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Fancy skin care is a singular pleasure.
As one of those fancy ingredients, peptides tend to be inexpensive productseven by high-end skin-care standards.
So why do companies charge such a premium for peptide serums and creams?
What is a peptide?
Peptides are molecules made up of relatively short chains of amino acids.
What do peptides do?
All peptide products aim to deliver similar benefits, but different peptides have different functions.
Peptides can do both of those jobs, but individual peptides may do this in different ways.
But figuring out which peptides a product contains can be confusing.
Other products that do contain peptides may list them simply aspeptidesoroligopeptides,often followed by a number.
Mostliterature reviewsofthe functionandefficacyofcosmetic peptidesrecognize five different categories based on how theyre proposed to work.
There are a lot of them too.
The most common ingredient is copper, whichhelps with wound healing.
Yes, these peptides are supposed to literally relax your facial muscles.
In this case, theyre inhibiting enzymes that mediate the breakdown of collagen and other skin proteins.
In theory, this helps stave off collagen loss.
The most common types are soybean peptides, silk fibroin peptides, and rice peptides.
Structural peptides are unique in that they specifically target dehydration and dryness.
Often these studies dont directly apply to cosmetics orskin-care productsbut are taken as evidence anyway.
(The largest study we encountered wasthis 93-person experiment from 2005.
Most had 15 to 40 participants.)
(And those qualities may be used to justify higher prices.)
But cosmeceuticals are not drugsat least, notaccording to the FDA.
But contamination isnt typically the issue with cosmeceuticals.
Instead the problem is how theyre labeled.
The same is not true of cosmeticsand therefore cosmeceuticalsno matter how scientific the product or its claims sound.
Still, dermatologists love em.
Given the amount of favorable evidence out there, its not surprising that experts were pretty pro-peptides.
Botox)and a good relationship with a dermatologist.
Peptides vs Retinol
Okay, so peptide creams cant match the wrinkle-busting power of Botox and lasers.
But what aboutretinoids, the other gold standard in collagen regeneration?
Heres where it gets fuzzy.
(One small study found copper peptides to be comparable to tretinoin.)
If you want, though, it’s possible for you to use them at the same time.
Theres no issue using peptides and retinoids simultaneously, Dr. Stevenson says.
We know they work.
But peptides are great little extras.
This serum contains two peptides and an amino acid blend to target signs of aging.
Elemis Peptide4 Antioxidant Hydra-Serum
Elemiss waterlike peptide serum relies onhyaluronic acidandantioxidantsto provide additional hydration and protection.
Its formulated with moisturizers like shea butter and glycerin for extra hydration.
Here’s a product that does just that.
The Kiehls retinol serum combines those two antiaging hero ingredients, plus protective ceramides and brightening niacinamide.
Its potent, so be sure to use it sparingly until your skin builds tolerance.
Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum
Ulta
Heres a serum from Good Molecules thats surprisingly budget friendly.
Youll also find sodium hyaluronate, which makes your skin feel bouncy and hydrated.
