"Update 9/5/18: I just had to come back and post an update to my original review and raise it from 4 to 5 stars because I've been on this long enough that I have begun to see some results. I am almost completely through my second container of this. First off, I was able to get past the initial taste that I didn't love by whipping this collagen powder into my hot coffee. It's tasteless in hot coffee using my NutriBullet RX and it adds a bit of froth to it that I love. Second of all, I originally started using this because I'd had a massive thyroid goiter removed and it left me with a little bit of crepiness on my otherwise very smooth skin. I had tried countless expensive neck creams and they did nothing for me. I am pleased to report that as of this update, the crepiness is almost non-existent. You can barely tell that it was ever there and I am in my 40s and that scar is now just over a year old. I started using this when that scar was already about 7 to 8 months old and I thought there was no hope. I had always heard that if you don't remedy scarring within the first 6 months to a year, that it is permanent. But this collagen has had remarkable impact on my neck. Though overweight, I have always looked really much younger than my years chronologically so, the true test was when some of my family that hadn't seen me in several years came for a visit and they were astonished at how young I looked still . I don't think they would have given me those compliments if I'd still had that loose skin on my neck. The other benefit that I didn't expect was how much it helped my joints. I started a ketogenic diet but I haven't really lost much weight because I am insulin resistant and I still overeat and have insatiable cravings even on a ketogenic diet. I've tried everything, including very carefully watching my macros to avoid "carb creep", but it hasn't helped very much so far. I still exceed my protein and fat requirements on some days. The only benefit is that I'm ingesting no table sugar sugar and keeping carbs under 20 grams per day. I am on such a restricted level of carbohydrates than I was so I no longer have elevated blood sugar readings in the pre-diabetic range which is why I'm sticking with it. But I raised the point because I was beginning to develop some joint issues with my knees because of my excess weight. Every time I went up and down stairs, I could hear and feel something like sandpaper rubbing against a hard surface. It felt really gritty like bone on bone. And if I laid across my bed on my stomach with my legs dangling off the bed (which is a favorite position since childhood for chilling out and reading on the bed) my knees would hurt so bad. Now that I've been on this several months, I don't have that anymore and I didn't even think that was possible! I thought that as long as I carried the weight, that I w would always have the joint problems but I'm here to tell you that using this collagen peptides supplement helped with the joint issues. I think that this is one of those few supplements that will support you even when you are far from becoming who you want to be. A lot of things only seem to help people who are already fairly fit, much more active, and with no issues like insulin resistance or estrogen dominance. I'm not eating perfectly. I'm still quite overweight. But yet I have been able to experience tremendous benefits from using this.

