If you’ve been browsing the functional beverage section at the market lately, you’ve probably come across collagen water before. The ingredients generally include (obviously) collagen powder, water, and some sort of flavor. 

Given the steep price tag of most store-bought collagen drinks, we’d be remiss not to share this fact: DIY collagen drinks are not only more affordable, but they can provide even more benefits—here’s an easy how-to. 

This process truly is as easy as it seems:

And voila! You have a supplement-packed beverage ready to go. The most important thing is to select a high-quality collagen supplement and ensure you’re getting an adequate dose—two boxes that many pre-made drinks don’t check. 

When we sat down with holistic plastic surgeon Anthony Youn, M.D., FACS on a recent episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, he explained that "people who take collagen supplements do appear to have skin that is more hydrated, has less wrinkles, and looks more youthful.*" And research backs up the claim: In 2019, the J Drugs Dermatol published a review of oral collagen's effects on the skin, showing that collagen peptides support skin elasticity and hydration levels and promote youthful texture.* (You can read more about the benefits of collagen supplements here, with even more science-backed data.)

But in order to reap these benefits, you’ll have to find a collagen supplement with an adequate amount of collagen in it. When it comes to dosage, you should take into account the benefits you’re after, as different daily doses can do different things for the body. To quickly summarize:

If you’re thinking: Why not find a collagen supplement that ticks all the boxes? We hear you and agree, which is why we formulated our beauty & gut collagen+ with 17.7 grams of hydrolyzed collagen peptides. When collagen is completely hydrolyzed (like in our formula) it's easy to use because it dissolves in liquids—even water. It's also essentially tasteless and odorless, which is why it's so convenient to add to a ton of different recipes.

Consequently, a lot of liquid collagen products on the market will feature 10 grams of collagen or less. Of course, it depends on the specific brand, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a liquid format with more than 10 grams. Powders, on the other hand, can easily play in the 15 grams and up range, according to mbg's vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN. That said, many of the collagen drinks on the market simply include a subpar dose of collagen powder dissolved in water with a marked up price. So we repeat: Why not skip the fuss and make your own bottle?

Rather than spending money on pre-made collagen drinks, you may want to consider a DIY option, as it can be more budget-friendly and take the guesswork out of shopping for the perfect product. Not to mention, liquid collagen products may contain a longer additive profile (i.e., other ingredients you don't actually want), with more flavors (sometimes artificial) to enhance their marketability—but you can read all about liquid collagen versus powder here.