Here’s How Peptides Can Benefit Your Skin-Care Routine

Peptides: We see the word splashed across the label of countless beauty products, and just chock it up to something our skin can’t be without. But what exactly are peptides? And why are they good for our complexion? We launched a full investigation to find out.

Technically, peptides are strings of amino acids that help make up all the proteins in our body (think: skin, hair and nails). When it comes to our complexion, these compounds mostly refer to collagen. If our peptide levels are low, wrinkles appear, nails become brittle and split ends plague our dry hair. Not to mention, after age 30, we lose one percent of our remaining collagen every 365 days (or so). Oof.

But peptides aren’t just essential to our skin. They’re crucial to every single cell in the human body because they play a huge role in how our body sends and receives messages to function properly. And, as you can imagine, if we’re deficient in them, it’s hard for our body to do what it’s supposed to (ya know, like regenerating new, healthy cells).

Think of peptides as building blocks for new collagen and elastin fibers—those parts of our skin that are responsible for elasticity and bounce. When their production slows down, firmness, texture and overall radiance diminish and those dreaded fine lines begin to become more noticeable.

Luckily, we can aid in peptide and collagen production through, you guessed it, the use of peptide products. When you apply them, “it tricks the skin into thinking there’s been an injury or wound, and it stimulates our collagen-boosting processes,” explains Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson, partner at Modern Dermatology in Westport, CT.

Not all peptides are created equal. Some help with collagen production, others with diminishing wrinkles. You don’t have to crack a science textbook to memorize them all, because there are just four main types you should know:

Carrier peptides: Deliver minerals to the skin to increase collagen.

Enzyme inhibitors: Slow down the breakdown of collagen.

Signal peptides: Provide messages to the skin to boost collagen and elastin.

Neurotransmitter peptides: Act like Botox to block the release of muscle-contracting chemicals responsible for things like expression lines.

It’s up to you which peptide or combo of peptides to use. To get you started, we rounded up a list of our favorite products below.