35 CHEMICALS KNOWLEDGE HUB Issue 1 / July 2025 COLLAGEN “It’s a mixture,” said Wolf. “The base is mostly bovine or mammalian. They’re very similar to the human body, and the effectiveness is much more proven than the fish one. “Also scientifically, fish is a completely different species, and the effect is not 100% comparable. Most of the studies we have are with collagen from mammals. So you can say much more about this one.” Beauty from within As questions around sourcing and sustainability continue to shape consumer choices, brands are also adapting to another powerful market force: the rise of beauty-from-within. Once niche, it’s now a core wellness category driving new collagen innovation. “Before, it was mainly older women,” said Wolf. “Now, younger people want to be proactive. And more men discover this too. They also want to look good, feel good, have beautiful skin. This wasn’t the case five or ten years ago. So this target group is much more open now.” Mintel data supports this, noting that “many shoppers ... under the age of 25” now incorporate collagen into their wellness routines, confirming that younger audiences, alongside more men, are embracing the trend. Collagen concerns As collagen reaches more users, consumers are asking tougher questions about its origins. Growing awareness around environmental impact and ethical sourcing is prompting brands to rethink how they produce and position collagen in an increasingly scrutinised marketplace. “We’re making the industry more sustainable,” says Wolf. “We process by-products from the meat industry into high-class ingredients like collagen peptides. This makes them more sustainable. You can see this as upcycling,” he added. “We upcycle ingredients of no interest to high-interest ingredients. And we don’t only issue sustainability reports, we also publish social responsibility reports. So it’s not only
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY2OTA4MA==