Peptides: The Most Wanted in Skincare
Peptides vs. Nutrients
The new buzzword in maintaining natural, health skin: Peptides. If you’re more familiar with the term “nutrients” when describing ingredients in skincare products – you’re not alone. There is a contrast and both are good for your skin.
Peptides in particular are very important, as they can help soften wrinkles and minimize signs of aging by boosting collagen production. Nutrients, on the other hand, are basically the different types of vitamins and minerals that nourish your skin in different ways. These are the general differences, but we’ll delve deeper to really round out their pros and cons.
What Are Peptides?
Peptides sound familiar, but what does that really mean when it comes to skincare?
They are actually strings of amino acids in the form of fragmented portions of proteins that are the building blocks of collagen. Collagen and elastin are proteins too, except they are not fragmented. This means it’s harder for them to penetrate deep into skin. Yet peptides, which are fragmented, can absorb much deeper and thus be able to improve skin texture in many ways, i.e., minimize wrinkles and sagging, etc.
There are three main different categories of peptides: signal peptides, carrier peptides, and nerve-inhibiting peptides. Signal peptides, for example, can help increase collagen production. Collagen is the body’s most abundant protein, and it is responsible for keeping skin firm and young-looking. Because it diminishes as we age, we then develop wrinkles and sagging the older we get. Some people may know experience this sagging phenomenon around the neck area. By incorporating peptide-containing serums and moisturizers into your skincare routine, you can help age gracefully. Carrier peptides deliver minerals like copper and manganese that help with wound healing. Wound healing is important because it also triggers collagen production in skin. Finally, peptides that can inhibit nerve signals are the ones that basically act like natural Botox and prevent expression lines from deepening and turning into permanent wrinkles. Isn’t that awesome?
Peptides vs. Nutrients: The Main Differences
There are plenty of nutrients in skincare products. Thankfully, skincare has grown in leaps and bounds since even only 10 years ago. The most typical nutrients found in the most popular skincare products are vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, C and E, and copper, zinc and manganese. These nutrients serve all kinds of purposes, like brightening dark spots by inhibiting melanin, softening wrinkles, increasing hydration and clearing pores by sloughing away dead skin cells. For example, vitamin C can help brighten tone to reveal more radiant skin. Vitamin C can also boost collagen production, which makes it similar to peptides. However, vitamin C and E are also antioxidants, which makes them very different to peptides in that sense.
Antioxidants are free radical neutralizers that help prevent skin damage and signs of aging. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage all cells throughout the body, and when they damage skin cells, they accelerate the aging process.
The bottom line is that you want both peptides and nutrients in your skincare products, but it really depends on what you’re most concerned with. Peptides will be your best bet if you want to combat wrinkles and the most common signs of aging.
IQ Natural’s Peptide Neck and Décolleté Cream is highly concentrated in peptides to maximize results in reducing fine lines, fill in wrinkles, restore skin tone, with lifting and firming components for areas that are often impacted, such as the neck décolleté.
Find our Peptide Cream here!
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