Mechanism of Action
After ingestion, digestive enzymes break collagen peptides down into short di- and tripeptides. These fragments partially resist complete breakdown into free amino acids. They are measured in human blood after intake, then found concentrated in connective tissues, the supporting tissues that link and structure the organs.
What these fragments trigger there is described in the laboratory. In cells and in skin explants, the presence of collagen peptides steers fibroblasts, the builder cells of the dermis, toward producing new matrix. In bone models, it favours the differentiation of osteoblasts, which build the framework of bone.
This work offers an explanation: the body would read the presence of collagen fragments as a signal of tissue renewal. It is the trials in humans, and those alone, that establish the effects actually measured.
Key Benefits
- Moderate
Better-hydrated skin: a meta-analysis of 19 randomized trials, in 1,125 adults aged 20 to 70, measures an improvement in skin hydration at doses of 2.5 to 10 g per day, over 4 to 12 weeks.
- Moderate
More elastic skin: in 69 women aged 35 to 55, 2.5 g per day for 8 weeks increased skin elasticity compared with placebo. The same meta-analysis finds the effect across the pooled trials.
- Moderate
Less pronounced wrinkles: the same meta-analysis reports a reduction in their depth after 90 days of daily intake, at the same doses of 2.5 to 10 g per day.
- Moderate
Denser bones after menopause: in 131 postmenopausal women with reduced bone density, 5 g per day for 12 months increased mineral density in the spine and the femoral neck.
Dosage & Forms
Three approaches to collagen supplementation coexist. Undenatured native type II collagen acts at very low doses, through a distinct immune mechanism. Gelatin, partially hydrolyzed, shows limited solubility and variable absorption. Hydrolyzed collagen peptides are the form whose oral absorption is best documented in humans.
The source (bovine, marine, avian) influences the amino-acid profile. Clinical data show no clear superiority of bovine over marine for types I and III.
Skin trials range from 2.5 to 10 g per day, over 4 to 12 weeks; a synthesis of ten trials places the median dose at 3.5 g per day. The reference bone trial was run at 5 g per day for twelve months. One trial compared 2.5 g and 5 g on skin elasticity without separating the two arms, which establishes no dose-response relationship within that window.
In the Singular Formula
Inclusion rationale
Type I and III collagen in the form of hydrolyzed peptides. Type I collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the human body, constituting approximately 90% of total collagen, found in skin, bones, tendons and ligaments. Its density in the skin declines with age, a process accelerated by UV exposure, smoking and oxidative stress. Enzymatic hydrolysis produces low-molecular-weight peptides for facilitated intestinal absorption. These peptides exert a dual action once absorbed: they supply the specific amino acids of collagen (glycine, proline, hydroxyproline) as raw material, and certain dipeptides such as Pro-Hyp steer dermal fibroblast activity in laboratory work. Meta-analyses of randomized trials have shown improvement in skin hydration and elasticity after 8 to 12 weeks of supplementation at doses of 2.5 to 10 g/day. In the formula, these peptides are part of a complete synthesis network: glycine and L-lysine (present in the formula) provide the precursor amino acids, while vitamin C (also present) is the essential cofactor for the hydroxylation of proline and lysine, the key step in collagen maturation. Without vitamin C, the collagen triple helix cannot stabilize.
Selected form
Peptan® B 2000 LD provides additive-free hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides of types I and III with an average molecular weight of 2,000 daltons and instant solubility. Hydrolysis breaks the chains into short peptides, found in human blood as di- and tripeptides after intake. The ingredient provides collagen-specific amino acids, particularly glycine, proline and hydroxyproline, which are scarce in other dietary protein sources. Manufactured in France at Rousselot's Angoulême site.
Formula dosage
0 to 5 g.
Dose expressed as active substance, excluding excipients and carriers of the raw material.
Synergies in the formula
Safety & Precautions
Hydrolyzed collagen peptides are generally well tolerated. Adverse effects reported in trials are rare and mild: transient digestive discomfort, increased feeling of fullness. The longest controlled trials cover twelve months, with no notable biological change.
Collagen is rich in hydroxyproline, an amino acid of which a fraction is converted into oxalate by the body. Intakes of 5 to 10 g raise urinary oxalate measurably in adults. The health profile collects a history of kidney stones, and collagen is then excluded from the formula.
As the matrix is of bovine origin, it is not advised for people with a known allergy to bovine proteins. It is not suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets. Pregnant or breastfeeding women are invited to consult a healthcare professional before any supplementation.
The supply chain complies with European Union health standards, including the controls related to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.
Scientific Studies
| Authors | Year | Type | Journal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| de Miranda RB et al. | 2021 | Meta-analysis | International Journal of Dermatology | View on PubMed |
Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis Meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials, 1,125 participants aged 20 to 70, 95% women. Hydrolyzed collagen supplementation improves skin hydration and elasticity and reduces wrinkles; the authors conclude that a 90-day intake acts on the signs of skin aging. | ||||
| Myung SK et Park Y | 2025 | Meta-analysis | The American Journal of Medicine | View on PubMed |
Effects of Collagen Supplements on Skin Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Meta-analysis of 23 randomized trials, 1,474 participants. Across all trials, collagen improves hydration, elasticity and wrinkles. But the effect disappears in trials without industry funding, and in methodologically high-quality trials: the authors conclude that no clinical evidence currently supports the use of collagen for skin aging. | ||||
| Choi FD et al. | 2019 | Review | Journal of Drugs in Dermatology | View on PubMed |
Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications Systematic review of 11 randomized controlled trials, 805 participants. Eight trials used hydrolyzed collagen at 2.5 to 10 g per day, over 8 to 24 weeks. The authors report gains in elasticity, hydration and dermal collagen density, with no adverse events reported. | ||||
| Vleminckx S et al. | 2024 | Randomised Controlled Trial | Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology | View on PubMed |
Influence of collagen peptide supplementation on visible signs of skin and nail health and -aging in an East Asian population: A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial Double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial in 85 women aged 43 to 65. At 84 days, 5 g per day of bovine collagen peptides improved dermis density and skin moisture compared with placebo. | ||||
| König D et al. | 2018 | Randomised Controlled Trial | Nutrients | View on PubMed |
Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Study 12-month randomized controlled trial in 131 postmenopausal women with reduced bone density. At 5 g per day, mineral density of the spine and femoral neck increased compared with placebo. The peptides tested had a mean molecular weight of 5,000 daltons. | ||||
| Asserin J et al. | 2015 | Randomised Controlled Trial | Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology | View on PubMed |
The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials Two randomized, placebo-controlled trials. At 10 g per day, skin hydration increased after 8 weeks and dermal collagen network density from 4 weeks, with the effect maintained at 12 weeks. | ||||
| Proksch E et al. | 2014 | Randomised Controlled Trial | Skin Pharmacology and Physiology | View on PubMed |
Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study Double-blind randomized trial in 69 women aged 35 to 55. At both 2.5 g and 5 g per day for 8 weeks, skin elasticity increased compared with placebo, with no clear difference between the two arms. Effects on hydration did not reach significance. | ||||
| Proksch E et al. | 2014 | Randomised Controlled Trial | Skin Pharmacology and Physiology | View on PubMed |
Oral intake of specific bioactive collagen peptides reduces skin wrinkles and increases dermal matrix synthesis Double-blind randomized trial in 114 women aged 45 to 65. At 2.5 g per day for 8 weeks, eye wrinkle volume decreased by 20% compared with placebo. In a subgroup, biopsies showed higher dermal procollagen type I and elastin. | ||||