What are the types of collagen?

The types of collagen that matter in practice are five: I, II, III, IV and V. Science has identified 28 in total, but type I on its own accounts for about 90% of the collagen in your body. The others fulfill specialized functions in cartilage, blood vessels and membranes.

Now, there's something almost no article on this topic mentions and that really decides your result: the type matters less than the absorption route. A perfect type I collagen that your body doesn't absorb is of no use. We'll come back to that further down.

What are the main types of collagen?

Type I collagen

By far the most abundant: around 90% of the body's collagen. It's in the skin, the bones, the tendons, the ligaments and the cornea. Its fibers are dense and highly resistant to traction. When people talk about skin firmness, they're basically talking about type I.

Type II collagen

The main component of articular cartilage. Its fibers are looser and form a mesh that retains water, which gives cartilage its cushioning capacity. It's the type associated with the health of knees, hips and spine.

Type III collagen

It accompanies type I in the skin, the blood vessels and the internal organs. It forms finer, more elastic fibers. It's abundant in young tissues and in early wound healing: when you get a wound, your body first lays down type III and then gradually replaces it with type I.

Type IV collagen

It doesn't form fibers, but sheets. It's the structural component of the basement membrane, the layer that separates the epithelium from the connective tissue. It's also in the kidney's filters and in the lens of the eye.

Type V collagen

Present in the cell surface, hair and placenta. Its role is discreet but critical: it regulates the thickness of type I fibers. Without it, those fibers assemble poorly.

There are another twenty-three types with very specialized functions —type X, for example, appears in growth cartilage during bone formation—, but they aren't relevant for supplementation.

Quick table of the types of collagen

Type	Where it is	What it's for
I	Skin, bones, tendons	Firmness and strength
II	Articular cartilage	Cushioning
III	Skin, vessels, organs	Elasticity and wound healing
IV	Basement membrane, kidney	Filtration and support
V	Cell surface, hair	Regulates type I fibers

Which is the best of the types of collagen?

It depends on your goal, but with an important nuance.

• If you're after skin, hair, nails and bones: types I and III.
• If your priority is joints: type II.

Now the nuance. The question «which type is better» is answered on the label; the question that decides whether you notice anything is answered in your body. And that one is: how much is absorbed?

The route matters more than the type

Native collagen is an enormous molecule that isn't absorbed. That's why supplements use hydrolyzed collagen: small peptides obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis. But even hydrolyzed, the destination depends on the path.

In powder or capsule, collagen crosses the stomach, the digestive enzymes and the liver before reaching the blood. Absorption by that route is around 25%: out of 10 grams, your body gets about 2.5.

By the sublingual route, it is absorbed through the mucosa under the tongue and enters the bloodstream directly. It isn't lost along the way. There absorption reaches 80%.

Route	Absorption	Goes through digestion
Capsule or powder	25%	Yes
Sublingual	80%	No
Vaginal (mucosa)	99%	No

That's more than three times what you'd get from a pill, with the same protein and the same type. You can review it in science and absorption and in sublingual collagen vs. capsule.

What no type of collagen does

• It doesn't cure, treat or prevent diseases. It's a food supplement, not a medication. Type II doesn't regenerate destroyed cartilage, nor does type I reverse aging.
• You don't choose where it goes. Your body digests the peptides and decides which tissue to repair. Taking type II doesn't magically direct the protein to your knees; it does provide the raw material and certain peptides act as a signal.
• It doesn't work applied on the skin. The topical molecule doesn't cross the skin barrier. Collagen is taken.
• There is no vegan version. All collagen is of animal origin; what is sold as «vegan» are precursors. We explain it in what is vegan collagen?.
• It doesn't act in days. The real timeframe is 6 weeks of consistent use.

What we offer at The Everyday Lab

We choose the route before the dosage, and one product per need:

• The Liquid Collagen Boost: 150 mg of hydrolyzed collagen per 1.5 mL serving (30 drops), by the sublingual route, with hyaluronic acid, biotin and zinc. The combination (small peptides + sublingual route) sustains its 80% absorption, up to 3x a capsule.
• The Ultimate Collagen Boost: vaginally applied gel with 99% local absorption, for female intimate health.
• The Collagen Bundle: the two routes together.

The full line is at Collagens. All with COFEPRIS classification, manufactured with raw material from a plant registered with the FDA and with FSSC 22000 certification, with ingredients and amounts declared.

In summary

The relevant types of collagen are I, II, III, IV and V, out of 28 identified, and type I concentrates about 90% of the body's total. Choose types I and III for skin and type II for joints — but remember that the variable with the most weight isn't the Roman numeral on the label, but the route: 80% sublingual against 25% in a capsule.

Keep reading: Are there collagens similar to hydrolyzed collagen? · Does hydrolyzed collagen really work? · The main proteins of the skin · What is sublingual? · Which is the best hydrolyzed collagen in Mexico?

About The Everyday Lab: get to know the story, the absorption technology and the full range in press.

This content is informational and does not replace medical consultation. Food supplements are not medications and do not cure, treat or prevent diseases. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult a professional before starting. Results may vary.