Get To Know Peptides, Skincare Ingredients That Are Claimed To Be Anti-Aging

Illustration of the function of peptide content in skincare (Freepik)

JAKARTA – Just like understanding food ingredients, we also need to know the benefits of ingredients in skin care products. The reason, skincare is the intake of 'food' for the skin. One of the ingredients in skincare that has recently become popular is peptides. What is a peptide?

Peptides, are proteins that make skin look youthful. A dermatologist and founder of Skin Science Dermatology in Toronto, Geeta Yadav, MD. said that the peptides in cosmetic and skin care products function the same as collagen and elastin.

Adds Blair Murphy-Rose, MD., a dermatologist at the Center for Laser and Skin Surgery in New York, many peptides are small enough to penetrate the skin. The effect is more effective than peptide formulas with larger molecules.

"In skin care, peptides are best known for stimulating skin repair and inhibiting signs of aging," says doctor Yadav.

Even better, the peptides do not trigger the irritating effect that other ingredients can irritate the skin such as retinoids. This is because peptides generally work with cells to perform the task of increasing the natural production of collagen and elastin. Well, it's even more important to know that natural collagen and elastin production begins to decline after the age of 20.

Yadav explained again, peptides are also able to help protect the skin to be healthy and accelerate wound healing from the effects of mild botox.

Skin care chemists Gloria Lu and Victoria Fu say that many peptides are packaged as formulas in care products. Generally, peptides are juxtaposed with the composition of active ingredients such as vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and niacin. Murphy-Rose also suggested that peptides were more effective in serum products. Because long-term contact is more efficient with these products than moisturizers or facial cleansers.

There are thousands of skincare products that use peptides as essential formulas. Well, you can find in the description of the composition of the ingredients on the product. When looking for peptides in skin care products, look for ingredients ending in –peptide or starting with palmitoyl-, for example, palmitoyl pentapeptide and acetyl tetrapeptide-9.