Primal Collagen Review: Benefits, Drawbacks, And Comparison

At first glance, Primal Collagen seems like so many other collagen products on the market…but it stands out in several key areas.

For one, it’s got pretty amazing customer reviews.

Why is Collagen So Important?

Before really getting into it, though, you may be wondering whether or not collagen’s recent rise to popularity has any basis in science.

One 2020 study found that collagen supplements may improve the skin’s elasticity, appearance, and ability to ‘hold onto’ hydration.

In the study’s own words, collagen use led to:

“positive subjective evaluations of relevant skin parameters such as elasticity, crinkliness/wrinkliness, and evenness in different body areas such as the face, hands, décolleté, neck, backside, legs, and belly […].”

This study involved a placebo group, making its results more credible than many prior collagen-related studies. Yet even this study had flaws: the patients that were given collagen were given it alongside acerola extract, vitamin C, vitamin E, biotin, and zinc — all of which have their own skin-centric benefits! Talk about confounding variables. A truly focused study would’ve done better to test the collagen on its own. (Source)

Other collagen studies may suffer from financial conflicts of interest. According to cosmetic chemist Michelle Wong, “most of the clinical trials were sponsored by supplement companies, which introduces an element of bias.” (Source)

Perhaps the best approach to all this is a personalized one. If you’re experiencing benefits from collagen powder, keep taking it!

And in the meantime…do your research.

In prior articles, we’ve covered topics like how to mix collagen with greens powders and even whether or not collagen makes you poop.

In this review, though, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at one collagen product in particular: Primal Harvest’s Collagen Powder.

The Brand Behind The Collagen Powder

I’m quite familiar with the Primal Harvest brand, having covered their Primal Greens, Mind Fuel, and Turmeric Complex in prior reviews.

The brand currently manufactures 7 supplements, including Primal Keto Collagen, Primal Probiotics, and Primal Omega 3’s.

Primal Harvest was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 2018. Since the start, they’ve focused on “supplements before pharmaceuticals,” taking an intentionally “holistic approach” by viewing “the body as one integrated system.”

“[The] holistic supplements […] we promote at Primal Harvest are based on restoring balance in the body and preventing issues by improving the body’s ability to function the way it’s supposed to,” the brand explains on their website.

Primal explains that they hope to help customers live the way our ancestors did — presumably regarding food.

It’s also nice to read that all Primal Harvest’s supplements are thoroughly lab tested before and after bottling.

The Primal Harvest website gets an A grade, too, with its sleek, professional look and helpful customer quiz.

Primal Collagen’s Ingredients List

In other good news, Primal Collagen is sourced from certified grass-fed, pasture-raised cows.

That means it’s free of synthetic hormones. (Although the FDA has stated that such hormones don’t impact nutrition, many customers opt to play things safe!)

Moving onto the ingredients themselves, Primal Collagen only contains one: bovine collagen.

This collagen has been hydrolyzed, which is science-speak for broken down into short peptide chains.

Primal Collagen contains type 1 and type 3 collagen, though it’s missing type 2.

As you might expect, Primal Collagen is simply loaded with amino acids. Among the highlights are both essential and nonessential amino acids.

Even the nonessential ones confer benefits, however:

• Alanine
• Arginine
• Aspartic Acid
• Cysteine
• Glutamine Acid
• Glycine
• Histidine
• Hydroxylysine
• Hydroxyproline
• Isoleucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Proline
• Serine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Tyrosine

Here are the Primal Collagen supplement facts:

Primal Collagen: Top Health Benefits

Like any premium collagen, Primal Harvest’s blend is thought to support:

• Skin
• Joint health
• Gut health
• Sports performance
• Vibrant hair (and nails)

Skin

Primal Collagen may support skin from the inside out, minimizing fine lines while increasing hydration.

Some customers say they start looking younger or glowy-er after several months of using the product.

Joint Health

Primal Collagen’s easy-to-absorb peptides may support joint health, flexibility, and bone mass formation.

Related: Round-up of best joint supplements

Gut Health

Primal Collagen is formulated with something called GelcoPEP® technology.

In plain language, this process refers to the formation of water-soluble peptides.

And in even plainer language, Primal Collagen can mix into favorite drinks and green smoothies with ease. Its high glycine and glutamine content may also allow it to hydrate the digestive tract.

Sports Performance

Collagen may boost your energy levels and support cellular energy production, at least in theory.

Collagen’s glycine is one of the most anti-inflammatory amino acids, which might mean good things for your workout recovery!

Vibrant Hair (And Nails)

Hydrolyzed collagen’s unique blend of hydrolyzed amino acids may support stronger, faster-growing hair and nails.

How to Use Primal Collagen

Primal Harvest says that just one scoop of collagen per day is enough to notice the above health benefits. (For some customers, however, these benefits seem to kick in pretty slowly.)

Each daily scoop can be mixed into a favorite beverage or smoothy (8+ oz for ideal consistency).

And to get the very best possible results, couple your collagen intake with a healthy diet, workout routine, and some extra vitamin C. (The vitamin C may boost your body’s ability to make its own collagen.)

Does Primal Collagen Have Side Effects?

Not according to the brand that makes it, at least.

As far as we can tell Primal Harvest doesn’t warn its customers about the potential side effects of any of its products.

That being said, collagen is a remarkably safe product.

It’s unlike many other natural supplements, like vitamin A or zinc, in the sense that taking ‘too much’ of it probably won’t cause vitamin or mineral imbalances.

Does Primal Collagen Have Positive Customer Reviews?

On its website Primal Collagen has 462 reviews averaging 4.9 stars each.

That’s a pretty incredible average!

Even more impressively, Primal Collagen has zero one-star reviews and zero two-star reviews.

Many of the reviews look something like this:

“I have been using this product for about two months now and have noticed a major difference in the amount of hair I lose, and the growth of my hair and nails! I’m even noticing fine lines on my face looking better! I love that it has no flavor so I can just mix it with a glass of water in the morning and not worry about having to add anything! I liked it enough to get a subscription and love the discounts that come with that!”

Another customer confirms many of the same benefits:

“I have been using Primal collagen for a few weeks now and have noticed a great improvement in my skin and nails. Even my knees feel better (arthritis in both knees)! It's so easy to add a scoop of collagen to my morning coffee, there is no taste or texture. I just received an order with other Primal products, I can't wait to start using them all.”

About the worst review you’ll see on Primal Harvest’s website looks something like this:

“So far, haven’t noticed any changes. still hoping for the best!! We’ll see.”

On Amazon Primal Collagen has 1,200 ratings at a considerably lower average of 4.4 out of 5 stars.

One customer makes an unusual complaint, saying that the product hurt their stomach:

“We took this for 5 days. Our guts hurt on a daily. Broke it down into 2 servings even. I feel it's a bit harsh compared to others.”

Primal Collagen Pricing

Primal Collagen costs $36.95 per jar/per month for a one-time purchase ($1.23/day).

Save by subscribing: that costs $30.30 per jar/per month with a subscription ($1.01/day).

That’s pretty affordable, though it’s possible to find even cheaper collagen products if you buy in bulk.

Where to Buy Primal Collagen

You can buy Primal Collagen on the brand’s website here or on Amazon here.

Primal Collagen: My Verdict

Primal Collagen is a pretty stellar collagen powder.

While it’s similar to many other collagen powders on today’s market, this one stands out for its unusually positive reviews and quickly-growing fanbase.

If I could change anything about the product or its marketing, I’d encourage Primal Harvest to make the product’s ingredients list easier to locate when browsing around online.

All in all, though, Primal Collagen looks to be a great product!