Collagen peptides are usually made by extracting collagen from animal connective tissues (like skin, bones, and cartilage) and then breaking it down into smaller, more easily absorbed pieces through a process called hydrolysis.

What are collagen peptides made from?

Most collagen peptide supplements today come from these sources :

  • Bovine (cow) hide and bones
  • Porcine (pig) skin and bones
  • Marine sources (fish skin and scales)
  • Poultry (chicken skin, cartilage, and bones)
  • Eggshell membrane in some “multi-collagen” products

All of these tissues are naturally rich in collagen, the structural protein that helps form skin, joints, bones, and other connective tissues.

How are collagen peptides made?

In simple terms, manufacturers:

  1. Collect collagen-rich animal tissues (skin, bone, cartilage, scales, or eggshell membrane).
  1. Extract the collagen protein from these tissues.
  2. Use controlled heating and enzymes to hydrolyze (break) the long collagen chains into smaller “peptides.”
  1. Purify, concentrate, sterilize, and dry the resulting collagen peptides into powders or other supplement forms.

This hydrolysis step is what turns collagen into “collagen peptides” or “hydrolyzed collagen,” which are easier for your body to digest and absorb.

Quick Scoop (mini sections)

1. Animal origin

  • Collagen peptides are not vegan; they’re animal-derived by definition.
  • Common labels: “bovine collagen,” “marine collagen,” “porcine collagen,” “chicken collagen,” or “multi-collagen.”

2. Types of collagen inside

Many popular collagen peptide products are mostly type I and type III collagen, which are associated with skin, bones, and general connective tissue support.

3. Why they’re popular now

Collagen peptides have become a trending wellness supplement in the last few years, especially for skin appearance, joint comfort, and overall “healthy aging” routines, often added to coffee or smoothies as a daily powder.

TL;DR: Collagen peptides are made from collagen found in animal connective tissues (mainly cow, pig, fish, chicken, and sometimes eggshell membrane), then processed with heat and enzymes to create smaller, easily absorbed protein fragments.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.