Peptides have become a buzzy skincare word over the past few years. But when it comes to reversing and preventing the effects of photoaging (sun damage), they might be more than hype.
Short for polypeptides, peptides are strings of amino acids—and amino acids are often referred to as the "building blocks of protein." More specifically, peptide amino acid chains make up critical proteins in the skin, including collagen, elastin, and keratin.
We'll go over everything you need to know about peptides for anti-aging, from the different types of peptides and how they work to the science behind how peptides repair skin and create a youthful glow.
The Relationship Between Peptides and Anti-Aging
Active peptides are among the most common ingredients you'll see in anti-aging skincare products. Why? They address virtually all visible signs of natural aging and sun damage, which can speed up these effects.
Some of the most common signs of aging on the skin are fine lines, wrinkles, crepiness, loss of elasticity, dryness, dullness, uneven texture, and hyperpigmentation (dark spots).
The Science Behind Peptides
As noted, peptides are the building blocks of collagen, elastin, and keratin. They have a low molecular weight, meaning the molecules are teeny-tiny and easily absorbed by the skin. This allows peptides to reach deep into your skin, replenishing multiple layers and strengthening the skin barrier. When considering collagen vs. collagen peptides, it's important to note that peptides, due to their smaller size, can be more effective in penetrating the skin and delivering targeted benefits.
These impressive powerhouses do wonders for the skin. After all, strong skin is healthy skin.
How Do Peptides Help Fight the Signs of Aging?
Anti-aging peptides work in many ways to fight fine lines, wrinkles, volume loss, and crepey skin. There are multiple types of peptides in skincare, each with a unique purpose.
This includes:
- Signal peptides. Signal peptides (or signaling peptides) have healing properties that help repair damaged skin.
- Carrier peptides. Carrier peptides transport wound-healing nutrients, another essential component of healing compromised skin.
- Antimicrobial peptides. These peptides kill the bacteria that may cause acne breakouts.
- Enzyme-inhibiting peptides. These protective peptide chains block certain enzymes that may harm skin tissue.
- Neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides. This type of peptide partially inhibits muscle movements that lead to fine lines and deeper wrinkles on the face, neck, and chest—sort of like a topical form of Botox.
What Are the Anti-Aging Benefits of Peptides?
There are many benefits of peptides for the skin. Anti-aging peptides work overtime to reverse existing signs of aging and prevent new ones from cropping up. They do this by:
- Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
- Boosting elastin and collagen production
- Enhancing skin firmness and elasticity
- Improving skin tone and texture
Keep scrolling for details.
Reducing Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Daily moisturization and sun protection are crucial for keeping your skin taut and smooth. But skin can start to lose its resilience since we stop producing collagen and elastin as we age, which can lead to fine lines and wrinkles.
By introducing your skin to peptides, you can help it generate more collagen and elastin while adding much-needed hydration. This can make your complexion look instantly fuller and more youthful. Over time, peptides can reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles and help prevent new ones from forming.
Boosting Collagen and Elastin Production
Collagen and elastin are what give skin its structure, helping it move and stretch while retaining its shape. As mentioned above, your body produces fewer and fewer of these skin proteins as you age.
Topical peptides help boost collagen levels in the skin while generating elastin, both of which are needed for bouncy, supple skin that resists the formation of fine lines and deeper wrinkles.
Enhancing Skin Firmness and Elasticity
With age, mature skin may lose firmness and elasticity, making it appear droopy or crepey. (Crepey skin has a thin, almost paper-like appearance that may look crinkled or saggy.)
One way to address this skin concern is with skincare products containing peptides. These protein-generating ingredients can restore a youthful bounce to your skin so it looks and feels firm and taut.
Improving Skin Tone and Texture
Dark spots can form with age, years of sun exposure, and acne breakouts. Dryness and enlarged pores are also signs of aging skin, which can create uneven texture.
Active peptides are all-star skincare ingredients, so it should come as no surprise that they can help remedy these issues too. With continued use, you can expect to see smoother, more even-toned skin with less visible pores and a healthy-looking glow.
Top Peptide Ingredients for Anti-Aging
Some of the best peptides for aging include:
- Palmitoyl tripeptide. This skincare ingredient has been shown to reduce the depth of wrinkles, help with volume loss, and minimize rough, uneven skin texture.
- Copper tripeptide. Copper peptides are really good for collagen synthesis, helping strengthen skin and diminishing wrinkles.
- Palmitoyl oligopeptide. This one helps transport healing peptides to areas in need of repair, like where deep wrinkles or acne scars have formed.
- Trifluoroacetyl-tripeptide-2. This peptide ingredient has been shown to help reduce fine lines and sagginess to make skin more elastic and firm.
- Carnosine. This is a dipeptide (meaning it's made up of two amino acids) with antioxidant and wound-healing properties.
Keep an eye out for these active ingredients when browsing anti-aging skincare products. Some formulas may contain just one peptide ingredient, while others might feature multiple.
Best Peptide-Based Anti-Aging Products
The best peptide-based anti-aging skincare products will contain one or more of the above active ingredients that have been shown to help reverse and prevent the signs of aging. Ideally, they'll be formulated with peptides with a low molecular weight that can be quickly absorbed, penetrating past the skin barrier into the deeper layers of your skin.
BOUNCEBACK™ Peptide Serum is a concentrated formula containing not one, not two, but three peptides that have been shown to reduce and stave off fine lines and wrinkles while helping skin recover from acne, stress, sun damage, and other environmental offenders.
This product is filled with many other skin-loving, anti-aging ingredients, like argan stem cells, reishi, vitamin B5, aloe vera, and green tea extract. BOUNCEBACK™ is dermatologist-tested and safe for sensitive skin.
Other key ingredients that pair well with peptides include vitamin C, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and gentle exfoliators, like AHA and BHA.
How to Incorporate Peptides Into Your Anti-Aging Routine With CLEARSTEM
Incorporating peptide therapy into your anti-aging skincare routine is easy. Whether you go with a peptide serum, a stem cell moisturizer, or an anti-aging eye cream, all you need to do is dab it on, gently pat it in, and let it absorb.
Peptides are generally gentle skincare ingredients, so they usually won't irritate sensitive skin (but you may want to look out for other ingredients that could cause a reaction). You can use peptide products twice a day as part of your morning and nighttime skincare routines.
CLEARSTEM products are thoughtfully formulated with multiple peptides and other ingredients that support skin health, prevent visible signs of aging, and remedy various skin concerns–without any pore-clogging ingredients, parabens, or phthalates
When you shop the collections, you'll find a broad range of anti-aging skincare products to reduce fine lines and wrinkles while combating other effects of aging and environmental damage. We also carry acne and aging skincare products for mature skin that work double time to keep breakouts and photoaging at bay and non-comedogenic products you can count on to never clog your pores.
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Huan Y, et al. (2020). Antimicrobial Peptides: Classification, Design, Application and Research Progress in Multiple Fields. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, 582779.
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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.
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