Peptides are short chains of amino acids which occur naturally within the body and are the building blocks of different proteins, including collagen, elastin and keratin in skin.
These proteins have a key function within your skin’s structure and are responsible for firmness, elasticity, texture and tone. As we age collagen and elastin levels decrease which leads to lines and wrinkles and sagging skin and our skin cell messengers slow down. Applying peptides to the skin can help to stimulate the production collagen and elastin helping to reduce lines and wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Peptides can be thought of as your skincare messengers. When you apply them to your skin they trick your skin into thinking it has a wound that needs repaired and prompt your cells to perform certain specific functions, and to stimulate rejuvenation. There are many different peptides and each one plays a different role such as improving hydration or boosting firmness. Enzyme inhibitor peptides slow down the skin’s breakdown of collagen, carrier peptides deliver minerals deep into the skin to boost collagen and signal peptides promote the production of collagen and elastin. There are also neurotransmitter peptides which block the release of chemicals that cause the muscle contraction of expression lines and therefore help to smooth out wrinkles and inhibitor peptides which slow down the rate collagen is broken down.
They tend to achieve the best results when combined with other active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and antioxidants as in our Skin Sculpt Stimulate and Hydrate and Stimulate and Renew. When using retinol products, they are ideal as they strengthen the skin barrier and help to reduce the irritation retinol can cause.
