What Are Peptides In Skin Care?

We all know that most things in our surroundings can lead to fine lines and wrinkles: pollution, smoke, the sun, and the weather. And, we all know that we cannot stop time. Aging is a natural part of life!

And, as time passes, we will all succumb to an aging skin barrier. While there isn’t much we can do to stop any of these things, we can take action to try and prevent the signs of aging with a solid skin care routine.

With the right moisturizers, serums and creams, along with a healthy diet and consistent rest, we can delay the process. What’s one of the key ingredients needed in your daily skin care products? Peptides!

See Related: How to Make Your Own Hair Moisturizer

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are components in chains of amino acids that help your skin produce essential building blocks of healthy proteins such as collagen, Keratin, and Elastin. These special proteins are the base of your skin, responsible for its strength, resilience, and texture. The more collagen production that occurs, the easier it becomes to prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

So, whenever you renew or purchase any skincare products, do yourself a favor and check out the ingredients. Before you make the purchase confirm that they contain peptides. It is a good idea to scan all of your anti-aging skincare products and check the ingredients on those as well. If they do not contain peptides, there’s no need to freak out. Chances are they are still effective. While scanning your products, you might have come across another popular ingredient: Retinol. Again, no need to panic. Retinol is not bad for your skin.

Peptides are recommended by dermatologists and aestheticians because they are the most potent ingredient for anti-aging skincare, and a bonus benefit? Peptides are cruelty-free. Peptides can help bring about many benefits, but they are not a magical solution. As we’ve already established, there’s no such thing as a cure-all to aging. However, peptides play a very important role as one of the greatest assets to healthy, younger looking skin.

What Can You Do To Slow Down The Signs of Aging?

While our immediate environment plays a large role in how skin ages, there’s another factor that can determine how skin will respond as we grow older: Genes. Genetics play a critical role in how your skin ages with time. This process is called intrinsic aging.

If your family has skin that tends to wrinkle at an early age, then you might struggle more than others to combat your skin from aging. And of course, premature aging can show up at some point in our life; adopting a proper skin care routine could penetrate the skin early-on, and keep free from wrinkles as long as possible.

In addition to using skin care products that contain Peptides, below are some lifestyle tips that will not only improve the appearance of aging, but will also keep your skin’s texture looking young and smooth.

1. Keep Your Skin Protected From The Sun, DAILY

Frequent trips to the pool and the beach, spending hours outside in the sun, or even running errands, keeping your skin protected from the sun is essential. You can either protect it by covering it up with sun protective clothing such as a long sleeve shirt, seeking shade, wearing a hat and sunglasses, or,  you can also apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher (which should also be water-resistant).

Apply your sunscreen all over your skin daily, on areas that are not covered by your clothes. And as an added protective bonus, you can wear clothing that has a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) label. You can also find several skin care products that contain SPF in them for an added layer of protection.

2. Stop Smoking, Please.

If you are a smoker, stop. Smoking rapidly speeds the aging process – primarily on our skin. Smoking is scientifically proven to cause fine lines and wrinkles, as well as dull and sallow your complexion. It can also turn your lips yellow.

3. Try Using Self-Tanners Instead of Tanning

Applying a self-tanner is a good idea rather than going out into the sun and risking high exposure just for the sake of having a tan. Whenever you get a tan, you lead to the premature aging of your skin.

All of these activities release harmful UV rays that speed up your skin’s aging process. UV exposure can also cause the early onset of wrinkles, regardless of skin types.

4. Watch Your Facial Expressions

Did you know that your muscles contract when you make facial expressions, and if you repeatedly do the same expressions for years, wrinkles develop along those muscles? Bonus tip: Wear sunglasses! Using sunglasses helps you decrease squinting and thus the appearance of fine lines.

5. Reduce or Eliminate Alcohol From Your Social Life

Alcohol is considered very rough on the skin because it causes extreme dehydration. Also, over time, consistent alcohol use causes damage to your skin, resulting in you looking older.

6. Make Eating Healthy Your New Habit

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables slow the process of skin aging. A diet that contains lots of sugar and some other refined carbohydrates, also speeds up the aging process. Yet another reason to make sure you eat healthy and feed your body and skin the nutrients it needs to be youthful.

7. Exercise 4 to 5 Days A Week

Studies prove that moderate exercise throughout the week improves circulation, thus boosting the immune system. A healthy body contributes to healthy skin!

8. Wash Your Face Twice A Day

Scrubbing your skin will cause irritation, and irritation is directly related to wrinkles and aging. However, gently washing your skin is helpful to remove dirt, pollution, oil and makeup, without causing any skin irritation.

Make a routine of washing your face twice daily, especially after a workout. and even after sweating. Make sure you follow up with creams and a serum to restore moisture and maintain your skin’s supple texture.

9. Don’t Forget To Apply Facial Moisturizer Daily On Your Face

It is best to apply moisturizer right after you have cleansed yourself because moisturizer traps water in your skin, giving it a healthy appearance and a smooth, youthful texture.

10. Don’t Use Products That Burn Or Sting Your Skin

Stop using products that might sting or burn your skin. Whenever your skin stings or burns, it indicates that your skin is getting irritated. And skin that is constantly irritated can make you look older.

