Growing demand for collagen products in Asia, thanks to ‘healthspan’ consumers

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awcollagen - Collagen Diamond Drink by Kinohimitsu.


Credit to Kinohimitsu

Ingredient-led trends are the trends of beauty supplements or skincare products containing at least one standout ingredient, such as collagen.

PHOTO: KINOHIMITSU

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SINGAPORE - Drinkable beauty – a modern-day elixir of youth – is a big business.

These potions in question, which come in liquid, powder or jelly form, are made predominantly with collagen, which is said to aid in the healing of damaged skin and help the body to produce its own collagen.

The growing demand for such collagen products in the Asia-Pacific, including Singapore, has made it the fastest-growing market, valued at US$415.5 million (S$558 million) in 2024, according to Mordor Intelligence.

It is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.15 per cent over the next five years.

Some retailers told The Straits Times that they are seeing more sales of such items to Singapore consumers.

Ms Yang Hu, Euromonitor International’s insight manager for health and beauty in Asia, said the influence of ingredient-led trends that originated in skincare has extended to beauty supplements, and demand for such supplements is driven by healthspan-craving consumers.

Healthspan refers to the number of years someone is healthy, in contrast to lifespan, which refers to the number of years someone is alive.

Healthspan was identified as the top global consumer trend of 2025 by market research provider Euromonitor International.

Ingredient-led trends are the trends of beauty supplements or skincare products containing at least one standout ingredient, such as collagen.

“Inner beauty” has become a pivotal focus, especially in the Asia-Pacific, where the growing interest in collagen is part of a broader trend of consumers combining skincare with supplementation for holistic beauty and wellness, said Ms Hu.

She said: “In the Asia-Pacific, from Euromonitor’s Health and Nutrition Survey 2023, among consumers who take collagen, 51 per cent of them take collagen for beauty and skin health, while 29 per cent of them take it for joint health. Globally, the survey results were 52 per cent for beauty, and 35 per cent for joint health.”

More women (23 per cent) take collagen supplements than men (14 per cent), Euromonitor International found, with more consumers between 30 and 44 taking these supplements than those in other age groups.

A Watsons spokesperson said it has seen “robust growth in this segment driven by the strong performance of popular brands such as Purest Co, Helaslim, Kinohimitsu and Dr Ora” in Singapore in 2024.

A spokesperson for online wellness retailer iHerb told The Straits Times that a marine collagen peptide powder by California Gold Nutrition is the top-selling collagen product and the third most popular product across all product categories bought by Singapore customers in the past year.

“Much like in Singapore, iHerb is seeing growing demand for collagen products throughout Asia, notably in South Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan,” said the spokesperson.

Kinohimitsu, a healthcare brand by Singapore-based company Kino Biotech, has a range of collagen products that comes in all forms: jelly, drink and powder.

The company saw a double-digit boost in sales of collagen products during the Covid-19 period, as more people prioritised looking after their health, buying the products online.

It combines its marine collagen, sourced from fish in Europe, with other ingredients such as vitamin C and stem cells, which the company says are extracted from the snow lotus flower, to address targeted concerns. The snow lotus flower is traditionally used in Chinese medicine to aid blood circulation.

“We work with other ingredients that enhance the formulation for absorption and for the purpose of what you need. To handle collagen itself, we need to mix it with certain fruit juices as a base,” said Mr Kawee Chong, co-founder and chief executive officer of Kino Biotech.

He said: “Collagen is just one base, and we add on different things and create different products.”

Kinohimitsu was named the top health and beauty brand on e-commerce platforms Shopee and Lazada from 2019 to 2021. It has seven different types of collagen drinks and a collagen jelly stick, as well as a bird’s nest drink with collagen.

Its Collagen Beauty drink, the first in its collagen product line, was launched in 2008. The Collagen Diamond drink, which has a lychee juice base with added vitamin C, is its bestseller, said Mr Chong.

Ms Diane Seto, a senior dietitian at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said adequate intake of vitamin C is crucial when consuming collagen as it enhances the supplement’s effectiveness.

Based on evidence from medical journals, she said regular collagen supplementation alongside a healthy diet and consistent exercise can benefit joint pain, skin elasticity and tissue repair.

“However, the evidence is still developing, and the effects may vary between individuals. Longer-term studies are needed for more conclusive findings,” added Ms Seto.

Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we attributed responses to Guardian. This is incorrect. It should be Watsons.

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