Buying guide

Collagen Plus Vitamin C: reading a two ingredient label

Two named ingredients on one capsule label, so two amounts have to be stated. Here is what to look for.

4 min read6 sections90 capsules

Two ingredients, two numbers

When a product name lists two ingredients, the label has to state the amount of each one per portion. A combined figure, or a figure for only the headline ingredient, leaves you unable to compare.

Read them as two separate lines. A product can be generous with one and sparing with the other.

Only one of the two has an NRV

Vitamin C has a nutrient reference value, so its amount can be shown with a percentage next to it. Collagen has no NRV, so it appears as an amount only.

That asymmetry is normal and not a gap in the label. It does mean the two lines will not look alike.

Vitamin C: amount per portion plus a percentage of the NRV
Collagen: amount per portion, no percentage, because no NRV exists
A percentage missing from the collagen line is correct, not an omission

Per portion, not per capsule

Amounts are declared against the stated portion, and a portion may be more than one capsule. Check the portion first, then read the amounts against it.

Dividing a per portion figure by the capsule count is the most common mistake made when comparing capsule packs.

The collagen source still matters here

A capsule hides what a pouch shows. The collagen inside can be marine or bovine, and only the ingredients list will say which.

If it is marine, the fish allergen must be declared on this pack exactly as it would be on a powder.

Comparing capsules with a plain collagen pouch

A 90 capsule pack and a 300 g pouch are sold in different units, so count against weight tells you nothing. Compare the stated amount per portion for each, and the number of portions per pack.