Beauty Supplements covers collagen and biotin in every common format: marine and bovine collagen powders, collagen capsules, biotin tablets and drops from 2,500 to 10,000 mcg, and combination formulas with vitamin C or hyaluronic acid. Brands include OstroVit, Trec Nutrition, Essensey, Jarrow, Natrol and NOW Foods.
Powders give the larger daily amount: a scoop of OstroVit Marine Collagen, Trec Collagen Marine or NOW Foods Collagen Peptides stirs into water, coffee or a smoothie. Capsules such as Trec Collagen Max or Essensey Collagen Forte are easier to travel with but supply less per serving, so compare the grams per daily dose on each label.
Marine collagen comes from fish and bovine collagen from cattle. NOW Foods Collagen Peptides is bovine, while the OstroVit and Trec Marine products are fish-based and unsuitable if you have a fish allergy. Collagen itself has no authorised health claim, but vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin, which is why OstroVit Collagen + Vitamin C pairs the two.
Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and normal skin. The NRV is 50 mcg, and the products here range from 2,500 mcg drops (OstroVit Pharma Biotin) through 5,000 mcg capsules (Jarrow Biotin) to 10,000 mcg tablets and capsules from Natrol and Doctor's Best. A higher number is not automatically better; pick the format you will take every day. OstroVit Biotin VEGE is a vegan capsule.
Essensey Multivit for HER + Biotin combines a multivitamin with biotin, Snap Super Greens mixes collagen with a greens powder, and Trace Minerals Ionic Biotin + Collagen is a flavoured liquid. Add up the biotin if you combine any of these with a separate biotin product. For hair-specific formulas, see Hair Care.
Neither has an authorised health claim, so the choice comes down to source and diet. Marine collagen suits pescatarians but not people with a fish allergy, and bovine collagen suits those who avoid fish.
Between 2,500 mcg and 10,000 mcg per daily serving, depending on the product, against an NRV of 50 mcg. Take the amount stated on the label and do not exceed it.
Yes. High-dose biotin can interfere with some laboratory tests, including certain thyroid and heart tests, so tell your doctor or the clinic that you take it before a blood test.
Collagen is always animal-derived, so the collagen products are not vegan. OstroVit Biotin VEGE is labelled vegan; check other labels for the capsule material.
Yes, many people pair a collagen powder with a biotin tablet. If you also take a multivitamin or a hair formula, add up the biotin across all of them and follow each label's directions.
