Hydrolyzed Collagen: What It Is, How It Is Made and How It Differs From Gelatin

Hydrolyzed collagen is collagen protein that has been broken down, with heat and enzymes, into short chains of amino acids called peptides. It is the same ingredient sold as collagen peptides or collagen hydrolysate, and it is the form used in most unflavored collagen powders because it dissolves in hot or cold drinks without turning into gel. This guide explains how hydrolyzed collagen is made, how it differs from gelatin, where it comes from, what the collagen types on a label mean and what to check before you buy.

Peptide Labs sells Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, so we use its label as a worked example near the end. This article is general information, not medical advice.

What is hydrolyzed collagen?

Collagen is the main structural protein in skin, bone, tendons and ligaments. Researchers have identified nearly 28 types, and type I is the most common. In its natural form, a collagen molecule is three protein chains wound tightly into a rope-like triple helix, with a molecular weight of about 300 kilodaltons (kDa), according to a 2019 review in the journal Molecules. That molecule is too large to dissolve in water.

Hydrolyzed collagen is what you get after those chains are separated and cut into small pieces. The same review describes it as a group of low-molecular-weight peptides of about 3 to 6 kDa, roughly one-fiftieth to one-hundredth the size of the intact molecule. Those small peptides are highly soluble and stay thin in liquid, so a scoop disappears into a drink.

How hydrolysis works: from collagen to gelatin to collagen peptides

The word hydrolysis means splitting with water. In practice, manufacturers break collagen down in stages:

1. Raw material. Collagen is extracted from hides, skin, bones, scales or cartilage, mostly by-products of meat and fish processing. These are first cleaned and pre-soaked in acid or alkaline solutions.
2. Heat. Warming collagen above about 40 °C unwinds the triple helix into separate chains. Collagen that has been only partly broken down this way is gelatin: its chains are still long, so it sets into a gel when it cools.
3. Enzymes. Protein-cutting enzymes such as alcalase, papain or pepsin then cut the chains into short peptides. This step is what turns gelatin-like material into hydrolyzed collagen.
4. Drying. The liquid is purified and dried into powder.

If you want the wider background on what a peptide is, see our explainer on what peptides are.

Collagen vs collagen peptides vs gelatin

Hydrolyzed collagen and collagen peptides are not two different products. Scientific papers use hydrolyzed collagen, collagen peptides and collagen hydrolysate interchangeably, and you may also see hydrolyzed gelatin. When a label simply says collagen, check the ingredient line: most powders still contain hydrolyzed collagen, but some capsule products contain undenatured type II collagen, which is a different ingredient that has not been hydrolyzed and is studied separately.

So collagen peptides are collagen in a smaller, pre-broken-down form: same protein, smaller pieces.

Bovine collagen, marine collagen and other sources

Commercial hydrolyzed collagen comes mainly from cattle, pigs and fish, with chicken used for some products. Whatever the animal, collagen has the same characteristic makeup: about a third of its amino acids are glycine and about a fifth are proline and hydroxyproline. The source matters less for what is in the scoop than for your diet, allergies and preferences.

Bovine collagen vs marine collagen

Neither is better for everyone. People with a fish allergy should avoid marine collagen, people who avoid beef should skip bovine, and those who care about sourcing can look for details such as grass-fed cattle or wild-caught fish. Those are sourcing claims, not purity tests.

Collagen types: what type 1 and 3 collagen mean

The type numbers describe families of collagen in the body. According to Cleveland Clinic, type I makes up about 90% of the body’s collagen and gives structure to skin, bones, tendons and ligaments. Type II is found in cartilage. Type III is found in muscles, arteries and organs, and often sits alongside type I. Types IV and V also exist but are less often named on supplement labels.

On a tub, type 1 and 3 collagen mostly tells you the collagen came from hide or skin, typically bovine or porcine. After hydrolysis the triple helix is gone, so the type describes where the peptides came from rather than a structure inside the powder. A longer list of types is a formulation choice, not proof of a better product.

What to check on a hydrolyzed collagen label

1. Source. The ingredient line should name the animal, for example bovine, porcine, fish or chicken.
2. Grams per serving. Check the serving size (scoops or tablespoons) and the grams of collagen it supplies. Capsules usually provide far less per serving than a powder.
3. Collagen types. Match them to the source: a single bovine ingredient normally means types I and III.
4. Protein and % Daily Value. U.S. labeling rules adjust the protein % Daily Value for protein quality, and collagen scores zero on that scale because it lacks tryptophan. That is why a collagen label can list 18 g of protein at 0% Daily Value.
5. Added ingredients. Some products add vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, flavors or sweeteners.
6. Allergens. Marine collagen comes from fish, a major food allergen that must be declared on U.S. labels. Also read any shared-facility statement.
7. Third-party testing. Supplements do not need FDA approval before sale. If a brand uses an independent testing or certification program, the mark should be on the label and checkable on the certifier’s website.

To compare tubs by price, read our collagen peptides buying guide, which walks through cost per serving and product formats.

Where Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides fits

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (unflavored) is a single-ingredient hydrolyzed collagen. The ingredient line reads collagen peptides (from bovine), and the brand describes it as made from grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine, specifically upcycled bovine hide. The brand states that it provides types I and III collagen, which matches that source.

• Serving: 4 level tablespoons (20 g), providing 20 g of collagen peptides.
• Per serving: 70 calories, 18 g protein (0% Daily Value) and 110 mg sodium.
• Mixing: the brand says it dissolves in hot and cold liquids.
• Other label points: made without gluten or dairy, no artificial sweeteners, and the label itself calls collagen peptides an incomplete protein.
• Allergen note: the labels we checked say it is made in a facility that also processes milk and fish (the 19.3 oz label adds tree nuts).

You can find all three tub sizes on the Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides page or browse our supplements category. The label advises checking with a physician first if you are pregnant, nursing or have a medical condition.

What has research on hydrolyzed collagen looked at?

Studies have looked at skin measures such as hydration and elasticity, and at joint comfort, with mixed results. A 2025 meta-analysis of 23 randomized trials in The American Journal of Medicine found that pooled results favored collagen, but when the authors looked only at trials without pharmaceutical-company funding, or only at high-quality trials, they found no significant effect. Harvard’s Nutrition Source notes that most collagen research is funded or partly funded by industry, and a 2023 review of joint-comfort trials rated every included study at high risk of bias. The evidence is not settled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed September 2026.