Vegan collagen items are instead collagen supports which is actually a better way of increasing your collagen levels.* We’ll tell you why.
Collagen is made within our body, for our body. Vegan collagen support powder comes from plant-derived ingredients whereas animal-based collagen comes from animal sources. There are different types of animal collagen, some come from marine animals and others are from bone marrow and hides. We dive more into the differences between vegan and animal collagen later.
Not all vegan collagen powders are made equal, which is why we made this article the cheat sheet for learning what to look for in a vegan collagen powder! We make vegan collagen support powders that can be used in smoothies, lattes, drinks, or baked goods. Vegan or Animal Collagen can come in other forms as well, but specifically, we will be diving into collagen supplementation through powders or creamers.
Vegan Collagen vs Animal-Based
While both vegan and animal-based collagen products can have an impact on your collagen levels, there are differences between the two.
Animal-based collagen supplements use real collagen derived from the hooves, bones, connective tissues, and even skins of animals. As you look at the various options on the market, you may also come across marine collagen, which contains collagen derived from the scales of fish which is a pescatarian collagen option. All of these animal-derived collagen products are formulated with the idea that you can give your body an outside source of collagen to make up for the loss of collagen in your body.
Naturally, one point of concern with these types of collagen products is the environmental impact of using more animal-based products, as well as the ethical dilemma. Some people have also noted that they experience side effects when taking animal-based collagen. Gastrointestinal side effects are particularly common, and some may deal with stomach aches when taking animal-based collagen.
When formulated well, vegan collagen support products can effectively counteract some of the negative effects of collagen loss for strong and healthy skin, nails, and hair.* Thinking of them like plants that give you a beauty boost! Most importantly, they are safe to use and also don’t come with the environmental and ethical dilemmas that are tied to animal-based collagen products. Whether you follow a plant-based diet or are just looking to find the best collagen supplement for you, vegan collagen support is the way to go!
There are a variety of factors that can lead to a decrease of collagen in the body, aka why you might be wanting to supplement your collagen. As we get older, the production of collagen gradually declines, while existing collagen also begins to break down. Certain environmental factors also negatively impact collagen. This includes exposure to damaging UV rays from the sun, smoking, a high-sugar diet, drinking an excess of alcohol, high levels of stress, not sleeping enough, and not getting enough exercise.*
So, Why Should You Choose a Vegan Collagen Powder?
What you put in your body is always a personal choice, which is why we love sharing the educational background of why we chose each ingredient that goes into our vegan collagen support supplements. While both vegan and animal-based collagen products can have an impact on your collagen levels, the pros of vegan collagen support products far outweigh the pros of animal-based collagen. There are so many reasons to lean towards a vegan or plant-based alternative to a collagen supplement. Things like sustainability, the environment, taste, and many others, but to put it simply: if you are choosing the right vegan collagen powder your body will be supported to potentially make more of its own collagen.* Who wouldn’t want that?
When formulated with high-quality ingredients, vegan collagen support products can effectively counteract some of the negative effects of collagen loss for strong and healthy skin, nails, and hair.* All the ingredients on our collagen support blends are backed by herbalists and we share more about them every week on our Plant Education blog.
We share collagen-boosting recipes on our Instagram and Tik Tok every week to help give inspiration for meals and drinks that can also help aid your body’s natural collagen production. Even though you might be supplementing with a vegan collagen support blend like Copina Co., we share other ways to help boost your natural collagen production through diet and other lifestyle choices! We full-heartedly believe in supporting the body from the inside out and love sharing other wellness and health content there as well that can help support you to live your best life (and achieve that #CopinaCoGlow)!
What Are Some Ingredients I Should Look For in Vegan Collagen Powders?
Okay so you are ready to go down the plant-based route to support your college production, but what do you need to look for? Here is a roundup of some of our favorite ingredients to look for in vegan collagen support powders.
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Bamboo silica
Silica-rich bamboo has been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese herbal medicine for centuries as a remedy to heal skin ailments, relieve congestion, promote bone health, and more.* Bamboo leaf extract, which is featured in all of our blends, is extracted from the roots and leaves of the bamboo plant, where the silica is plentiful.
