PEPTIDES
Ingredient Spotlight
I
t’s hard to get away from peptides.
In the skin care world, they are
everywhere and come in so many
guises that it can be hard to keep track
of all the different variations currently
in use. It’s thought that there could be
hundreds out there, so why is this
group of ingredients so popular with
product formulators?
Let’s start with the basics. Your skin is
made up of proteins and the key protein
for maintaining a smooth, youthful
complexion is collagen. These proteins
are made up of chains of amino acids,
frequently dubbed the building blocks of
the skin. Peptides are also made up of
chains of amino acids making them excel-
lent anti-aging ingredients. In their
simplest form, peptides work by support-
ing, strengthening and stimulating the
existing proteins in the skin, meaning they
can speak to similar cells around them to
encourage the production of collagen when
turnover is low. In fact, they can even trick
the skin into producing more collagen
when levels are sufficient because the more
collagen your skin produces, the firmer,
smoother and plumper your complexion
will be.
Each time a chain of peptides is combined
with another chain or ingredient it creates
a new type of peptide. When two chains
of peptides are joined together, it creates
what is known as a dipeptide. When three
chains of peptides are joined together it’s
called a tripeptide, four is a tetrapeptide,
five is a pentapeptide and so on. As a
quick guide to help you decipher the
ingredients list on the back of a product,
any peptide ingredients will either end
in the word ‘peptide’ or will start with
the word ‘palmitoyl’ such as palmitoyl
pentapeptide, which is more commonly
known as Matrixyl.
Peptides can do much more than just
reverse the signs of ageing. Their diversity
means they are able to address a wide
range of skin concerns from dryness and
uneven tone to blemishes and inflamma-
tion, and it’s not uncommon to have
multiple peptides in the same formula.
For example, the Hydropeptide Soothing
Serum contains a mix of hydrating pep-
tides, anti-inflammatory peptides and
soothing peptides to help balance sensi-
tive skin. You can also find peptides in
an equally diverse number of products,
including lip gloss, face serums, lash
boosters, sunscreens and toners. If you
look hard enough, it’s likely that peptides
are already a big part of your existing
routine and if they’re not, don’t worry,
there is a peptide for out there for you.
ISSUE #10 | 2019 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 25