Concepts to watch: 5 trendy products with collagen

Joint nutrition for athletes 

Max Sport claim they are the ‘first collagen bar on the market’.  The Collagen+ bars come in four flavors - chocolate, strawberry, coconut and salted caramel - and contain half the recommended daily dose of collagen: 5.200 milligrams. As it's a sports bar, the biggest benefit they push is collagen as ‘joint nutrition’, stating that it is beneficial for muscle fever regeneration and general mobility. But the beauty benefits are mentioned too, such as strong and shiny hair, strong teeth and skin aging prevention. 

Celebrity-endorsed bar to look and feel better

Around the world, Vital Proteins is visible in advertisements in which Jennifer Aniston touts the benefits of collagen for her looks and well-being. Since she joined the company as Chief Creative Officer in 2020, Anniston has been a major champion of collagen. She even created her own protein and collagen bars for the brand. These three bars – Peanut Butter Fudge, Cold Brew Coffee and Dark Chocolate Coconut – are made to her exact need and wants. They are smaller-sized and include key ingredients Aniston had not seen in bars before, such as maca, maqui berry and collagen. The actress claims she noticed an improvement in how she looks and feels since adding collagen to her daily routine. She believes wellness starts from within, a view she widely propagates in campaigns for Vital proteins.

2 slices a day keeps the wrinkles away

‘The greatest thing since sliced bread’, writes Bakerlita on its keto beauty collagen bread. This everyday staple is (almost) free from carbs, grains, dairy, sugar and gluten. What is it made of then, you might think. Well, the most important ingredients are collagen protein, almond meal and coconut flour. Eating two slices of this bread will ensure you get a full serving of collagen. The product is targeted towards consumers looking for beauty benefits, but also people following a keto or paleo diet. A smart combination, as weight loss (and thus appearance) is a key driver for many who choose a keto lifestyle.

Purely Elizabeth is a holistic wellness food brand that operates under the tagline ‘created to help you thrive’. Their granola, oats and cereals are targeted towards consumers with a busy lifestyle who want convenient and healthy options. Their Blueberry Walnut Superfood Oatmeal with collagen is ready in two minutes and also comes in a portion cup that can be enjoyed to go and is promoted as “taking the guesswork out of mindful portion-control”.

 Interestingly, they only promote the quinoa, amaranth, chia and flax components as ‘intentional ingredients’. The website states the vitamin and mineral contents of these grains. Collagen isn’t explained anywhere, leaving it up to consumers to know or research what benefits this ingredient brings to the table. In their FAQ, they only give details of the kind of collagen they use, stating it is ‘grass-fed collagen’ rather than ‘bovine collagen’ to minimize the animal origin.

Snacking for a glowy skin and luscious hair

Have you ever seen before and after photos on a food website? You can at Krumbled Foods. They use this marketing technique from the weight loss, beauty and plastic surgery world to promote their Beauty Bites. They feature photos of a head of hair that first looks thin and slightly damaged but after 1 beauty bite a day for 4 weeks is full, healthy and glowy. They even show a fingernail that is short at first, but long, strong and healthy after regular collagen consumption. The Beauty Bites consist of five active ingredients that are anti-aging and support gut health. This way, they want to make beautiful skin, hair and nails and a happy gut more attainable. Consumers just have to regularly eat their bite-size snacks.