Why is collagen expensive? Revealing the scientific logic and market factors behind high prices
In recent years, collagen products have continued to become popular in the fields of beauty and health care, but the high price has also deterred consumers. Why is collagen so expensive? This article will use structured data to analyze the reasons behind it from the dimensions of raw material cost, production process, market demand, etc., combined with hot topics in the past 10 days across the Internet (data as of October 2023).
1. Cost of raw materials: scarcity and difficulty of extraction
Collagen is mainly derived from animal tissues, and the cost of obtaining high-quality raw materials is extremely high. The following is comparative data of mainstream raw materials:
| Source of raw materials | Extraction difficulty | Cost per kilogram (yuan) | Purity requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| deep sea fish skin | Extremely high (requires offshore fishing) | 800-1200 | ≥90% |
| Beef Achilles Tendon | High (quarantine certification required) | 600-900 | ≥85% |
| Pigskin | medium | 300-500 | ≥80% |
2. Production process: technical barriers push up costs
The activity and molecular weight of collagen directly determine the effect, and high-end process costs account for more than 60%:
| Process type | Equipment investment (10,000 yuan) | Yield | Molecular weight control |
|---|---|---|---|
| enzymatic hydrolysis | 500-800 | 65%-75% | Precise and controllable |
| Acid hydrolysis | 200-300 | 80%-90% | poor stability |
3. Market supply and demand: Explosive growth drives up premiums
According to e-commerce platform data in the past 10 days, the search volume related to collagen has increased by 210% year-on-year, and the premium of leading brands is significant:
| Brand type | Average daily sales (pieces) | Average price (yuan/bottle) | Premium range |
|---|---|---|---|
| International big names | 1500+ | 300-500 | 200%-300% |
| Domestic high-end | 800+ | 150-250 | 100%-150% |
4. Scientific research investment: added value of patented technology
The annual R&D investment of leading companies exceeds 15% of revenue. The following is the cost sharing of patented technologies:
| technology type | R&D cycle (years) | Shared cost of a single product (yuan) |
|---|---|---|
| Small molecule peptide technology | 3-5 | 18-25 |
| Directional absorption technology | 5-8 | 30-45 |
5. Future trends: Will prices drop?
With the advancement of biosynthetic technology (such as recombinant collagen), laboratory mass production costs have dropped by 40% in 2023, but consumer prices will remain high in the short term for the following reasons:
1. Consumers’ obsession with the concept of “natural extraction”
2. Rising marketing costs caused by the continued involution of the beauty industry
3. The price of raw materials in the upstream of the supply chain fluctuates (the price of fish skin increases by 12% annually)
Conclusion:The high price of collagen is the result of multiple factors. Consumers should choose products based on actual needs and do not blindly pursue high prices. Scientifically supplementing protein, vitamin C and other nutrients can also promote autologous collagen synthesis.
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