HOW MUCH COLLAGEN DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED?

2.5 grams. 5 grams. 10 grams. 15 grams. Collagen supplements come with wildly different doses, usually accompanied by an equally confident reason why theirs is the right one. So how much collagen do you actually need? We looked at the research.

LET'S GET ONE THING OUT OF THE WAY

There is no scientifically established daily collagen requirement. Collagen isn't a vitamin with an official recommended daily allowance, and researchers haven't discovered one magical number everyone should be taking. Which makes sense. The amount researchers study depends on what they're trying to achieve, which collagen product they're using, who they're studying and for how long.

So when someone tells you that everyone needs exactly X grams of collagen every day, we'd like to see the receipts.

FOR SKIN, MORE ISN'T NECESSARILY MORE

This is where things get interesting scientifically. Some skin studies have used surprisingly small amounts. In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 69 women aged 35 to 55 took either 2.5 g or 5 g of specific collagen peptides every day for eight weeks. Both collagen groups showed a statistically significant improvement in skin elasticity compared with placebo.And importantly, the 5 g dose wasn't clearly twice as effective simply because it contained twice as much collagen. 

A systematic review of dermatological trials found studies using hydrolysed collagen at doses ranging from approximately 2.5 g to 10 g per day, generally taken for several weeks or months. The authors concluded that the early evidence was promising, while also pointing out that optimal dosing still needed to be established. 

So for skin, the evidence does not currently give us a neat equation where more grams automatically equal more glow. Biology rarely gives us the satisfaction.

AND WHAT ABOUT JOINTS AND MOVEMENT?

This is where the doses generally start getting higher. A systematic review looking at collagen supplementation, exercise and musculoskeletal outcomes found studies using a wide range of doses, but many of the trials investigating joint pain and function used approximately 5 to 15 g of collagen per day.

The review found relatively strong evidence for doses within that range in relation to joint pain and functionality, while also stressing that more research is needed to understand exactly how collagen produces those effects. So once we move beyond skin, 10 g suddenly doesn't look particularly unusual.

TENDONS ARE ANOTHER STORY

In a small randomized crossover study, eight healthy men (yes yes, we know...) consumed either 5 g or 15 g of vitamin C-enriched gelatin before a short bout of exercise. The 15 g condition produced a greater increase in a blood marker associated with collagen synthesis than the 5 g condition. Important caveat: this wasn't a six-month trial showing that 15 g gives everyone indestructible tendons.
There were only eight participants, the intervention involved gelatin rather than the hydrolysed collagen peptides found in many supplements, and the researchers were measuring a marker of collagen synthesis.

Still, it gives us an interesting clue that dose may matter differently depending on what outcome you're looking at.

More recent reviews of tendon research also suggest that higher collagen doses combined with resistance training may be more promising for tendon adaptation, although the number of trials remains relatively small and protocols vary considerably. 

SO... IS 10 G THE PERFECT DOSE?

No. And despite the fact that every Beauty BADDIE contains 10 g, we're not going to reverse-engineer the science until it conveniently tells us that 10 is the magic number.

There isn't one. What we can say is that 10 g sits comfortably within the range of doses that has been investigated in human collagen research, including research on skin and musculoskeletal outcomes. 

But dose is only one part of the equation. The collagen itself matters. The peptide composition may matter. Your diet matters. What outcome you're looking at matters. And, crucially, how long you take it matters too.

WAIT. HOW LONG ARE WE TALKING?

Not three days. A lot of collagen research measures outcomes after weeks or months of consistent supplementation.

The skin trial we mentioned earlier measured participants after four and eight weeks. A systematic review of dermatological applications included hydrolysed collagen studies lasting approximately 8 to 24 weeks. 

And a large 2026 review of skin studies found something particularly relevant: outcomes appeared to be more consistently related to duration than to dose, with some measures showing more convincing effects after at least 12 weeks. The authors also found substantial differences between studies and no established dose-response relationship. Which brings us to something considerably less sexy than finding the perfect number: consistency might matter more than obsessing over an extra gram.

AND WHAT DOES BADDIE DO?

Every Beauty BADDIE contains 10 g of hydrolysed marine collagen peptides. We chose a substantial dose that sits within the ranges being investigated across collagen research rather than adding a tiny amount just so we could put “with collagen” on the front of a can.

We could have used less. After all, some studies looking specifically at skin have reported results with lower doses. But BADDIE wasn't developed with just one outcome in mind.
We wanted a dose that made sense across the broader collagen research, from skin to joints and connective tissue. That's why we chose 10 g.

Collagen research generally looks at consistent intake over weeks or months, not overnight results.

Good thing we made that part taste good.

THE BADDIE VERDICT

So, how much collagen do you actually need?

Science doesn't give us one perfect number. At least not yet. Studies looking at skin have found results with relatively low doses, while research into joints, tendons and other musculoskeletal outcomes commonly investigates higher amounts. Different goals, different studies, different doses. And that's exactly why we didn't formulate BADDIE around the lowest number we could get away with.

We chose 10 g of hydrolysed marine collagen peptides per can.

It's a substantial daily dose that sits within the range used across different areas of collagen research, rather than being optimized for one single outcome.
Could less be enough for your skin? Possibly. Could the ideal dose depend on what you're taking collagen for? The research suggests it might.

Until science gives us one definitive answer, we'd rather give you a meaningful dose that covers more ground.

One BADDIE. 10 g of collagen. Every day.

Glow, hydration & body. Consider yourself covered.