What are Peptides in Skincare You must have heard about the anti-aging ingredient known as a peptide to smooth and repair skin. But have you wondered what peptides are in skincare? How do they affect your skin? More importantly, are peptide skincare products truly worth spending money on? The answer is YES!

In this article we will discuss,

  • What are peptides?
  • How do they benefit your skin?
  • How do they work?
  • What are some of their drawbacks?

Skincare regimens have become a real thing. If you happen to be a skincare fanatic, you would know how the product range keeps blooming. Every day, we are introduced to a new skincare ingredient that benefits us in numerous ways. While some of these ingredients are just the talk, others are effective.

Peptides are one ingredient known for repairing damaged skin cells and slowing aging. It also enhances collagen and ensures that your skin remains unharmed from environmental factors.

So, let’s see what peptides are and how they work!

What are peptides?

You can only understand peptides if you know what amino acids are. Amino acids are the building blocks in our body that makeup protein. For example, collagen is made of amino acids. In the same way, peptides are chains made of amino acids containing all-natural proteins needed for the skin.

Moreover, collagen is made up of three polypeptide chains. So, your skin will make more collagen when you stimulate it with peptides. Peptides also serve as the building blocks for elastin fiber. These fibers ensure elasticity and tissue firmness.

Peptides aren’t just necessary for skin. But they are also found in every human cell and play an important role in our body’s functionality. They also act as a biological messenger, so we need peptides at all times. If our body becomes deficient in peptides, we won’t be able to function.

What are peptides in skincare?

You must be wondering; why do we need to invest in peptides products when they occur naturally in our body? According to experts, your body loses collagen by 1% every year after age 30. Not to mention, your skin’s natural communicators also slow down as you age.

But injecting yourself with peptides only won’t benefit you in any way. This is because the working of peptides in your skin is slightly more complex than that.

When you start stimulating your skin with peptides, your body will see it is a signal that it needs to heal. This will indicate your body produces more collagen when needed. For example, if you have injured your arm, then peptides will indicate your body to expedite its efforts in the healing process of the injury.

If your skin is aging prematurely, peptides will push the body to produce more collagen and pump hyaluronic acid to repair the damaged skin cells. This whole process will, in turn, restore your damaged skin and plump it up just the way it was before.

So, when you externally introduce your skin with peptides through serum or a moisturizer, it will trick your system into thinking you’re wounded. It will enhance its collagen production; thus, you will have better-looking skin.

Benefits of peptides

As we have said, peptide skincare products are mainly marketed for anti-aging and repairing skin damage. But, the exact benefits of peptides vary and depend on what type of product you are using.

So, some of the major benefits of peptides are enlisted below,

Enhanced skin barrier

The skin barrier is the first line of defense against UV rays, bacteria pollution, and other toxins. Unfortunately, various causes of damage to the skin barrier include over-exfoliation, pollution, and exposure to smoke.

It can also damage the skin barrier if you have a poor sleeping cycle or don’t hydrate yourself enough. Peptides repair this damage and ensure your skin is well-protected against all the environmental factors we just mentioned.

Improves collagen production

According to research, peptides improve collagen production in skin cells. As mentioned earlier, peptides enhance this production by indicating to your body about wounded cells. So, it produces more keratin, collagen, and elastin in your body.

Say goodbye to wrinkles.

The peptides enhance collagen production in your skin cells and reduce wrinkles. In addition, it plumps your skin and also reduces fine lines.

Better elasticity

Peptides also boost elastin fibers in your skin along with collagen. This is another important protein essential for your skin’s health. Once the elasticity is enhanced, your skin will look better and feel better.

Reduces irritation

Some peptides also work great for reducing inflammation and irritation on the skin. Incorporating peptide products in your skincare routine can ease your discomfort for those of you who have sensitive skin and are more prone to inflammation.

Prevents ageing

The best part about peptides is that they prevent ageing skin no matter your age. To ensure that your skin can act younger for a long time, you must use peptides regularly. They are available as key ingredients in face oils, serums and moisturizers. You can conveniently integrate it into your daily skincare regimen.

How to choose the right peptide product?

Now choosing the right peptide product can also be a difficult task. There are so many products available in the market that it will be hard for you to pick the right product. So, here is how you can choose a peptide skincare product,

Choose the right form – You must pick a product that will stay in contact with your skin for an extended time. For example, face oil or moisturizers will stay on your skin for a long time. In contrast, you will have to wash away a cleanser. So, choose the correct form of peptides for maximum benefits.

Select other ingredients thoughtfully – Peptides will be more effective when combined with other ingredients, including niacinamide, hyaluronic acids, Vitamin C and antioxidants. For example, if you use a peptide with alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA), it won’t work as efficiently as it should.

Don’t forget to check the label – Check the ingredients list before buying a product. For example, the peptide should be near the top of the right skin care product.

Drawbacks of peptides

As you have read, there are various benefits of using peptides. But, there are a few drawbacks as well, mentioned below

  • Peptides are fairly expensive
  • Research on peptides is still ongoing. Some say that retinol and AHAs are more beneficial for skin where ageing is concerned.
  • There are various kinds of peptides available. Some are not as effective as they are said to be.
  • Always ask a dermatologist about their recommendation before choosing a skin care product yourself. You never know what might suit your skin and what won’t.
  • Some rare cases have also witnessed peptide allergy.

Final thoughts,

So, this is everything we could gather regarding what are peptides for skincare. Hopefully, this article has been worth your time and attention.

Peptides definitely have more advantages than disadvantages. But since they are expensive and can cause an allergic reaction, it would be wise for you to consult your dermatologist first. You never know what might happen and we don’t encourage taking risks with our skin.

Thank you so much for sticking around this long to read our article. Do leave us with your feedback below.