What You Need To Know About Peptides In Skincare

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The skincare industry is full of buzzwords, trendy ingredients, and formulations that claim to be a cure-all for whatever you want to correct (which is an unrealistic promise). But we can expect certain ingredients to provide certain benefits to our skin. If we understand the goal of an ingredient, we can make more informed choices about which ones are best for us! One ingredient that has increasingly popped up over the last few years is polypeptides, aka peptides. But what are peptides, and why does it matter in your skincare?

Here is a basic rundown:

What is it? A manufactured version of a protein that naturally occurs in your skin.

What are the claimed benefits? It varies from product to product, but generally, they will improve your skin’s barrier, diminish fine lines, firm the skin, reduce inflammation, boost hydration, and even skin tone. 

Who can use it? Usually, peptides are gentle and safe for anyone to use.

How often should you use it? Most effective when applied twice per day.

Dive deeper and learn more:

What is a polypeptide?

Polypeptides (aka peptides) make up certain proteins in your skin, specifically the proteins that tell your body to produce collagen and elastin. Applying peptides to your skin via skincare products will trigger your skin to produce more collagen and elastin.

What are the benefits of using peptides?

Peptides are claimed to improve almost every aspect of skin health. They improve your skin’s barrier for protection against damage that makes your skin age faster, increase collagen production to diminish fine lines and wrinkles, increase elastin production to firm the skin, reduce inflammation to ease acne or facial redness, boost hydration, and reduce uneven skin tone. 

Are there any side effects of using peptides?

Generally, no. 

What’s the best way to use peptides?

To get the most benefit from the peptides in your skincare routine, opt for serums and treatment products, or moisturizers applied twice daily; like Alastin’s Restorative Skin Complex with TriHex Technology or Ultra Nourishing Moisturizer with TriHex Technology (they also have a great eye cream, neck cream, and body cream formulated with peptides!). Cleansers formulated with peptides generally aren’t as effective because you’re rinsing everything off before it has the opportunity to absorb into your skin.

Is there anything to watch out for when selecting a peptide product?

Peptides can be made up of 50 different amino acids. As these amino acids are moved around and formulated into products by skincare companies, you end up with different kinds of peptide products. So, that means that not all peptide products will do the same thing. As with all things, you get what you pay for. We typically advocate for professional-grade products because the strength is better due to a higher percentage of active ingredients. Ultimately, pro-grade products provide better and more visible results. 

Be wary of any claims that a peptide product is like topical Botox. It may diminish some fine lines, but it won’t do the same job as a Botox treatment in the same amount of time.

It likely goes without saying that our favorite peptide products are Alastin. Their TriHex Technology (aka their blend of active peptides and botanicals) has a higher percentage of ingredients, is fast-absorbing, and works quickly. They also provide noticeable benefits, which are more than you’ll get with a drug store product. Their peptide product line includes: 

If you want to talk more about how to best incorporate peptides into your skincare routine, come chat with us! We’d be happy to help you!

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