Fine Collagen Powder vs Meiji Collagen Powder

I'm currently taking Fine collagen powder even though I still have half a can of Meiji collagen powder left. This is the only time I will have two different kinds of collagen powder on hand at the same time so I've decided to do a comparison post between the two.

So both are popular collagen powders from Japan. With Meiji, each spoonful of collagen powder provides you with 5000mg of collagen which is enough for daily consumption. With Fine collagen, each spoonful provides you with 5250 mg of collagen. For me, I take 2 spoonfuls a day if I'm taking powdered collagen.

Left: Fine Collagen,  Right: Meiji

the packaging is different. I expect this to be different from the Japanese package as the Fine collagen is sold under's the name Japanese Secret.  I personally prefer the packaging of Meiji over the Fine Collagen. For Meiji, I don't have to open the lid completely.

Fine collagen powder

Meiji Collagen powder. 

Left: Fine Collagen, Right: Meiji Collagen

From the powders, you can tell that the Fine powder is much finer than the Meiji one making it easier to dissolve than the Meiji one. I would say the Meiji collagen powder is on a grainier side than the Fine powder. If you dissolve it in hot beverage, you won't have a problem dissolving it. But if you dissolve it in cold juice, I find it quite hard for the Meiji collagen powder to dissolve completely. 

For the taste, I would say the Fine collagen powder is a much better choice. It tastes like vanilla, so I enjoy added it to my soy milk or coffee in the morning. It tastes awesome. But for the Meiji one, it has a fishy taste, I can only add it to my coffee or soup to cover up the fishy taste. 

Are you currently taking any collagen supplements? 

Fine Collagen and Amino Acid Powder Review

Fine Collagen and Amino Acid powder is my latest collagen supplement haul. I've been taking the Meiji Collagen for a while and I do find that my skin is more hydrated with less dry patches appearing on my skin. Collagen helps improve skin elasticity and diminish fine lines. The problem with Meiji is I have to buy it online and I always get hit with duties when I buy them from Sasa. I normally get charged $30 for every $110 I buy from Sasa. Unless my Sasa order is under $50 otherwise I always get taxed. Meiji collagen powder are always on buy 2 get 1 free promotion at Sasa. Average cost is $32.27 a can/bag. $32.27 is cheap for collagen but once you factor in all the taxes, it comes out to around $42 a can so I've been looking at alternatives.

Fine Collagen powder is from Japan and it's produced by Fine Co. a company that's been around for almost 40 years. Like the Meiji collagen powder, you mix a teaspoon of the collagen powder with any liquid to consume it. From my visit to the local dry goods store I remember seeing three kinds of collagen powder from Fine. One is the regular collagen powder, one is regular powder but 30 day prepackaged one and the last one is the collagen from the Japanese Secret Line. This was actually my first time seeing the Japanese Secret Line collagen. Most of the time I only hear about the regular collagen powder. There might be more but I was already drawn towards the fine collagen powder so I didn't pay attention to the other products.

regular collagen powder- $45 but currently they have $9 cash back

30 day prepackaged collagen powder-$49 ( not sure if there is any special promotion) 

Japanese secret line collagen powder-$45 a can but they are on buy 4 get 1 free promotion. So after discount is comes out to $36 a can

I would say if you don't get taxed, it's cheaper to get it from Sasa but being a person that gets heavily taxed on all my regular Sasa orders, it's cheaper for me to buy my collagen at the local store. 

What's the difference between these three collagen? the regular and 30 day prepackaged ones are actually the same just in different packaging. the 30 day ones are great for traveling but if you're not traveling, buying the can would be a much better deal. But is there a difference between the Japanese Secret collagen powder and the regular collagen powder? I'm not sure as the ingredients from their website is different from the ones I see on the can. The content is also different. The one I bought in store has 200g while the one showed on both the US and Japanese website stated that there is only 180g. But one thing is for sure the Japanese Secret Line is made for western market and the regular one is for Asian market. 

