The days of relying on a single jar of cold cream for all your skincare needs are long gone. Instead, modern skincare has a solution for nearly every concern and skin type, and one of the most potent ingredients leading the way is peptides. 

These chains of amino acids come together to form your skin, hair, and nail’s most important proteins– collagen and elastin. When your body produces peptides, it works as a “warning system” to your cells, indicating that there’s something in need of additional collagen for healing, whether it’s inflammation in a joint, a strained muscle, or, more relevant to what we’re talking about today, aging skin. 

When applied topically, peptide-based skincare tricks your body into thinking there’s a wound that needs healing and stimulates additional collagen production in response. 

While that is the basic function of peptides, certain amino acid configurations favored in skincare affect collagen production and resilience through different mechanisms, allowing for a more customized approach to anti-aging.

Signal Peptides

Signal peptides are the most popular skincare pick because they directly prompt the cells to produce additional collagen and elastin. The influx of proteins bolsters the skin, helping to reform the skin matrix with healthier, stronger collagen building blocks to reduce wrinkles, while elastin fibers make the skin more supple. 

One of the most well-known signal peptides is palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, or “matrixyl.” We also trust in NeoStrata® Aminofil®, a proprietary formula with signal peptides that firms and lifts your skin to help reduce the “saggy” appearance. It’s available in products like NeoStrata Tri-Therapy Lifting Serum, which volumizes and sculpts skin, filling the look of deep wrinkles and improving the appearance of skin laxity and NeoStrata Rebound Sculpting Cream, which also delivers the new technology of MicroDiPeptide229, A unique lifting and firming peptide that is 2.5x smaller than other leading cosmetic peptides, so it is small enough to absorb into skin’s surface layers and target 5 key components of skin’s matrix, including collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin to provide a lifted and sculpted appearance.

Carrier Peptides

Acting as delivery vehicles for trace elements like copper and magnesium, carrier peptides bring cells the nutrients they need to accelerate skin repair and maintain overall skin health.

Some of the nutrients that carrier peptides deliver can include:

  • Copper peptides for wound-healing and antioxidant properties
  • Magnesium peptides reduce inflammation, calm sensitive skin, and improve barrier function
  • Zinc peptides catalyze DNA synthesis and cell division, reduce acne, and boost your skin’s immune function
  • Manganese peptides protect against free radical damage and support collagen production

Obagi MD’s ELASTIderm Facial Serum uses a Bi-Mineral Contour Complex of zinc, copper, and malonate peptides to promote the three necessary stages of developing healthy elastin, resulting in greater skin elasticity and reduced signs of aging.

Enzyme-Inhibitor Peptides

Rather than prompting the creation of additional collagen, enzyme-inhibitor peptides are a pre-emptive step that blocks enzymes like collagenase and elastase from degrading your existing skin matrix. They can also help maintain a more even complexion, blocking the enzyme tyrosinase that causes melanin to accumulate in the skin.

Our partner skincare brand, SkinCeuticals, uses enzyme-inhibiting peptides in its Face Cream, specifically those sourced from soybeans. These peptides have been shown to effectively prevent the degradation of collagen and elastin while also improving your skin’s ability to hold on to its hydration for a multifaceted approach to anti-aging.

Neurotransmitter Peptides

Sometimes referred to as BOTOX® in a bottle, neurotransmitter peptides such as acetyl hexapeptide-8, commonly known as Argireline, have the same function as your favorite injectables available in a daily topical. They target nerve signals that cause muscles to contract, minimizing the formation of dynamic wrinkles in areas where facial expressions cause repetitive movements, such as the eyes and forehead.

One of our favorite examples of neurotransmitter peptides is available in Revision Skincare’s Revox™ Line Relaxer with LineRelax™ Technology featuring five potent peptides plus Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA). This anti-aging cocktail minimizes the impact of facial expressions that cause horizontal and vertical lines to appear, including forehead and glabellar lines, crow’s feet and under-eye lines, nasolabial folds, marionette, and vertical lip lines.

Final Thoughts

Before choosing a peptide product to integrate into your beauty routine, consult with the skincare experts at ADCI and AST to pinpoint the right formula to achieve your skincare goals. Our experienced providers can offer personalized advice tailored to your unique skin concerns, ensuring you get the most effective products for your needs.