Skincare trends come and go, making it nearly impossible to find reliable advice about products on the market.
If you have been trying to stay in the know in the world of holy-grail skincare, you may have heard of an amino acid chain called a peptide. You may have seen tetrapeptides, tripeptides, and copper peptides in products and on ingredient lists — these building blocks of protein are all peptides used in skincare formulations.
We’ve created a guide to pull back the curtain on everything you need to know about peptide skincare and how to incorporate it into your skincare regimen.
Is peptide in skincare worth the hype, or is this another viral fad destined to waste your time? Read on to find out.
What Are Peptides?
Peptides, also called polypeptides, are tiny chains of amino acids occurring naturally in your skin. The different types of peptides make up the building blocks for vital proteins needed to keep your skin healthy and hydrated.
Signal peptides and neurotransmitter peptides communicate with cells to help regenerate and repair. However, most hype surrounding peptides in skincare products is the game-changing ability to stimulate collagen synthesis. Collagen is made up of three polypeptides.
Taking collagen peptides orally can help boost collagen production — but peptides are also a potent skincare ingredient.
What Are the Benefits of Peptides in Your Skincare Routine?
When used as active ingredients in skincare products, peptides can benefit the appearance and preservation of youthful-looking skin. So if you have been searching for ways to retain healthy skin that looks youthful, you may find the answer in peptides.
Here are some potential skin benefits of using peptides.
Oral Peptides May Support Collagen Production
Collagen is one of your body’s essential proteins, alongside keratin and elastin.
Collagen is associated with maintaining healthy skin, bones, joints, connective tissues, and organs. Unfortunately, as you age, your body slows collagen production and existing collagen starts to deteriorate.
This degeneration can cause your skin to start showing signs of aging, such as wrinkles and a decrease in elasticity and firmness. As mentioned before, collagen comprises polypeptide chains, so applying a serum or moisturizer with peptides can help regenerate collagen.
A boost in collagen production can make your skin appear plump and firm and even reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It can also help ward off dry skin, especially in skin types prone to dryness.
Supports a Healthy Skin Barrier
Peptides promote a healthy skin barrier which is your body’s first line of defense against damage from environmental stressors.
If your skin’s barrier is disrupted or irritated, you could put your body at risk of cell damage from free radicals or UV rays, even when you’re wearing sunscreen. Treating your skin with peptides can keep your natural skin barrier from degrading and act as a brightening and protective step in your routine.
Promotes Deeper Absorption
Because peptide molecules are smaller than collagen molecules, they can penetrate the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin, so the product has a chance to sink deeper into the skin, which will better communicate to the skin cells to generate collagen and elastin.
Elastin is an abundant protein in your body that gives your skin a stretchy quality that gives your skin’s surface the ability to bounce back easier.
Supports Wound Healing
Breakouts or over-exfoliation can lead to open wounds on your skin, which is not ideal for many reasons. However, in particular studies, peptides have been shown to help support proper wound healing.
Just be careful not to apply the product directly to an open wound — instead, use peptide products to aid in the aftercare.
What Are the Best Peptide Products for Younger-Looking Skin?
Peptide serums, toners, and moisturizers may be most helpful because these products stay on the skin, which can optimize their effectiveness. Cleansers, masks, and peels containing peptides are less effective, as the peptides are rinsed away after use.
Super Peptide Booster Serum
We recommend the peptide-packed Super Peptide Booster Serum. This clean peptide serum transforms the look of wrinkles and fine lines and refines the overall texture of your skin. This specially formulated and aesthetician-approved to improve hydration and smooth and firm the skin for a radiant, youthful glow!
If you want to take treatment a step further (which we suggest you do to experience optimal results), we recommend that you follow this Booster up with our microcurrent device — the NuFACE MINI+.
Equipped with cutting-edge microcurrent technology that is FDA-cleared to address age signs like wrinkling skin, the MINI+ is perfect for on-the-go treatment. The Booster Serum is meant to set the stage for the microcurrent to send energy waves down to the facial muscles for the ultimate sculpting effect.
To use: Cleanse your face thoroughly, then pat dry. Next, apply a few drops of the serum onto your fingertips and gently massage into skin. Then, use your Aqua Gel or Silk Crème activator, which conducts the microcurrent treatment. Use glides and holds with your MINI+ device to tone, lift, and contour skin.
Always follow up with moisturizer, eye cream, and SPF to preserve your results.
Other Helpful Ingredients To Look Out For
Peptides might be listed as palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 on the product’s ingredient list. Whichever way it’s referenced, it should be closer to the top of the list than the bottom so you can be sure you are getting the right level of treatment.
Peptides can also be combined with other powerful skincare agents. For example, peptides can collaborate with other “holy-grail” ingredients like hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and niacinamide which also serve as excellent methods for preserving the skin’s barrier and maximizing hydration; you can optimize your results for a long-lasting effect.
Conclusion
In summary, peptides are essential to maintaining the overall appearance of your skin and preserving a youthful-looking complexion.
While there is more research to be done about how functional peptides are, current evidence does indicate that peptides in skincare can support the health of your skin barrier and enhance the look of your skin. If you’re interested in using peptides in your skincare, it’s always best to consult your dermatologist.
Sources:
Skin barrier function | DermNet
A Small Peptide with Potential Ability to Promote Wound Healing | Plos
