Youtheory is one of the most popular collagen brands in the US, and is notably cheaper than many competitors. The brand claims that their supplement “can help you achieve inner health and outer beauty.”
But does Youtheory provide an effective collagen dose, or are these just marketing claims? Does the supplement contain any questionable additives? How do real users rate and describe the effects of Youtheory Collagen? And what retailer sells this brand for the best price?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Youtheory Collagen based on medical studies to give our take on whether it’s likely to improve skin quality, or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll feature unsponsored customer reviews, and provide a cost comparison to show which retailer sells this brand for the best price.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Youtheory Collagen are shown above.
This is a refreshingly simple formulation.
Vitamin C can increase collagen production and decrease elastin loss according to a medical review published in the Nutrients journal.
The 90 milligram (mg) dose in Youtheory should be safe and effective.
Hydrolyzed collagen is included at a dose of 6,000 mg.
Collagen was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and improve skin hydration.
As we documented in our review of Obvi Collagenic Burn, most medical studies that we’ve come across on collagen supplementation for skin quality use a dose between 2,500 mg and 10,000 mg, so the dose in Youtheory is solidly within the effective range.
We typically recommend taking 10,000 mg per day because this appears to be the maximally effective dose based on the studies we’ve surveyed, but it’s simply to adjust the dose of this product up because of its simple formulation (there is no risk of taking too high a dose of other active ingredients in this case).
The only inactive ingredient is safe and non-toxic, and there are no ingredients that we consider unhealthy in this formulation.
We recommend Youtheory from a formulation perspective, and we consider this supplement likely to improve skin quality.
Our only minor complaint is that there is no mention of whether the collagen is sourced from conventionally-raised or pastured animals.
Animal products sourced from pastured animals may be more nutritious according to a 2006 medical review, although this is less of a concern with “processed” and functional food products like collagen (because the fats and most other nutrients are removed).
But how do real users rate and describe the effects of Youtheory Collagen? We’ll feature some unsponsored user reviews in the next section of this article.
Real People Try Youtheory
A YouTube creator named Seth Kardos shared his thoughts on taking Youtheory Collagen:
A YouTube creator named “Truly Tara” has an extremely thorough review of Youtheory that includes live product demos, her thoughts on what type of drink the collagen is best in, and her experience after using the supplement for over a month:
Youtheory Passes Independent Tests
Youtheory was approved by independent testing laboratory ConsumerLab, which is a brand we trust.
This company purchases supplements off-the-shelf and tests them at independent laboratories for label accuracy and purity. They have the best methodology of any testing laboratory in our opinion.
ConsumerLab did not perform contaminant testing in their most recent collagen review, but the company did confirm that Youtheory’s collagen supplements contain the listed dose of collagen.
We haven’t seen any evidence that contaminants like heavy metals are an issue in US collagen supplements.
This is a huge green flag about supplement quality, and all other things being equal, we would recommend a brand that passed ConsumerLab testing over a brand that did not.
Is the Biotin Version Better?
Youtheory sells a version of their collagen supplement that contains biotin, which is a B-vitamin that's often included in skin, hair and nails supplements.
While medical research suggests that biotin deficiency may be associated with development of skin disorders, we have not come across any convincing evidence that biotin supplementation in otherwise healthy adults has any benefits to skin, hair or nails.
A 2021 medical review concluded that "Current evidence is insufficient to recommend the use of biotin...in dermatology."
Youtheory's supplements containing biotin also cost more per-serving than those containing collagen and vitamin C.
Overall, we recommend that consumers interested in Youtheory purchase the original Youtheory Collagen and not the formulation(s) that contain biotin.
We do not consider biotin supplementation to be harmful, we're just not convinced of its efficacy.
Our Clean Collagen Picks
Bulletproof Collagen Powder is our top overall collagen pick because its only ingredient is hydrolyzed collagen sourced from grass-fed animals.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen powder at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
Super Youth Unflavored is our top premium collagen supplement, as it not only provides an effective collagen dose, but also contains sodium ascorbate which was described as a "potent stimulator of collagen and elastin production in the treatment of wrinkled and stretch-marked skin" in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Dermatological Science.
Interested consumers can check out Super Youth Unflavored at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
Bulletproof Chocolate Collagen is our top flavored collagen powder pick.
This collagen powder is naturally flavored with organic cocoa powder and coconut creamer powder, and is the healthiest flavored collagen we've reviewed to-date.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Chocolate Collagen at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
Real Customers Review Youtheory
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Youtheory Collagen currently has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars with over 37,000 total reviews.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “amerie” who gives Youtheory Collagen a 5/5 star rating and claims the supplement helped reverse hair loss:
“My hair is fine, and so it tangles easily and i lose a lot of it when im showering or brushing it. Biotin and collagen have seriously helped with the loss, and also my skins health. I also have a 10 step skin care routine, but the supplements have made it more even and improved the elasticity of it.”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Summer” who gives Youtheory Collagen a 1/5 star rating and claims it irritated the skin:
“I’ve been taking these for a little over 2 months now and have acne prone skin. My skin has never been so bad and it took me awhile to figure out what was causing it. I get huge, hurtful pimples that are so deep I don’t even have a way to pop them.”
Youtheory currently has an average review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars on Facebook.
Youtheory Collagen has an average review rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Google at the time of publishing this article.
Where to Buy Youtheory for the Best Price
Youtheory Collagen is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown for the 290-count bottle at the time of publishing this article:
Target: $21.26 (link)
Brand website: $18.99 (plus shipping, link)
Walmart: $16.92 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $16.60 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Youtheory Collagen is currently around 28% cheaper on Amazon than on the brand’s website when factoring in shipping fees.
Pros and Cons of Youtheory Collagen
Here are the pros and cons of Youtheory Collagen in our opinion:
Pros:
- Great price
- Effective collagen dose
- Should improve skin quality
- No unhealthy ingredients
- Contains effective vitamin C dose
- Mostly favorable online customer reviews
- Passed ConsumerLab testing
Cons:
- Brand website charges for shipping
- Collagen dose per serving may not be maximally effective
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