Original Review approx 3 months prior to update: I love a lot of things about this collagen peptide supplement. The only reason why I'm knocking off one star is because of the taste and the fact that it doesn't dissolve as well as I would like it too. I wish that Zhou nutrition could come up with a way to make it dissolve just a little better but maybe it just is what it is. That's not enough to make me stop taking it though. I've taken collagen supplements before. I took Andrew lessman's Marine collagen supplement for years. It dissolves better than this collagen supplement but I could still detect a very slight fishiness in the taste of it. I love Zhou nutrition's products and will probably continue to reorder this collagen supplement for years to come because it is helping me. The only thing that I don't like, and as I said, it probably can't be helped because it is what it is: It doesn't dissolve so well and I don't like the taste of it. Several months ago, I was able to hide the taste of it in my smoothies. But now, I'm kind of sick of smoothies and I've had to be creative to hide the taste of it to be able to drink it. It took me awhile to figure it out because I just couldn't stand it at first. Regrettably, there were several weeks that went by when I wasn't getting the benefits of the supplement because it was sitting on my counter top. At first, I tried putting in a shaker bottle and shaking it up with a packet of Tru lemon Peach lemonade powder and some water. There were gross clumps and I just couldn't stomach it. Then, I tried putting it in my NutriBullet with the tru lemon and water. That works, but whipping it at that high speed creates about 6 inches of foam on top of the liquid making it undrinkable. Then, I finally discovered that if you let it sit for a very long time, those bubbles will eventually dissolve and the liquid will become clear. So what I've started doing is whipping it up in the NutriBullet early in the morning and allowing it to sit until all the air bubbles go away. After several hours, it's good to drink. The tru lemon drink mix masks the flavor of it without adding any unnatural sweeteners and it's only 10 calories I think. Maybe 5. Can I still taste it? Yeah, a little. But it's not bad. On its own, it tastes like Jello without the flavor. Or think about Knox unflavored gelatin (which does have its own kind of weird flavor believe it or not). That's how it tastes. So when you mix in the TRU lemon, it's kind of like drinking liquified, flavored Jello. Not terrible and way better than having to stomach it without masking the flavor. But who cares! The benefits far outweigh the slightly weird taste. Collagen works wonders for your hair, skin, nails, and Joints. Plus all the amino acids in this powder are so good for you. I used to drink whey protein powder drinks so that I could get all those amino acids, but the whey protein powder would leave me so gassy and uncomfortable. This doesn't leave you with that bloated, gassy feeling. So if you can just find a way to make it palatable, it is so good for you! The other reason why I plan to continue taking it is because I read a review on Facebook where one reviewer who had a surgery scar said that her four year old surgery scar began to get better looking after she started taking the supplement. I have an 8 month old surgery scar that I am dying to see look better. Since it's not even a year old yet, I have high hopes! I've tried Scar Away and I've been using all kinds of ointments, serums and creams. Some helped and others did absolutely nothing. The scar is on my neck where I had an enlarged thyroid removed. It was left me with a slight amount of crepiness on my neck and a scar. Thankfully, the scar is in the natural fold of the neck, so if it heals well, it won't be very visible. I want the scar to look even better and I want some improvement to the tone and elasticity of the skin that got stretched out by the enlarged thyroid so I plan to continue taking this to see if it'll help."

"My husband and I like this powder for it's many health benefits. It is the best one we have found. It mixes into our drinks (usually coffee or tea) and has almost no flavor at all."

"This is going to sound hypocritical, but I’m a long-time vegetarian AND collagen user. I know, I know, but before you stone me, I became a vegetarian for health reasons because I’m unable to digest meat (and several other things) well. I added collagen protein soon after becoming vegetarian because, despite my best attempts at eating healthy, I found myself showing signs of collagen deficiency due to the nutrients my body was used to getting in the foods that I was no longer eating. My skin and hair were dull, my nails were brittle, and some days I could swear that I looked 10 years older. Definitely not how I envisioned looking after making a “healthy” diet change! I’ve tried no less than 15 different collagen supplements over the years. Type I, II, III, IV, marine, powder, capsules, you name it.

What have I learned? For one, quality is everything. Look for grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine. I know everyone is different, but for me personally, pure bovine collagen does wonders and I haven’t gained the same level of noticeable benefits from other sources of collagen. ‘Hydrolyzed’ sounds like a marketing buzz word, but it’s important for efficient absorption so you’ll want to look for that distinction. Lastly, you need a product that dissolves easily and is practically tasteless or you won’t use it! We all know that the success rate of a healthy lifestyle change that is inconvenient or tastes bad is never good.

I love Zhou products and use three of their other supplements daily, so I was really glad to see them come out with a collagen— and even more glad to see that it lived up to the picky expectations of a long-time collagen snob like myself! It’s hydrolyzed, grass-fed and pasture raised, tasteless, dissolves quickly in practically anything, and it comes from a brand that has earned my trust. Since this is a large 18oz container, the price per serving is very competitive too. I’m on my second container now and I don’t plan switching back to the more expensive brand I was using. Collagen is important for looking and feeling your best, and I can honestly recommend this product. You can always find something to add it to during the day, and (take it from someone who has been using it religiously) the benefits are worth it."