One of the most popular ingredients on the anti-aging market, peptides have taken the skincare world by storm. Peptides are short chains of amino acids found in our bodies. They serve as a base for proteins like keratin, collagen and elastin, all of which are essential to our skin’s structure, texture and appearance.
There is a great diversity of peptides that are comprised of varying amino acid combinations. Because of their sheer variety, peptides all have individual functions and benefits. Much research has been conducted on peptides and their abilities, with evidence to suggest and prove how they can assist the function of the skin. Their strengths can extend to anything from hydration to softening the visibility of wrinkles, improving dermal firmness or reconstructing the skin’s protective barrier. This is because peptides are actually very clever – they are able to send signals to your body’s cells (in this case, your skin cells) to trigger certain functions, such as those mentioned above. In skincare, peptides are implemented to help improve the skin. To optimize their anti-aging qualities, some types are often blended with one another. This way, the product that’s infused with them increases in potency and can tackle more than one age-related issue at once.
One thing to be aware of about peptides is that they need to be packaged properly. Like many effective anti-aging ingredients, peptides are at the mercy of their environment (i.e. they’re defenseless in the face of factors like oxygen and bright light). Such variables can cause them to degrade when exposed, which is why it’s preferable to seek out products with air-tight and tinted packaging to help extend their longevity. Another detail to take into consideration is that products infused with peptides are often on the pricey side, which is yet another reason to ensure that their lifespan is prolonged.
It’s also worth noting that, due to there being so many varieties of peptides, some are capable of triggering dermal irritation, so it’s always worth doing a little investigation yourself to make sure that your skin’s not likely to react (in other words, do a patch test). In this vein, it’s helpful to be mindful that, although certain peptides work well with each other, they may not play as harmoniously with other anti-aging ingredients. AHAs, for example, have been said to lessen the effects of peptides, so always double check before switching up your skincare product regimen.
It has been acknowledged that, though effective, not one type of peptide or peptide blend is mighty enough to invoke dermal change on its own. Though they don’t work well with AHAs, they have been said to collaborate successfully with antioxidants and other such rejuvenating and hydrating ingredients. Together, they can join forces to combat the various issues that come with dermal aging.
If you’d like to discover more information about antioxidants, you might want to read our post on What Are Antioxidants? If you’re interested in unearthing the power of copper peptides, we suggest you dig into our next post where we provide an answer to the question of What Are Copper Peptides?