Why Collagen Became a Drink, The Format Revolution at Expo West 2026
The Beauty-from-Within section at Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim looked different this year. Instead of tubs of powder, the booths were lined with liquid collagens, sparkling waters, jelly sticks and soft chews. The habit of dropping a scoop into morning coffee had driven category growth for five years, but 2026 consumers are asking for a different experience.
One in three users wants a new format
According to data from market research firm Spate, more than one in three current collagen users are interested in trying formats other than powder, particularly liquids. The number matters because the beauty-from-within category grew mostly on capsules and tubs. When consumers explicitly demand “an easier way,” it signals that the category’s next growth lever is experience, not ingredients.
Vital Proteins’ collagen sparkling water is a clear example. It packs 10 grams of collagen peptides into a carbonated can, turning what used to be a morning prep step into a daytime beverage. MaryRuth’s put liquid front and center with its Advanced Liquid Skin Restore and Renew, and Wiley’s Finest introduced a marine-derived Omega-7 Skin product.
Beyond collagen, saffron and shilajit
Expo West 2026 was also notable for ingredients beyond collagen. Saffron, shilajit and omega-7 received top billing at beauty booths, and brands positioned them not as antioxidants but as ingredients “that address stress and skin barrier together.” Meghan Taylor, co-founder of MaryRuth’s, commented that “momentum has shifted away from collagen toward a broader set of health conversations.”
That language shift is changing the category itself. Where early-2020s beauty-from-within focused on cosmetic promises like “plumper skin,” 2026 brands are aligning around skin barrier function, stress modulation and micronutrient sufficiency, framing the category as healthy aging. Plant-based reformulation was another visible trend, from currant-extract and biotin blends like Specnova’s Ribobeauty, to a broader move away from animal-sourced collagen.
Retail expansion enabled the format shift
The format revolution is powered by distribution change. Cymbiotika’s recent rollout into Ulta Beauty stores is emblematic of how beauty-from-within products are leaving the vitamin aisle and entering the skincare floor of beauty retailers. On that floor, drinks and jelly sticks feel more native than capsule bottles.
For consumers, the change means more choice. A user who never adopted morning powder may pick up a 10g-per-can collagen drink without resistance. That said, format change doesn’t automatically upgrade ingredient quality. Liquid products in particular deserve a label check for sugar content, preservatives and the actual peptide dose per serving, which often drops from 10g to 5g when moving from powder to ready-to-drink.