When it comes to skincare, some of the ingredients that people talk about can scare even ardent beauty junkies. They all claim to have lofty skin benefits and supposedly work miraculously, giving you results you never thought possible. In a world trying to tell you that you need a hundred different products to look radiant and youthful, it’s imperative to know what you’re actually feeding your skin.
Not all ingredients have false claims though, and that’s why getting skin experts to break them down and verify them really helps. One such skincare essential is peptides. They are known to preserve and boost collagen and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. But do they actually work or are they just popular because they are riding free on the viral collagen wave that’s taken over the beauty industry? We asked Dr Harshana, Medical Head of The AgeLess Clinic & Celebrity Skin Expert, for her opinions on peptides and here’s everything we know.
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What Are Peptides?
Right now, peptides are a trendy ingredient in the skincare world and to understand them we’ve to know what they consist of. “Amino acids are the building blocks for both peptides as well as proteins. Peptides themselves can also be broken down into two categories–oligopeptides and polypeptides“, says Dr Harsha.
Oligopeptides are less complex peptides that can be absorbed faster and deeper due to their size. Polypeptides, on the other hand, are more complex and are also used in complex peptide serums and products for intensive results.
Why Should You Include Peptides In Your Skincare?
Peptides basically send a signal to the cells in your body to produce more collagen. So, when you apply products with peptides, you send a message to the targetted areas to up the production of collagen. In short, this ingredient is great to improve the elasticity of your skin.
“Peptides help the skin boost collagen production, repair skin damage, lock in hydration, even out skin tone, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and they contain anti-inflammatory properties. All this, in turn, helps the skin remain younger, firmer, healthier, and tighter,” adds the skincare expert.
When Should You Start Using Peptides?
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Dr Harsha gives us hard facts about how fast our skin ages and says that, as per studies, our bodies lose 1% of collagen production from our 20s onwards. So, by the time we reach our 40s, we’ve already lost about 15-30% of our collagen production. Every 3% of this is visible on our skin. Now, isn’t that a scary thought? Due to this, she encourages people to start using peptides right from their 20s. One can start with oligopeptides, which are lighter, and eventually move onto products with polypeptides as one grows older.
Here Are Some Of The Best Peptide-Based Products You Can Try:
At the end of the day, you’ve got nothing to lose by including peptides into your existing anti-ageing regimen. Even if you’re a die-hard retinoid supporter for wrinkle-free skin, a peptide-based product will be a great addition to your skincare regime.
But remember one thing–wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots are natural. Accepting your skin just as it is is a choice, and wanting to reverse premature signs of ageing is also a choice. You get to decide what makes you and your skin the happiest, boo!
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