Copied from the Fine Website:

Regular Collagen ingredients list: 

210g	210g (7g x 30sachets)	231g (refill)

Beautiful Skin is built from within... In the FINE laboratories we have blended the finest extracts, essences and natural elements to enhance the body's natural ability to build beautiful, flexible skin and joints. We are confident you will love the effect of Hyaluron & Collagen on your body.	Supplement Facts: 7g
	Hyaluronic acid	60mg
	Fish collagen	5,250mg
	Elastin	15mg
	Pearl coix extract	450mg
	Vitamin C	100mg
	Biotin	45mcg

The Japanese Beauty Line Collagen ingredients list

	180g	Supplement Facts: 6g Vitamin C 100mg Biotin 45μg Hyaluronic acid 60mg Collagen(Fish) 5,250mg Elastin 15mg Pearl coix extract 450mg

For Younger-looking skin This Original blend of extracts, essences, and natural elements helps the body build beautiful, flexible skin and joints FROM WITHIN. HYALURONIC ACID: nourishes and hydrates collagen based tissues, joints, and eyes. Low molecular fish-peptide COLLAGEN: maintains strength and flexibility in skin, as well as in connective tissues; ligament; bones; joints; muscles; tendons; gum;teeth; eyes; blood vessels; nails; hair. ELASTIN: keep skin resilient and firm. VITAMIN C: vital for collagen production in the body. BIOTIN: essential to skin, hair, and nails. PEARL COIX: strengthens joints, hair, and skin, and provides digestive support. These vital ingredients, enhanced with wheat germ and aquatic calcium, provides a total skin support program.

Ingredient list from the can

As you can see the ingredient list is quite different from the website so I'm not sure which one to trust. Other than the ingredient list and content being different, this can is straight from Japan. 

The can was sealed air tight.

It didn't come with a spoon. I still have 2 cans at home so hopefully there is a spoon in those cans. The regular version comes with a 7g spoon. You can also see that it has a creamier color than the Meiji Collagen powder. 

Taste? I have to say it tastes quite good. I have no problem mixing it with water. It has a hint of vanilla flavour and makes it easy to drink. It doesn't have the fishy flavour like the Meiji collagen. Since I've been taking collagen on a regular basis so I don't notice any difference in my skin. I heard that people see improvements in their skin after taking it for a few weeks. But since I'm already taking collagen so I don't expect to see any results with it. 

Do you have the habit of taking beauty supplements? 

Review: Meiji Amino Collagen

After you reach 25, you can really tell the difference in your skin. Your skin gets dehydrated easier, it starts to get dull and starts to lose its elasticity. Once you get older, your skin starts to lose its ability to create collagen. The amount of collagen in your skin starts to decrease after you turn 20. It isn't that obvious when you're 20 but after you turn 25 you can tell the difference. I would say this is not the best collagen in the market but it's readily available and affordable so it's a decent product that's worth trying. 

There are food that can help boost the collagen in your skin but I don't eat them on a regular basis so taking a collagen supplement is the best thing for me. 

If you live in Asia I would suggest Fancl Tense up. Fancl Tense up is the product that gave me the immediate result. You can tell the difference in your skin after drinking it for 2 weeks. For other products, you don't see a result that quickly. The problem with Fancl is it's not available in Canada. I do not want to carry them back to Canada from Hong Kong. It's heavy and it's liquid format instead of powder so it's impossible for me to get my sister to stock up a year's worth of collagen drinks for me. For liquid collagen that's available in Canada you can get Naruko Collagen drink but they cost $8 a bottle. So basically you'll be spending $240 Canadian a month on collagen drinks which is not worth the price. 

A cheaper alternative is Meiji. The one I tried is the regular line. You can find this everywhere. From ebay to sasa making it readily available for people not living in Asia. It comes in a can and you can get refills that comes in bags. For the first time I would suggest you get it in a can as it comes with a spoon.  

They normally retail at $35 a can/bag so it's roughly $1 a day. Making it a lot more affordable than liquid collagen. 

You can see that it actually looks like milk powder. One spoonful (7g) is all you need a day. I either take it in the morning or at night before I sleep. 

How does it taste? It tastes pretty bad. It tastes a little salty and fishy. I've tried taking it with water and I hated it. I can't take it with water. I've tried mixing it with yogurt drinks but since yogurt drinks are thicker so it doesn't blend well together making it taste rather weird. I normally mix it with my daily coffee or soy milk. You can't really taste it if you mix it with coffee making it easier to drink.

Do I see an improvement in my skin? Yes. I find my skin being more hydrated. I started drinking it during winter and my skin didn't itch more during the winter. The skin on my face always felt more hydrated. I don't have lines to begin with so I don't notice any changes in reducing fine lines on my face. 

Would I recommend this product? Yes as it helps your skin and once you start to age, you need to find ways to replenish the lost collagen. This helps and it's affordable to use on a regular basis. 

Do you take any beauty supplements?