What Kind of Collagen Is in Nutrafol and Its Plant-Based Alternative?

January 10, 2026 •

3 min read

As the body’s natural collagen production declines by about 1% annually after age 25, hair health can diminish over time. For individuals seeking to combat age-related hair thinning, understanding what kind of collagen is in Nutrafol is key to choosing the right supplement for their needs.

Quick Summary

Nutrafol primarily uses hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides from sustainably sourced North Atlantic cod in its standard formulas, but offers a vegan option featuring a plant extract to boost the body’s natural collagen synthesis.

Key Points

Source of Marine Collagen: Nutrafol's standard products use hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides sourced from the skin and scales of sustainably caught North Atlantic cod.
Highly Absorbable: The marine collagen is hydrolyzed, breaking it down into smaller, more bioavailable peptides that the body can use efficiently.
Vegan Alternative: For a plant-based option, Nutrafol uses Moldavian Dragonhead extract, which stimulates the body's natural collagen production instead of adding it directly.
Multi-Targeted Approach: Beyond collagen, Nutrafol addresses other root causes of hair thinning with ingredients like Ashwagandha for stress and Saw Palmetto for hormone balance.
Bioavailability and Effectiveness: The small molecular size of marine collagen peptides allows for rapid absorption, while the vegan formula relies on plant-based activators to achieve its effect.

Nutrafol's Marine Collagen: Source and Form

For its standard hair growth supplements, like Nutrafol Women and Nutrafol Men, the brand incorporates a key ingredient called marine collagen peptides. This type of collagen is derived from the skin and scales of sustainably sourced, wild-caught North Atlantic cod. By upcycling these parts of the fish, Nutrafol utilizes a byproduct of the fishing industry that would otherwise be discarded.

What are marine collagen peptides?

Marine collagen is a type of protein extracted from fish and other marine life. The peptides are created through a process called hydrolysis, where the collagen protein is broken down into smaller, more easily absorbed particles. This smaller molecular size is a significant advantage, as it allows the body to absorb and utilize the collagen peptides more efficiently than non-hydrolyzed forms. This highly bioavailable form ensures the amino acids are readily delivered to the body's tissues, including the scalp and hair follicles.

Benefits for hair and scalp

Nutrafol harnesses the power of marine collagen peptides to address age-related hair thinning and structural weaknesses. By replenishing lost collagen, the peptides provide essential building blocks for strong hair fibers. They also help to:

Strengthen the hair shaft, reducing breakage.
Improve elasticity and resilience of hair strands.
Support scalp health by enhancing hydration.
Provide the necessary amino acids, like glycine and proline, to support the formation of keratin, the protein that makes up hair.

Nutrafol's Vegan Collagen Alternative

Recognizing the growing demand for plant-based supplements, Nutrafol has developed a vegan formula that completely avoids animal products, including marine collagen. Instead of providing animal-derived peptides, this version uses botanicals and plant extracts to stimulate the body’s own natural collagen production.

The role of Moldavian Dragonhead

A key ingredient in Nutrafol's Women's Vegan formula is a plant extract from Moldavian Dragonhead. Clinical evidence suggests this ingredient naturally supports the body's ability to produce its own collagen. By providing these plant-based co-factors, the supplement encourages the body's fibroblasts to create new, healthy collagen, rather than supplying it directly from an external source. Other vegan-friendly ingredients, such as Pea Sprout Extract and Bamboo (rich in silica), are also included to support hair health and bridge potential nutrient gaps often found in a plant-based diet.

Marine vs. Vegan Collagen Comparison


Feature	Marine Collagen (Standard Nutrafol)	Vegan Collagen (Nutrafol Vegan)
Source	Sustainably sourced wild-caught North Atlantic cod fish scales and skin.	Plant-based extracts, primarily Moldavian Dragonhead.
Form	Hydrolyzed marine peptides for high bioavailability.	Plant extracts that stimulate the body's endogenous collagen synthesis.
Main Function	Replenishes collagen levels by supplying absorbable peptides.	Encourages the body's natural production of collagen.
Primary Collagen Type	Predominantly Type I collagen.	Supports the body's synthesis of multiple collagen types naturally.
Key Supporting Ingredients	Features a proprietary complex including Saw Palmetto, Ashwagandha, and Curcumin.	Includes plant-based components like Pea Sprout Extract and Bamboo for added nutrients.
Best For	Individuals who consume animal products and want a direct collagen supplement.	Individuals living a plant-based lifestyle who need vegan-friendly support for collagen production.

The importance of a comprehensive formula

While collagen is a crucial component for hair health, Nutrafol's approach recognizes that thinning hair is often caused by multiple factors. The supplements are physician-formulated to target various root causes of hair thinning, including stress, hormonal fluctuations, and nutritional deficiencies, not just a decline in collagen. Ingredients like Ashwagandha help balance stress hormones, while saw palmetto targets hormones like DHT that can shrink hair follicles. This multi-faceted approach is what sets Nutrafol apart from simpler collagen-only products. For additional insight, you can explore the extensive research on collagen's impact on connective tissue and overall body health.

Conclusion

In summary, Nutrafol offers two distinct approaches to collagen supplementation based on dietary preference. The standard formulas contain hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides sourced from North Atlantic cod, providing a direct, highly bioavailable source of Type I collagen to strengthen hair and improve scalp hydration. For those following a plant-based diet, the vegan alternative uses ingredients like Moldavian Dragonhead to naturally boost the body's own collagen production, offering an effective solution without animal products. By understanding the difference, consumers can select the Nutrafol product that best aligns with their lifestyle and hair wellness goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Nutrafol's standard hair growth supplements, such as Nutrafol Women and Nutrafol Men, contain hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides.

Not all Nutrafol formulas are vegan, as the standard versions contain marine collagen. However, the brand does offer a specific 'Women's Vegan' formula which is 100% plant-based.

Nutrafol sources its marine collagen from the scales and skin of wild-caught North Atlantic cod. The company notes that this process upcycles parts of the fish that would otherwise be unused.

Marine collagen is an animal-derived ingredient that directly supplies the body with collagen peptides. The vegan alternative, found in the Women's Vegan formula, uses plant extracts like Moldavian Dragonhead to help stimulate the body's own natural collagen production.

Nutrafol's marine collagen is hydrolyzed, or broken down into smaller peptides, to increase its bioavailability and make it easier for the body to absorb and utilize effectively.

The marine collagen used in Nutrafol is primarily Type I collagen, which is the most abundant type in the human body and essential for skin, hair, and nails.

Yes, according to Nutrafol, the vegan formula was developed with clinically effective plant-based ingredients to be as effective as the standard version by targeting the same root causes of hair thinning.