What are Peptides and How Can They Help Your Skin?
If this is the first time you have heard about peptides, then you are missing out on a lot. In simple terms, triple peptide complex (TPC) or peptides are a series of amino acids that make up specific strings. A different formation can create a different set. For instance, there are hundreds of peptides out there.
Now, when you are trying to search for skincare products, you need to be on the lookout for peptides. For instance, bright eyes cream containing TPC helps reduce wrinkles and brighten the dark spots under the eyes.
As you know, the protein and lipids are the building blocks of the cell, but amino acids are also the building blocks of protein.
In effect, peptides trigger protein production. They “teach” or “tell” the skin to perform specific functions.
Are Peptides Effective?
A 2010 research attempted to answer whether or not triple peptide complex (TPC) contains anti-aging properties. The researchers conducted placebo tests and TPC on 22 volunteers for about a month. After the test period, they found a “significant reduction” in the number of wrinkles for people given with peptides. Another study on different volunteers also repeated the same positive results.
So, when peptides string together in a short chain, they can enter the top layer of your skin. They will then trigger your cells to function, specifically the protein in your skin called the collagen. For those who do not know, collagen is responsible for youthful or supple skin.
When the collagen breaks down, that is when wrinkles will form.
Slowing Down Aging
It is essential to know that our bodies naturally produce peptides. However, when people age, it hampers the ability to produce more. For instance, after you hit 30, you lose one percent of your collagen every year. It explains why the wrinkles show as you age.
Of course, beauty care products like bright eyes cream are not miracle workers. They will not make you look like a 20-year-old even if you are already in your 40s. What they do instead is they slow down aging by reducing wrinkles and making your skin look supple.
So, why not just apply peptides directly to your skin? Well, it is not that simple.
The peptides work as signals for your skin to perform a specific function. For instance, if you sustain a wound, a particular peptide will then send signals to your brain to produce more collagen on the injured part.
If you apply peptides on your skin, it will not work unless you use the correct string. Skincare products, however, are manufactured in a way that maximizes TPC to function as advertised. Remember, there are hundreds of peptides, and each one has a particular task.
For example, some peptides inhibit enzymes, so they slow down the collagen breakdown. Other carrier peptides also work to boost the production of collagen, as well as elastin. There are even peptides that mimic the function of botox. These are called neurotransmitter peptides, and they are instrumental in smoothing wrinkles.
Topical skincare products work best to trick your skin into sending a signal to your brain to produce more collagen. These brands are carefully calibrated for optimum results.