Peptides
The SKINny on Peptides
I recently read a StyleCaster article by Nikki Brown claiming peptides are the new retinol. And it seems this might just be the case, as retinol did indeed make some noise in the beauty world last year. And now 2020 is the year or protein in skincare, making peptides the new “It Girl” in beauty.
A simple Google search will tell you that the definition of a peptide is as follows: “a short chain of between two and fifty amino acids, linked by peptide bonds.” In other words, peptides are the building blocks of protein. To the left is an illustration of my interpretation of what a peptide looks like.
What Does It Do
Peptides are what make up the proteins in your skin, like collagen, elastin, and keratin. “These proteins are the foundations of your skin and are responsible for its texture, strength and resilience,” according to a blog post on Paula’s Choice Skincare blog. Collagen keeps skin looking young and plump, while also increasing the appearance of your skin’s natural glow. Elastin helps your skin bounce back when pinched or pulled, which also reduces sagging. Keratin is a fiber based protein that is mostly known for protecting hair. The one thing all of these proteins have in common is that they are all made of peptides.
The Tea
Hate to break the news, BUT, peptides might not be a real thing when it comes to skincare. Let me explain! Sometimes the beauty industry picks up on fancy words and ingredients that sound good. Then, they use these buzz words in all of their beauty ads. Does hyluranic acid sound familiar? Or do “stem cells” ring a bell? FutureDerm says that many of these active ingredients, often used as buzz words in the beauty industry, are not actually able to penetrate the skin. This basically means that these ingredients are useless because your skin can’t actually absorb them and take in the benefits of the “active” ingredients. I have a hunch that using these products at night might better help your skin absorb these ingredients, but I could be wrong on that if research shows these ingredients can’t really be absorbed.
That’s My Type
And not to reiterate the obvious, but peptides are only the building blocks of proteins. Take a look at the types of peptides in your skincare products or specific proteins; don’t just settle for the fact that the bottle says it contains peptides. Find of what is in your skincare products and what those ingredients are supposed to do for your skin. I’ve been using quite a few products that have peptides in them, but I shared some of my favorite products below, which you can shop by clicking on the product itself.
Check out the chart on the left that breaks down different types of peptides and how they benefit your skin.
Shop Products w/ Peptides
**click product image to shop**
Bottomline
If there’s anything I want to highlight about peptides, it’s this: Peptides are simply the building blocks of protein; they’re not the end all, be all of “good” skincare products. Different types of proteins benefit your skin in various ways. So peptides are cool and all, but most skincare brands just use this language to entice consumers to purchase the latest and trending products in the beauty world. And as always, remember to apply these as night, when your skin best absorbs moisturizer and other skincare products.
*P.S. - You can shop the goodies above by clicking on each product image.