We made a conscious choice to use only fish collagen, despite bovine collagen being much, much cheaper— and so should you.
Not only is fish collagen free of slaughter-house diseases, more sustainably sourced, and frankly better tasting, it is also more effective. Plus, between sterilized fish skin and cow hides, it's really a no-brainer. Right?
Besides, we would never want to cut corners, especially when it comes to health.

1. It is the most effective. Tilapia skin collagen is the most bioavailable (AKA smallest in size and therefore best absorbed by our body).
Tilapia skin also has the highest concentrations of protein and amino acids in their scales.

2. It tastes best! Other collagen types are known for a stronger, gamier taste, while tilapia collagen is essentially flavorless.

3. Our tilapia is sourced ethically and sustainably; because tilapia is so abundantly over-farmed (and the skin is so often discarded), sourcing collagen from tilapia is the most environmentally friendly.

You can test for quality of collagen by adding it to a cup of water; it should dissolve perfectly as shownhere. We will always choose marine over bovine collagen— though other types of collagen, such as bovine collagen, is cheaper to source (almost half the price), we went with marine collagen as bovine collagen is made from cow hides (something we personally would never consume), while fish skin, source of marine collagen, is something we eat everyday.

Our aquacultured collagen contains 0 metals (upon scrutiny, there was less than 0.01 parts per million).

In contrast, many breeds of wild fish that collagen is sourced from now contain high levels of mercury and other toxic metals

In addition, all of our tilapia collagen goes through a validated and safe process (sterilization and pasteurization, filtration, UF, and demineralization), something that many collagen companies cannot stand behind. Lastly, our collagen is not irradiated!

When it comes to sourcing, we like to think of ourselves as food more than supplements. There are 0 chemicals, 0 fillers, 0 sugars, 0 preservatives, 0 manufactured flavors; only fish skin powder flavored with organic superfoods.
All of our superfoods come from the region that they are endemic to; for example our lucuma comes from Peru, matcha from Japan.

Our collagen is primarily comprised of collagen type I & III.
Type I and Type III collagen benefits include promoting healthy hair and nail growth, improving skin elasticity and hydration, as well as supporting joint health and function, and bone strength.

However, the types of collagen do not matter as significantly as they all contain the amino acids we need!

Collagen, as a complex protein, contains 19 out of the 20 amino acids that our bodies depend on everyday for our skin, hair and various functions of our body.

Bingo! It does. Collagen, just like every type of protein powder, when ingested, becomes amino acids, which are what really what our bodies want and need.
Most protein powders do not contain the necessary amino acids for skin however, which is why collagen is the most superior protein of all!
Most protein powders do not contain the necessary amino acids for skin however, which is why collagen is the most superior protein of all.
Once we ingest collagen, our body’s stomach acids break it down into amino acids.

These specific amino acids are what we are really consuming for our skin, not actually the collagen itself.
Collagen, as a complex protein, is the only protein that contains 19 out of the 20 amino acids essential in maintaining the health of our skin, hair, brain, bones, teeth, nails, heart, organs, muscles, and even joints.

Powder collagen, when mixed with water, turns into a liquid collagen -- which by far is the most easily absorbed by the body. It also takes less for the body to break down liquid collagen -- while capsules can take more than 30-45 mins depending on what you had eaten that day.


Collagen peptides are offered in a variety of forms: collagen pills vs liquid vs powder.

Liquid Collagen
A ready-to-consume product that comes in an 8 to 32 ounce bottle. Its collagen is in a base of water and often includes flavors to make it tastier, and you will have to consume it by having 6-10 drops of it daily. The liquid collagen will save you time mixing collagen powders yourself.

Collagen Powder
Collagen peptides in their most raw form are originally fine powder.​ ​Collagen powder is loose powder that is usually mixed with water (which then, the collagen powder turns into a liquid collagen).The key to assessing collagen powder is through its taste, purity, and color. Not all collagen powder is created equal, and to find a high-quality collagen powder type you can take every day, you should try a few different ones and see what you like best—meaning both in taste and in ease of use.

Collagen Tablets
Generally one capsule or tablet provides one gram collagen (equal to 1000 mg). To get the daily serving of 6-10 grams daily, you will need to take 10 capsules/tablets daily.

Candied Collagen / Collagen Gummies
There are candy, gummy, confectionary alternatives for collagen-- however, they are usually made with high fructose corn syrup or other artificial sweeteners. Collagen gummy bears are often made with gelatin.
We went with powders over tablets, capsules, gummies, and liquids as I hate the feeling and experience of swallowing pills (and to swallow ten? No thank you!) But whether it be in liquid, powder, capsule or candy form, its essence is all the same: collagen peptides. It starts off as powder, which is then added to water to become liquid collagen (which is by far the most beneficial for the body as it is absorbed most efficiently), or divided into capsule pills.
However you consume it, the most important aspect is to ensure that you are taking it daily, and at least for 4 weeks straight, for best results.

Hydrolysis is a fancy word to describe the process of breaking something down with water. So in this case, the large collagen compounds, will get broken down with water and enzymes into small and short chains of amino acids so that our body can actually absorb.

We recommend around 10g to 20g daily.

For best effects on hair and skin, please make sure to consume daily as our bodies cannot store extra amino acids overnight!

Probiotics can help your digestion feel better in hours. The benefits of collagen, however, may take up to 7 days for skin and 14 days for hair.

Our marine collagen itself is so pure and flavorless that you would have no idea that it's made from fish!
We needed our drinks to taste delicious, so it was important for us that you couldn't taste the collagen powder (there is often quite prominent smell in other collagen brands). We tested, tasted and vetted through hundreds before landing on our specific formula of collagen and superfoods!

We recommend around 10g to 20g daily.
Like all protein powders, it is more about consistency and sticking to it daily than taking too much! However, it is also important you are taking at least 10g daily!

We recommend before any food in the morning; however, it can be taken anytime: before gym, for good night’s sleep, etc.
For those who do not consume as much protein on daily basis, it may take your body some adjusting to, so we recommend you take your Crushed Tonic with food!

During pregnancy

Taking collagen supplements can be helpful during pregnancy and postpartum. Pregnant or breastfeeding women can experience brittle hair and even hair loss, so collagen can help restore hair back to health.

As the baby grows, more and more pressure is put on your joints.
Collagen peptides promote joint health by helping to repair joint matrix degeneration and improve long-term joint comfort and mobility, as well as helping to restore bone mineral density and support healthy bone metabolism.
There’s a LOT of stress put on our joints as we carry the weight of growing baby.


During breastfeeding
The postpartum benefits of taking collagen can help with skin elasticity by helping to tighten back loosened skin on the stomach, and preventing stretch marks and hairloss.

During breastfeeding, women are at risk of bone resorption; therefore, a daily collagen supplement may in turn reduce a woman's risk of osteoporosis later in life.

Collagen isn't just for women— as it is with all protein, both men and women can benefit from collagen!
Our male customers’ love Crushed Tonic for its postivie impact on hair growth and hair loss prevention (especially thickening beard growth) and athletic performance by building muscles and bones.