It seems like every time I turn around there's a new collagen "trend" to check out. The supplement has become so popular in the market that it has its own set of spin-offs— lately it's featured in everything from stand alone pills to bottled waters, snacks and the like.

But sometimes it's best to just revisit one of the originals: Collagen powders offer versatile uses, a more flexible dosage, and in some cases, added ingredients to make a more robust formula. (This is why our recommendation will always be to opt for the powder format.)

First off: Collagen is a family of proteins that are the most abundant proteins in the animal kingdom.

There are at least 28 kinds of collagen (that we know of) that exist, but types I, II, and III are the most common in the human body.

We actually make our own collagen via the cells' fibroblasts—but that production declines with age and other factors. Collagen is perhaps most famous for its role in keeping skin firm and lifted, but it's present in other areas of the body such as the bones, cartilage, and muscle.* 

Because collagen is so notable for overall health, many have come to ingest the protein via collagen supplementation.

Collagen supplements are broken down, digestible forms of collagen (derived from things like cows, fish, and chickens) that are capable of being absorbed by the body, traveling to where they can be best used.*

Collagen supplements can come in many forms (liquid, gel, and gummies), but powders tend to be the most ubiquitous on the market.

For a full breakdown of collagen's many benefits for skin, hair, nails, and overall health, check out our guide to collagen supplements.

There is no official daily recommendation for collagen supplementation. For healthy adults, the recommendation for overall protein intake is about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. If you're physically active, your needs may be higher.

Collagen is a protein made of peptides, but it's not a complete protein—it doesn't have all nine of the essential amino acids (it's missing tryptophan and is on the lower side on a few others)—but can absolutely contribute to your overall daily protein goals and needs.*

Look for brands that describe in detail where their collagen is sourced from (i.e., the animal, region, etc.), be it on the packaging or website.

Look for keywords like "grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine collagen from Brazilian cows," or "sustainably sourced, wild-caught cod." Ideally, they'll note what collagen types are provided (e.g., types I, II, or III) as well.

Many collagen powders have additional, beneficial ingredients—such as vitamins and minerals or botanical bioactives—they can help create a more holistic product to achieve your desired effects.*

Be sure to vet these in the same way you're vetting the collagen. Look for research backing up why the ingredients were added and thoughtful explanations of the overall formulas.

On the other end, make sure the formula is clean. Less is more here: Skip artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, gluten, GMOs, soy, gluten, and known allergens.

If your collagen product has flavors, look for natural varieties (such as organic cocoa, organic vanilla, and others listed as natural flavors).

This is less about decoding an ingredient label and more about finding brands that are open and honest about their product. It shouldn't be hard to find their Supplement Facts panel and other ingredients list.

The type and source of collagen should be apparent. If they make any benefit claims, there should be science to support them.

Given so much of this article is about getting the correct dosage of collagen—and that powders are the best way to get a meaningful amount—it'd make sense if we go over amounts in a bit more detail, no?

We go talk about it in depth in our guide to collagen dosage, but as an overview: At this time, there are no definitive recommendations on intake levels (like a Recommended Daily Allowance, or RDA).

However, a growing number of clinical studies point to specific, effective dosages based on outcomes—and can help us understand how much collagen we should be taking every day.

Collagen powders are your best bet for high-dose, high-quality collagen. Want options that are top of the top? We did the work for you with the edited list above.