The beauty industry is abuzz with “super ingredients” that claim to work miracles on your skin – like peptides. Peptides have been dubbed as one of the critical breakthroughs in skin care.
What is all this fuss about? Is it really something worth your attention, or is it just another beauty fad? After you finish reading this the article, you will understand why the beauty industry is obsessed with peptides. Let’s get started.
What Are Peptides?
Peptides are chains of amino acids and building blocks of proteins in your body. When amino acids combine in various formations, they create a variety of peptides. And when peptides are formed in a certain way, they create specific proteins.
If you are wondering why this information is important, read on.
Proteins are the most basic building blocks of your skin, organs, and tissues. And collagen is one of the most important proteins in your body. About 75%-80% of your skin is made up of collagen protein.
That’s why when your collagen production is optimal, your skin looks beautiful. And this is where peptides can help you – by boosting your collagen production. Let’s explore this in detail.
What Do Peptides Do For Your Skin?
With age, the collagen production declines. As a result, your skin sags and loses its elasticity, and you get wrinkles. Incorporating peptides into your skin care routine can help to a great extent. You can use both topical and oral peptides (which we’ve discussed later). Here’s how peptides help your aging skin:
1. They Have An Anti-Wrinkle Effect On Your Skin
In a double-blind clinical study, researchers studied 20 women between the ages of 40 and 62 years. They were given a formula containing 3% collagen-like peptide and 1% booster molecule. They applied the gel on their eye area for four weeks. The results showed a significant reduction in the surface as well as the depth of wrinkles.
2. They Help Reduce Erythema
Erythema or redness of the skin may occur due to a variety of reasons, including infection, inflammation, or increased blood flow in your superficial capillaries. A six- month study on 20 subjects found that both Carnosine (a dipeptide molecule) and N- acetylcarnosine (related to the dipeptide Carnosine) can help reduce erythema when applied to the skin. The researchers also found that these two peptides had antioxidant properties .
3. It Improves Skin Firmness And Elasticity
In two separate studies, each examining the anti-wrinkle and anti-sagging effects of Trifluoroacetyl-tripeptide-2, it was found that this peptide improved skin firmness and elasticity and reduced skin sagging.
4. They Have Anti-Inflammatory Effects
According to a study, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 has anti-inflammatory effects on your skin. It suggests that this peptide reduces the secretion of IL-6, thus decreasing inflammation after UVB exposure. A blend of palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 and palmitoyl oligopeptide also improves the extracellular matrix structure (a network of extracellular macromolecules including glycoproteins, enzymes, and collagen that supports the cells.
There are about hundreds of peptides out there. However, only a few are used for skin care. Here’s a breakdown.