Follow these tips to prevent early aging. It is never too late to benefit from a solid skin care routine. Also, by protecting yourself from the sun, and wearing SPF, you are allowing your skin to repair some of the damage.

Smokers who stop smoking will also notice a much healthier version of their skin. Practice early prevention by using anti-aging skin care products. Why wait for wrinkles to come to you?

Lastly, be sure to moisturize your skin daily from your face to your feet. Showering with harsh soaps or hot water can reduce natural oils from your skin, leading to irritation and dryness. Adding those nutrients back to your skin will help you to look young and healthy. Just to recap:

• Wear your sunscreen daily!
• Use moisturizing hand cream.
• Hydrate yourself by drinking water daily
• Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants
• Never skip on sleep! (It is called “beauty sleep” for a reason.)

Already Dealing With Wrinkles?

Whenever it comes to the fight against wrinkles or maturing skin, the foremost ingredient people always suggest is Retinol. But why is it so beneficial?

If you consider studies and research, Peptides are the best alternative and yes, they are less aggressive on your skin, but they are powerful wrinkle fighters. As a result, they have become very popular in skincare products and have begun replacing Retinol. Keep in mind that Peptides do more than anti-aging  and preventing fine lines.

Bonus: What is the Best Moisturizer for Extremely Dry Skin?

What Else Are Peptides Used For?

Yes, the primary use of peptides in skincare products is to slow down the procedure of aging. But apart from this, they are also used for…

• Facilitating synthesis of collagen
• Improving skin health
• Reducing the signs like sagging, wrinkles, or fine lines.
• Healing wounds quickly by decreasing inflammation
• Working as an antioxidant
• Improving hydration and elasticity of the skin
• Protecting against sun damage
• Boosting moisture of the skin
• Texture firming
• Stimulation of melanin
• Clearing breakouts
• Tightens your skin
• Decrease the size of pores

And many more.

This list should clear all your doubts about peptides.

How Do Peptides Work?

Peptides can perforate the skin barrier, and therefore penetrate the skin rather than sitting on the surface. You can also call them “messengers” for other cells, because they send signals to your cells to produce Elastin and collagen. So passing signals and getting deeper into the skin is the working power of peptides.

What Are The Different Types of Peptides Found In Skin Care?

Yes, there are various sorts of peptides! So which one is best? We will discuss that below. When used in cosmetic skincare products, cosmeceutical peptides are identified as:

* Carrier peptides

* Signal peptides

* Neurotransmitter peptides

* Enzyme inhibitor peptides

* Collagen peptides

* Copper peptides

Choose the best option for you depending on your skin ailments. Follow the preferred type of treatment. The difference between the types of peptides lies totally in their mechanisms (or, what they do for your skin).

• CARRIER PEPTIDES – Helps boost collagen, providing trace minerals essential for skin elasticity as you age with time, wound healing, and the growth of new blood vessels.
• SIGNAL PEPTIDES – Works like a messenger to your skin cells that promotes collagen, Elastin, and other proteins, which of course, leads to age-induced wrinkles reduction, photodamage, and growing elasticity.
• NEUROTRANSMITTER PEPTIDES – Helps soften the wrinkles and fine lines that occur due to repeated muscle movements blocking all those chemicals released, giving relaxation to your facial muscles similar to neurotoxins.
• ENZYME INHIBITOR PEPTIDES – Works to lower down the natural breakdown of collagen in the skin and so your skin does not age prematurely. Many of these peptides work by inhibiting MMPs (Matrix Metalloproteinases, which are the group of enzymes degrading collagen when multiples).
• COLLAGEN PEPTIDES may occur in any of the forms discussed above as they offer fibroblasts ( the cells that make collagen) for your body to create new collagen continuously. It can also fight the signs like wrinkles, fine lines, and dryness again.
• COPPER PEPTIDES – This typically comes in signal or carrier peptide, which helps produce collagen and maintain it.

So these are types of peptides, and you need to be very precise for getting suitable peptide products for your skin to get better results. Hence, whenever you choose the best peptides for your skin, go for the formulas combined with some anti-oxidants such as fruit extracts or Vitamin C, as well as skin-soothing ingredients like ultra moisturizer Sodium Hyaluronate, the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid, or aloe vera, and so on.

Remember, our skin is the largest spread organ of our entire body that glows with a healthy lifestyle and correct skin regimen. There is no harm in having wrinkles. But it is not a secret that most of us prefer to delay them as long as possible.

Our lifestyle and environment can affect our facial skin to age prematurely, so by taking few preventive steps, we can influence the effects of aging to slow down!

Yes, it can be challenging to reverse the wrinkles and aged appearance once you already have them. But that does not mean you can’t do anything about it. Instead, you need to follow the steps we’ve listed above and change your lifestyle to slow down your aging process.

So before purchasing skincare products, ensure that you have researched them properly, and noted the type of Peptide you need for your skin. There are various peptides of skincare products available ranging from hand creams to moisturizers. And if the aging signs are troubling you, talk to your dermatologist because new treatments and procedures from skin tightening to smoothing wrinkles and improving complexion give many people younger-looking and glowing skin they desire!

Keep Reading: Skin Care Ingredients To Avoid When Pregnant

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For over 60 years, Viviane Woodard has represented “The Purity of Skincare”. We are the leading beauty brand for water-based skin care products and promote the importance of good skin hydration. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest for skin care tips, product discounts and more.