July 25, 2020

How Does Collagen and Biotin Work Together and What Are Their Benefits?

Written by Hannah Marchese
Updated on June 24, 2021

When you have a health issue or deficiency, dietary supplements can oftentimes be helpful. They can fill in the nutritional gaps your body is missing. Especially if the supplement is well-made and contains clean, all-natural ingredients, they can offer a lot of benefits for your health and wellness.

Collagen is one of the most popular supplements for both beauty and your overall health. It offers a wide range of benefits but is mostly known for its beauty-boosting properties.

Another supplement people try for their beauty concerns is biotin. It is not as effective as collagen, but it's still worth learning about. Things like hair loss, weak and brittle hair, brittle nails, and unhealthy skin are what typically lead people to try biotin supplements.

For things like signs of aging, poor skin health, weak bones, tendons, and connective tissues, as well as brittle hair and nails, you may want to try collagen.

Here are some of the benefits of each type of supplement:

Collagen - the benefits of collagen are improved skin elasticity, healthy skin, strengthened connective tissues, lessening of joint pain, stronger hair and nails, and strengthened bones.

Biotin - the benefits of biotin are breaking down macronutrients, supporting nail and hair health, helping pregnancy and breastfeeding, and helping with skin health. You may even find biotin in your daily multivitamin. Biotin is not a bad supplement, but just be aware that as a dietary supplement on its own, it may cause a flareup of acne. Some people have reported an increase in acne if they are taking biotin.

Is it OK to take biotin and collagen together?

Yes, it is ok to take biotin and collagen together. Collagen supplements and biotin supplements are both safe supplements and in some cases may actually complement each other with their benefits involving your hair and nails.

Biotin is typically taken as a pill, whereas collagen comes in many forms. These forms include collagen peptides, hydrolyzed collagen, collagen powder, collagen pills, and liquid collagen.

A great thing about collagen is there are no known side effects. Besides a possible increase in acne, biotin has no other side effects and is regarded as a safe supplement.

For any vitamin, mineral, or protein, it's always best to get as much of the nutrient as you can through the food you eat. Since biotin is found in so many foods, it's actually quite uncommon to have a biotin deficiency. To increase your biotin intake, try eating more of these foods: organ meats, such as liver and kidney, yeast, egg yolks, cheese, legumes such as soybeans and peanuts, leafy greens, cauliflower, mushrooms, nuts, and nut butter. To increase your collagen intake, eat more of these foods: Bone broth is great for boosting collagen. Make this nutrient-dense broth by simmering animal bones in water with herbs. Bone broth is packed with collagen, amino acids, calcium, and magnesium. It’s easy to make and the only time-consuming part is how long it takes to simmer. However, you can make huge batches and freeze what you don’t use. Fish is great for collagen as well. Packed with amino acids such as proline and glycine, it contains the necessary building blocks for collagen.

Vitamin C is used for collagen formation. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is used in collagen production. For vitamin C, citrus fruits are key, with grapefruit being one of the best for your skin. Even fruit such as raspberries contain a large amount of vitamin C. If you want to watch your sugar, try eating bell peppers. They are just as high in vitamin C but with lower sugar content. This vitamin is essential for both improving collagen production and naturally giving you stronger, glowier skin.

Another essential vitamin is vitamin A. Sweet potatoes are full of vitamin A, which is essential for a strong skin barrier and overall skin function.

Other foods rich in vitamin A include spinach, carrots, and broccoli. For both biotin and collagen, green leafy vegetables are needed. Kale and pretty much any green vegetables will give you a huge boost in helping with collagen production, as well as help you achieve glowing skin, due to all the antioxidants they contain.

Also great are egg whites. While eggs themselves don’t support collagen production, egg whites do. They contain proline, which is an amino acid that is needed for collagen production.

Lastly, try eating more beans. Not only are beans packed with protein and flavor, but they also contain essential amino acids that are needed for synthesizing collagen.

Are biotin and collagen good for your hair?

Yes, biotin and collagen are good for your hair. Collagen is typically better for hair.

Biotin is a blend of vitamins and assists with amino acids in the body. Collagen is already composed of amino acids and is a protein that helps with the direct formation of hair itself.

If you for some reason can't have collagen, another option is biotin. This is a blend of Vitamin B7, vitamin H, and coenzyme R. This helps with cell renewal and cell growth. It also helps with amino acids that are used for building protein in the body, which means it could help with improving hair growth. However, if you can have collagen (specifically marine collagen), this is a better choice overall.

Our Kalumi BEAUTYfood bars contain 8 grams of hydrolyzed marine collagen and 11-13 grams of protein. They also contain other beauty-boosting foods like sweet potato (containing vitamin A), and cocoa butter (containing polyphenols and flavonoids). The formula is designed to help absorb and retain collagen and is a great way to support your hair, skin and nails.

Does biotin help collagen?

Biotin is a blend of Vitamin B 7, vitamin H, and coenzyme R. This helps with cell renewal and cell growth. It also helps with amino acids that are used for building protein in the body. While some of its functions are similar to those of collagen, it is not involved with the production or use of collagen within our body.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is formed through chains of amino acids, such as glycine and proline. These amino acids act as building blocks for our body. As we age, our collagen production declines by around 1% per year, which leads to signs of aging such as wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, joint pain, weak bones, and brittle hair and nails. Taking supplements and eating more collagen-rich foods can help to combat and prevent these issues.

In conclusion, biotin is not a bad supplement, but it is not as good a supplement as collagen. Especially if your concerns are your skin health, along with your hair and nails, collagen is the way to go.