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Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps support collagen synthesis through collagen formation, antioxidant protection, and regeneration of Vitamin E, and is involved in the collagen cross-linking process we mentioned above. It is an important antioxidant involved in almost every aspect of our collagen production process.* Vitamin C is required to support two enzymes (prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase) that are essential for collagen synthesis, so having enough vitamin C is crucial for collagen support.* This vitamin also plays a crucial role in protecting collagen that already exists in the body. Since Vitamin C works as an antioxidant, it can help neutralize free radicals, which are known for causing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress degrades collagen, so antioxidant support is crucial to prevent this from happening.*
Amla berry (also known as Indian gooseberry) is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine. Amla berry (which is native to Asia) is one of the richest sources of vitamin C. This vitamin is one of the most important vitamins in the synthesis of collagen.
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Mushrooms
Certain mushrooms are packed with antioxidants and important nutrients that support healthy collagen production.* One of these mushrooms is the tremella mushroom. Tremella mushroom (tremella fuciformis) has a centuries-long history in traditional Chinese Medicine. It has earned its nickname “the beauty mushroom” because of its ability to help improve complexion by boosting skin hydration and fighting signs of aging.*
Tremella contains polysaccharides, which are carbohydrate chains. Polysaccharides have been shown to promote skin collagen synthesis, which in turn can help boost skin elasticity and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.* Tremella mushroom also contains amino acids, which are crucial for the production of collagen.*
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Gotu Kola
Gotu Kola is an Ayurvedic herb with a history of healing the skin, which contains collagen-synthesis-enhancing triterpenes such as asiaticoside.* Copina Co. uses Gotu Kola in whole plant extract form. It was selected by our herbalist partners because of its historical use in treating patients with skin ailments and surface wounds. Gotu Kola has been shown to enhance the cross-linking of collagen and support increased collagen production in the body.* Several studies have shown that skin thickness, elasticity, and collagen levels all increased with the addition of Gotu Kola to a patient’s regimen.*
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Biotin
Biotin is a member of the vitamin B complex family. Its primary functions include turning the nutrients we ingest (i.e. proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) into energy that our body can use. This is important as many of our daily functions such as metabolic, digestive, and cardiovascular wouldn't happen without it.* Each Copina Co. blend (of our new formula coming out in 2022) contains 3,000mcg Biotin per serving. That amounts to over 10,000% of your daily value.* This dosage of biotin is an effective therapy for human patients with brittle nails. A daily dose of biotin helps support strong nail health and support collagen synthesis in the body.*
Reasons We Enjoy Copina Co.’s Vegan Collagen Support Blends
Environment + Sustainability
All our blends are cruelty-free and free from animal-derived ingredients which helps overall to reduce the environmental impact from our blends. We also use recyclable materials in all our shipping components and our pouches are now comprised of 45% post-consumer recycled materials instead. Copina Co. also contributes to sustainable supply chains by sourcing organic ingredients for over 69% of our formulas’ needs and sourcing 100% renewable plant-based ingredients. We use herbalist-formulated, research-backed plant botanicals such as organic tremella mushroom extract, organic amla berry powder, bamboo leaf extract, gotu kola extract, biotin, and hyaluronic acid to help increase natural collagen production on its own. The result is healthier, more vibrant hair, skin, and nails – no animal products are required.
Supporting Your Own Collagen
We created our blends with multiple plant-based ingredients to create a blend that supports collagen from multiple angles*. We source 100% plant-based ingredients for our vegan collagen powder. Our blends were formulated and dosed by herbalists to create a blend that is best suitable to help your hair, skin, and nails. Through this blend, your body will be supported to help make its own collagen, naturally!* All our blends are Non-GMO, have zero sugar and are third-party tested. Our formulas both help support your body’s collagen production and address the root causes of collagen degradation to help give you that Copina Co. glow we are known for.*
Easy to Digest
Plant-derived collagen supplements are often easier to digest than some animal-based collagen supplements.* This can be due to additives that may be used in animal-based collagens like sugars or fillers, but we do not add sugar into our blends. Our blends are sweetened with monk fruit and contain no added fillers or gums.* We simplified our blends with the goal of them being easy to digest, but also tasty when added to your lattes, drinks, smoothies, or anything else!*
Taste
Like anything you add to your smoothies, lattes, or drinks, you don’t want them to taste grainy. None of our blends will create a grainy texture whether you add them to your morning coffee as a creamer, create a matcha latte, or add them to a smoothie. All of our blends decide our original blend is slightly sweetened with monk fruit. If you want to learn about each blend individually, we go in-depth about each’s tastes and some key ingredients on our blog.
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