The Surprising Benefits of Peptides for Your Skin

If you're a skincare enthusiast—and even if you're not—you've probably heard of peptides. These highly touted ingredients have made their way into many products, promising to transform your complexion and address various skincare woes.

But what are they, exactly? What do peptides do for the skin, and are the purported benefits of peptides worthy of all the hype? We'll answer these questions below and give you a rundown of why, when, and how to use them to achieve healthy skin.

What Are Peptides in Skincare?

The word Peptides is short for polypeptides. They're strings of amino acids, which are often described as the "building blocks of protein." Specifically, peptide amino acids make up the main proteins in the skin, including elastin, collagen, and keratin.

So polypeptides in skincare are ingredients that support collagen, elastin, and keratin production.

What Are the Different Types of Peptides in Skincare?

A few different peptides can be used in skincare products, including:

• Signal peptides that help with healing
• Carrier peptides that transport wound-healing nutrients
• Enzyme-inhibiting peptides that block enzymes that harm skin tissue
• Neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides that help partially prevent muscle movements that lead to wrinkles on the face, kind of like Botox
• Antimicrobial peptides that kill bacteria that may cause acne

On a skincare ingredient list, you might see these listed as palmitoyl tripeptide, copper peptide-38, palmitoyl oligopeptide, or caprooyl-tetrapeptide-3.

How Peptides Work for Your Skin?

Peptides are amazing for the overall health and appearance of your skin. As the building blocks of collagen, elastin, and keratin, they essentially form a strong foundation for skin so it has resilience and structure—think bouncy skin that resists fine lines and wrinkles.

Since peptide molecules are so teensy-tiny, your skin easily absorbs them. This means they can reach multiple layers of your dermis and get to work strengthening your skin barrier.

Key Benefits of Peptides for Skin Health

What do peptides do for the skin? A better question might be: What don't peptides do for the skin?

The primary skin health benefits of peptides include:

• Anti-aging effects
• Enhancing skin barrier function
• Improving skin elasticity and firmness
• Promoting collagen production

Keep reading for details.

Anti-Aging Effects

Since peptides help repair damaged skin and support its structure, the anti-aging benefits of peptides can help undo some effects of photoaging (sun damage), like fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, dullness, and crepiness. Collagen can also help slow down these visible signs of aging to keep your skin looking healthy and youthful in the long term. When comparing collagen vs. collagen peptide therapy, both offer significant anti-aging effects, but they work in slightly different ways to rejuvenate and maintain your skin’s youthful appearance.

Enhancing Skin Barrier Function

Another reason to love peptides is that they help collagen rebuild the skin barrier. This can prevent a parched complexion and promote bouncy, youthful skin.

Improving Skin Elasticity and Firmness

Skin gets its elasticity from elastin. If you think of something elastic, like certain types of fabric, you might imagine a material that can stretch and retain its shape. That's the goal with skin. So by generating the protein elastin, topical peptide treatments can make skin more elastic, resilient, and firm.

Promoting Collagen Production

Crucially, skincare products containing peptides support collagen synthesis. Collagen is essential for your skin's structure. As we age, we stop producing collagen, which can lead to worsened skin health. When you apply these ingredients to your skin, it may appear fuller and less likely to form fine line lines.

Best Peptide Products for Skincare

The best peptide products for skincare will include multiple peptides, like BOUNCEBACK™ Peptide Serum. This multi-action formula combines three peptides, plus other ingredients like argan stem cells and antioxidants, to address acne scars, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity.

How to Incorporate Peptides Into Your Skincare Routine

Incorporating peptides into your skincare routine is super easy. With the right peptide treatment, like a serum or moisturizer, all you have to do is pat it on and let it absorb.

Peptides are generally gentle, even for those with sensitive skin. So you can use them twice a day as part of your morning and evening skincare routines.

Combining Peptides With Other Ingredients

You might look for products containing ingredients that play well with peptides. To get the most skincare benefits, keep an eye out for formulas that also include stem cells, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or antioxidants, like vitamin C, vitamin E, niacinamide, or bakuchiol.

Exfoliating ingredients, such as AHAs and BHAs, can also support skin-cell turnover to address various signs of aging.

How to Add Peptides Into Your Skincare Routine With CLEARSTEM

CLEARSTEM products are carefully formulated with peptides and other ingredients that support skin health and remedy many skin concerns, without any pore-clogging ingredients, parabens, or phthalates.

Beyond our BOUNCEBACK™ Serum, we carry a wide range of acne and aging skincare products, anti-aging skincare products to combat fine lines and wrinkles, and non-comedogenic products that won't clog your pores.

Sources:

Forbes J and Krishnamurthy K. (2023). Biochemistry, Peptide. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.

Owji H, et al. (2018). A comprehensive review of signal peptides: Structure, roles, and applications. European Journal of Cell Biology, 97(6), 422–441.

Errante F, et al. (2020). Cosmeceutical Peptides in the Framework of Sustainable Wellness Economy. Frontiers in Chemistry, 8, 572923.

Huan Y, et al. (2020). Antimicrobial Peptides: Classification, Design, Application and Research Progress in Multiple Fields. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 582779.

Aguirre-Cruz G, et al. (2020). Collagen Hydrolysates for Skin Protection: Oral Administration and Topical Formulation. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(2), 181.

Mathew-Steiner SS, et al. (2021). Collagen in Wound Healing. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 8(5), 63.

Schagen S. (2017). Topical peptide treatments with effective anti-aging results. Cosmetics. 4(2):16.

Schräder CU, et al. (2018). Elastin is heterogeneously cross-linked. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 293(39), 15107–15119.

Varani J, et al. (2006). Decreased collagen production in chronologically aged skin: roles of age-dependent alteration in fibroblast function and defective mechanical stimulation. The American Journal of Pathology, 168(6), 1861–1868.

Shoulders MD, et al. (2009). Collagen structure and stability. Annual Review of Biochemistry, 78, 929–958.