What are Peptides?
Peptides have become a byword for anti-aging skincare products. So what are peptides, how do they work and why are we paying so much for them in our skincare.
Amino acids are organic compounds that help form proteins. Amino acids are made up of the elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. They have many functions. For example: amino acids are responsible for giving proteins their structure, transporting nutrients, and sending signals to other cells.
Peptides are a form of proteins and are made up of amino acids. When amino acids are combined in certain formations they form specific peptides and there are hundreds of peptides. And when peptides form longer chains of amino acids, they become the building blocks of proteins.
Proteins make up much of the body’s tissue, organs, and skin. One of the body’s most important skin proteins is collagen. Essentially, collagen is the foundation of your skin. Collagen gives skin structure, strength, firmness and smoothness.
As you age, collagen production slows down. The collagen you do have is prone to breaking down. This decrease in collagen production leads to the visible signs of aging – like wrinkles, and skin that looks saggy and crepey. So, you can understand why collagen is so important – it helps increase the appearance of smooth, firm skin.
How do peptides work?
Peptides have the same chemical structure as proteins, which serve as the building blocks of cells and tissues in your body. Peptides, or mini proteins are active molecules that send signals to your cells. When collagen breaks down, it forms specific peptides that signal to your skin that it was damaged and needs to make new collagen. Therefore, peptide has the ability to stimulate the cell rejuvenation process and even stimulate collagen production.
Amino acids form peptides. And peptides, in turn, form proteins like collagen. Collagen is an integral component of firm, youthful skin. And without peptides, it can’t be produced and skin does not remain intact and the results is loss of firmness, elasticity, appearance of wrinkles and texture changes.
Peptides in Skincare
Peptide for skincare products use chemicals that are close relatives of protein which are the building blocks of our bodies on the cellular level that can work all the way into the epidermis to speak to the cells.
Incorporating peptides into your skincare routine, these short-chain amino acid peptides are able to easily penetrate the top layers of skin. They can then send signals to your skin cells, directing them to perform certain functions, like collagen synthesis.
This increase in collagen production is what makes peptides such a potent anti-aging skincare ingredient. Peptides can work to encourage skin elasticity, increase hydration and diminish the appearance of aging on the skin.
Peptides not only help stimulate collagen production, but they also help the skin heal faster. Since microscopic ingredients in peptide for skin care strategies can penetrate deep into the skin layers, these amino acid chains help heal the skin faster than many other types of product.
Peptides are becoming a more outstanding part of many skincare. Because they play such an important role in collagen production, peptides have the potential to boost your own skin’s firmness, smoothness, and strength.
Abundant research has clearly shown they can help revitalize those building blocks and their ability to help revitalize skin. The results on your skin may be superb.