Skin Care

Benefits Of Peptides For Skin: Should You Include Peptides In Your Skincare Regime?

Is skin care stressing you out? Every day a new ingredient is being advertised and each time it’s marketed as a must-have that will change your skin forever. Half the time most of these products are overhyped and with less action. Here is the reality of peptides for skin!


Written by Aashika Rajendran

On Jan 17, 2023 – 6 minutes read

What do peptides do for your skin

If you have watched Hailey Bieber do her skincare, then you must have noticed that she loves peptides for her skin and calls it her holy grail and must-have product.

The beauty market has been buzzing around with peptides for a while now. Peptides for skin are claimed to make skin young, smooth, and supple. But what are peptides? Peptides are not cheap so are they worth the price? Is it a must-have or just another overhyped product? Let’s find out!

What Are Peptides For The Skin?

Polypeptides otherwise called peptides are amino acids(1) that are naturally present in our body. Peptides help make up proteins that are very crucial for not just the skin but for the proper functioning of the body.

If you have been into skincare then you might have heard of collagen, collagen is made of peptides. Collagen is responsible for boosting skin elasticity, hydration, and fitness.

Peptides For Skin

As one ages the body’s ability to produce collagen naturally slows down, thereby decreasing the amount produced. This is the reason why aging takes place. Wrinkles, dullness, and uneven skin tone are all signs of aging i.e. decreased collagen production. Peptides have elastin fibers which are the most necessary building block that determines the elasticity and firmness of the skin.

Peptides are not just for the skin, decree in peptide production can also cause hair fall, hair breakage, and brittle nails. 

The use of peptides doesn’t stop with just skin and hair but also proper cell functioning,  peptides act as biological messengers that help in building enzymes, energy, and various hormones(2).

If you have read this far, now you must be wondering, if peptides are already produced in the body then why do we need an external peptide source, and more importantly d they work?

Dermatologists swear by it, so yes! Peptides work. Dermatologists claim that once we turn 30, our body starts losing 1% of the collagen every year, and hence over time the skin starts to show signs of aging.

How Do Peptides For Skin Work?

Lathering your face with peptides will not benefit your skin directly. The way your peptide serum works are quite different from other skincare products. Here is how.

How Do Peptides For Skin Work?

Peptides are known as biological messengers, for example, if you have a burn or any kind of external injury, the peptides in your body will send signals to the brain to produce more healing enzymes to repair those areas. Therefore when you lather the peptide serum on your face, basically your body will signal your brain to send more healing enzymes to your face. These healing enzymes are collagen which will aid it not just in repairing the skin but also boosting the overall glow of the face.

This is why peptides for the skin are also called collagen boosters!

What Are The Different Types Of Peptides For Skin?

Here is why you should be aware of what type of peptide you use in your skincare, some peptides are less effective than others. There are hundreds of peptides in the skincare market, so next time you pick up a peptide serum know what type you are getting.

Enzyme-Inhibitor Peptides

Enzyme-Inhibitor Peptides are those peptides that block out the skin’s natural aging process by stopping the loss of collagen. Enzyme-inhibited peptides can be derived from rice or soy. Rice derived version works by aiding in retaining collagen while the soy-derived peptide is great for skin with pigmentation. You can see a visible reduction and appearance of pigmentation within a few months of use. 

Neurotransmitter Peptides

They work on relaxing the facial muscles, reducing contraction hence preventing fine lines and wrinkles. These are found in tropical treatments such as Argireline and botox injections. Though these types of peptides are said to be the most effective and show instant results, they are not everybody’s favorite as they come with side effects when not done properly.

Carrier Peptides

Carrier Peptides are those that aid in the natural collagen production in the body. They deliver elements such as magnesium and copper into the skin both of which increase the production of collagen thereby enhancing the overall quality and appearance of the skin. They also help with photoaging and dark spots.

Signal Peptides

Signal Peptides also called palmitoyl pentapeptides are the most common type of peptide found in skin care products.  This signal the body to boost collagen production, making the skin look wrinkle-free and younger in the process.

Benefits Of Peptides For Skin

Some of the most popular anti-aging treatments are retinol and collagen. Retinol is a great antiaging product but might come out too strong for sensitive skin whereas collagen as a topical treatment is not very effective as the molecules that make collagen are too big for the skin to absorb effectively. Hence collagen as a supplement works better than collagen as a skincare.

Peptides on the other hand are suitable for all skin types and work effectively to target aging. Here are some of the key benefits of peptides for skin

Reduction in signs of aging, Consistent use of peptides in skincare can help in reducing signs of aging. It works on age spots, sun damage, wrinkles, fine lines, pigmentation, etc.

Healthy skin barrier, Today one of the most common skin issues faced is a damaged skin barrier. This could happen due to various reasons such as climate, sun, overuse of actives on skincare, and trying out several skin care products at once. The skin barrier is a skin protection layer, it safeguards the skin from external damage. The use of peptides can help in building a stronger and healthy skin barrier.

Boost collagen production making the signs of aging less visible, Improve elasticity as peptides are a rich source of elastin fibers which makes the skin firm and healthy.

Skin repair, Peptides are great antioxidants that help in reversing sun damage, uneven skin tone, and minor skin issues like dryness and flakiness.

✅ Helps clear mild cases of breakouts, rashes, bumps, and acne.

Are Peptides Safe To Use On All Skin Types?

Yes! Peptides work great on all skin types. We recommend incorporating a peptide-based product into your skincare routine in your mid or late 20s. Consistent use of peptides will help you get glowing, healthy, youthful; looking skin

What Are The Side Effects When Using Peptides For Skin?

Since peptides are naturally occurring proteins in the human body, side effects from using peptides are very rare. In very rare cases peptides might cause minor irritation in certain skin types but this happens when the peptide is used in injection form and not as a tropical source.

Best Ways To Use Peptides

Peptides work best in cream form and serum form rather than as a cleanser or a mask. Leave-on products with peptides will help the skin absorb the product better. Peptides when combines with skin care products like hyaluronic acid and vitamin c give faster results as they increase the efficiency of peptides. People above 40,s can include both peptides and retinol in the skincare routine, this will act as a great anti-aging combination.

Recommended Products: 

Peptides For Skin: Serum Formulation

  • The Ordinary Buffet + Copper Peptides 1%
  • Paula’s Choice Peptide Booster Serum
  • Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Serum
  • Skinmedica TNS Recovery Complex
  • The Inkey List Collagen Booster Firming Peptide Serum
  • Kiehl’s Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum
  • Minimalist Multi Peptides Serum for Anti Aging & Collagen Booster with Matrixyl 3000 & Bio-placenta 
Peptides For Skin: Serum Formulation

Peptides For Skin: Cream Formulation

  • CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream
  • Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer
  • Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Face Moisturizer
  • Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream
Peptides For Skin: Cream Formulation

Hope you found this article helped you find the right peptide for your skin. Now enjoy healthy and happy skin!

  1. National Human Genome Research Institute (n.d). Amino acids. (Online). Available at

    https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Amino-Acids
  2. Elsevier B.V. (2023). Amino acids. (Online). Available at

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/peptides

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Aashika

Aashika is a makeup and beauty expert known for creating stunning looks that not only accentuate facial features but also empower women to feel confident in their skin.

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