Peptides for Skin- Your Complete Guide for Skincare

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are nothing but a chain of amino acids that form building blocks of protein the body. Proteins form the major building blocks of tissues, organs, and your skin. Nearly 80% of your skin comprises of the collagen protein. Hence, optimal collagen production is essential to make your skin look beautiful. This is how peptides for skin can help you- by increasing the collagen production in the skin. When used in combination with other ingredients, peptides act as catalysts to boost the production of elastin and collagen in the skin.

How Do Peptides Work?

Even though peptides are naturally produced in the body, the skin tends to lose collagen as it ages. Peptides synthesized externally and added in skin care composition triggers the cells of the skin to produce more collagen, thereby giving the skin a younger look. Peptides for skin also have a toning and hydrating effect to maintain the elasticity of the skin.

Benefits of Peptides

Peptides for skin come in two forms- oral and topical. Listed below are some benefits of peptide everyone should know

#1. Anti-wrinkle Effect

Peptides are generally known to boost collagen and elastin production in the skin. As a result, side effects of ageing like wrinkles and fine lines tend to gradually disappear upon usage.

#2. Reduce Erythema

Skin infection, inflammation, or increased blood flow to the skin capillaries can cause Erythema or redness of the skin. Peptides have anti-oxidant properties that help reduce redness and inflammation caused due to Erythema.

#3. Improves Skin Elasticity And Firmness

One of the main benefits of peptides for skin is the anti-ageing properties. Due to ageing, the skin sags and loses its firmness. However, peptides increase collagen and elastin production in the skin thereby improving the elasticity and firmness of the skin.

Best Topical Peptides For Your Skin

Topical peptides are generally peptide skin creams that can be applied directly on the skin. The different types of topical peptides are as follows

#1. Carrier Peptides

Carrier peptides are usually copper peptides and X-50 Myocept which help in bringing the trace elements like copper and manganese to the skin. These trace elements aid in improving skin elasticity, wound healing, and boosting collagen production in the skin.

#2. Neurotransmitter Inhibitor Peptides

Some of the most popular neurotransmitter inhibitor peptides are Syn-ake, Argireline, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, and XEP-30. These peptides give your skin a botox like effect by inhibiting muscle contraction thereby further reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

#3. Signal Peptides

Like the name suggests, signal peptides are peptides that send trigger signals to the skin to increase the production of collagen, elastin, and other skin protein that are essential to make the skin look young. Some of the signal peptides are Palmitoyl Oligopeptide-7, Matrixyl-3000, and copper peptides.

Natural Sources of Oral Peptides

Apart from the synthetically processed cream peptides for skin, there are several natural sources of peptides that you can opt for. Listed below are some of the natural sources of oral peptides for your skin.

#1. Milk

Milk is a rich source of dietary peptides that contain bioactive peptides. It is an abundant source of casein and whey protein which upon digestion is broken into several other peptides that have therapeutic properties.

#2. Eggs

Eggs are another immense source of dietary peptides IQW and IRW that have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

#3. Fish and Meat

Fish and meat are known to be rich in all the essential peptides and proteins required for the skin. The peptides in fish and protein are rich in collagen and can prevent the ageing of the skin. Collagen derived from fish and meat is used in many skin care anti-ageing products.

Peptides are considered to be the best approach for your anti-ageing skin care routine. However, it is important to research the write kind of peptide if you opt for topical skin creams. Talk to a doctor to understand your skin requirements and ask for the right peptide skin cream that can be used safely on your skin.

References:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/peptides-for-skin#how-they-work
2. https://www.dermstore.com/blog/top_ten/what-peptides-do-for-skin/
3. https://skinkraft.com/blogs/articles/peptides-in-skincare