This week we’re tackling another buzzy group of skincare ingredients which you have probably heard of, but might not know exactly how they work for your skin. Please bear with me, we’re going to get a little science-y.  

Let’s start with collagen. We know that collagen is a primary concern when thinking about ageing skin; the depletion of collagen production over time means we loose moisture and elasticity from our skin from as early as our 20’s (yikes!). Not only is it present in our skin however, it is a main component of connective tissue from our bones, to tendons, to ligaments, to cartilage to muscle. It’s really no surprise ‘collagen’ is derived from the Greek words for ‘glue’ and ‘producing’.

Collagen is made up of amino acids which are bound together into a helix. This helix resembles the shape of a spring but on a molecular scale! Amino acids, briefly, are required for the synthesis of several compounds in your body, including protein. So where do Peptides come in? Right at this exact point. When amino acids are bound together, they form a peptide. There are 21 amino acids, all of which react differently depending on what they’re bound to, so having the right peptide is very important. In turn, when collagen naturally breaks down, you are left with these peptides, which signal to your body that more collagen needs to be produced.

If you were to look on the INCI of our Peptide Facial Serum, you wouldn’t be able to spot the word ‘peptide’. Instead, what’s included is Tripeptide-29. This refers to a specific trio of amino acids (glycine, proline and hydroxyproline), which (not so) incidentally happen to be the three most common in collagen. So the idea behind applying peptides to your skin is simple, you’re asking your skin to kick into gear and make you some new collagen. You could say, you were encouraging your skin cells to exercise a little more… pep.

If you’re looking for an effective anti-ager without the potential for irritation that a product with retinol might contain, our Peptide Facial Serum is the perfect choice. We pair peptides with Hyaluronic Acid, which as we know from our blog on anti-ageing, also starts depleting in our skin around the same time as collagen, making this duo a regeneration power couple. Then we come to Magnesium PCA, the skin energiser, and Betaine, which smooths, brightens and calms.

Or, maybe, you want a product to work those peptides on the down low… You may not be able to get the anti age benefits you desire from collagen, but we’ve made sure you can from our Collagen Cream. (Because as you may have read in our 5-HTP vs Collagen Cream blog, applying collagen does more for you skin by moisturising it, rather than adding collagen supplies to your skin – that’s where the peptides come in!)

And there we are, another buzzy skincare definition to go in the belt!