Peptides took the skincare industry by storm after research presented at the 2002 American Academy of Dermatology conference demonstrated that peptides could firm skin and stimulate collagen production. But what exactly is a peptide and how do they work?
What Are Peptides?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids. When two amino acids are joined together by a single bond it is called a dipeptide, while three linked amino acids are a tripeptide, followed by tetrapeptides, and so on. Peptides can either be naturally occurring or synthetically made. For example, the milk protein casein is broken down into two naturally occurring peptides during digestion. In contrast, the synthetic peptide Matrixyl, or palmitoyl pentapeptide-3, was developed for use in skincare products.
How Do Peptides Work?
Some say that peptides in skincare products will not work because their size breaks the 500 Dalton Rule. This rule states that for a substance to be absorbed into the skin, its molecular weight must be under 500 Daltons. Because peptides are larger than 500 Daltons, how can peptides be efficacious when applied topically? While research shows that peptides do work, we still are not entirely sure how. Researchers have come up with some theories of why they think peptides are effective despite this. A peptide may send a chemical message that mimics those that cells send to one another and cause them to behave a certain way. For example, if you get a papercut, a cell-signaling cascade is triggered to begin the tissue repair process. Peptides can mimic certain cell-signaling processes. Mimicking these messages would make changes without penetrating the skin. This would mean that even though peptides don’t go through the skin barrier, they still work effectively.
Peptides In Skincare
Here are some of the most popular peptides and their functions. You can find all of these in our best selling Wrinkle Smoothener serum!
- Acetyl Octapeptide-3 may reduce the depth of wrinkles on the face caused by the contraction of muscles of facial expression
- Rh-Polypeptide-9 may reduce wrinkles and enhance skin elasticity
- Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate may prevent the formation of expression lines
- Potato SH-Oligopeptide-1 may increase the rate of cellular turnover as well as slow the thinning of skin due to aging
- Rh-Polypeptide-1 may reduce wrinkles and enhance skin elasticity
- Tripeptide-29 may minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles
- Hexapeptide-11 may upregulate key genes responsible for collagen production and hyaluronic acid
- Tetrapeptide-23 may protect skin against reactive scavengers and increase antioxidant activity
- Tripeptide-1 may stimulate the synthesis of collagen
- Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 may inhibit inflammation and glycation
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