The low-dose vegan collagen-like protein is positioned to meet growing demand in the beauty-from-within market.
Research published by The Insight Partners in June of this year projected that the global collagen market would growat a CAGR of 7.5%—from US$ 5.20 billion in 2024 to US$ 8.63 billion by 2031. In 2024, North America led the collagen market with a substantial revenue sh are.
As the category continues to expand, plant-based alternatives have struggled to deliver comparable efficacy to animal-based sources, particularly due to the absence of hydroxyproline, which is a key amino acid associated with collagen bioactivity.
“Non-animal collagen alternatives generally fall into three categories, each with distinct limitations,” Eric Withee, director of branded ingredients at Freeman Nutra Group, told NutraIngredients. Vegan collagen boosters lack peptides entirely, fermented peptides are expensive and not truly plant-based, and most plant-derived peptides lack hydroxyproline, he added.
“VC-H1 overcomes these challenges,” he said. “It is fully plant-based and composed of low-molecular-weight di- and tri-peptides, with glycine, proline and hydroxyproline present in levels comparable to animal collagen.”
The ingredient delivers a profile that is “nearly indistinguishable from animal-derived collagen”, while offering additional benefits from hibiscus polyphenols and a lower effective dose of one and a half grams.
In a clinical study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences earlier this year, VC-H1 demonstrated improvements in skin health measured by both instruments and clinician assessments.
“The clinician-graded improvement to skin I think is the most important outcome for connecting with consumers,” Withee said. He explained that perceptible changes are especially relevant in beauty-from-within categories, as “people don’t just want their skin to look better, they want others to notice that their skin looks better.”
Flexibility opens new possibilities
Formulation versatility is another differentiator for VC-H1, particularly in a crowded market often constrained by high-dose collagen powders with limited flavor masking options. Withee characterized this flexibility as “such a strong advantage of VC-H1,” as “there is only so much you can do with a 10-gram dose of powder with a slightly off-putting flavor profile.”
He added that VC-H1’s low dose and neutral taste make it suitable for diverse formats. For example, at the upcoming SupplySide West show in Las Vegas, Freeman Nutra Group will showcase samples including liquid and jelly stick packs, classic powders and cocktails made with VC-H1.
“We are only scratching the surface of what is possible with this ingredient,” he said.
Advantages of a vertically integrated supply chain
Scalability and cost-effectiveness are also core parts of VC-H1’s positioning. While most animal collagen ingredients require between six and 10 grams for efficacy, VC-H1’s 1.5 gram dose can help brands achieve lower per-serving costs.
Withee credited South Korean ingredient supplier Rawga’s early investment in large-scale manufacturing capacity and vertical integration as critical to keeping both supply and pricing stable, as well as opening accessibility to ethical sourcing options. VC-H1 comes from organic hibiscus sustainably grown on a Rawga’s farm in Laos.
Beyond skin and joint health, Withee sees early signs of potential applications for VC-H1 in supporting the myofascial system, which is a topic gaining attention in integrative and functional health circles.
Recent insights into the myofascial system “have revealed surprising alignments with the meridians of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine,” he said, and “clean, plant-based sources of collagen will play an important role as this area of health is further elucidated.”
