Peptides for Skin Care: Are They Worth It?

If you take a few minutes to really look at the ingredients list on your skin care products, you’re bound to come across a laundry list of incomprehensible words.

Skin care formulations are, after all, nothing if not a lesson in chemistry.

And chemists in the skin care industry are always looking for more and better ingredients to mix into their products to boost their effectiveness. Along with that? Often the price tag, too.

So, when you see a product that says it contains peptides for skin, it’s natural to wonder what peptides are. And whether they’re worth it.

“The anti-inflammatory ingredients available in skin care products, particularly your spa products and luxury lines, are seemingly limitless,” says dermatologist Wilma Bergfeld, MD. “And peptides are one more thing to mix in and potentially up the effectiveness of the product.”

Dr. Bergfeld shares what peptides can do for skin care and advice for choosing products that are most likely to be effective.

What are peptides for skin care?

Peptides are strings of amino acids that are added to some skin care products to boost their effectiveness.

Let’s break that down.

Amino acids are the molecules that are the first step to creating proteins. They’re formed when a collection of amino acids bond together. Peptides, in turn, combine to create proteins.

Think of them like kids’ building blocks. When they’re sprawled out on the floor individually, those are amino acids. A few blocks stacked on top of each other make a tower. That’s like a peptide. As you continue to build, that small tower gets joined by more and more towers to build a castle. That castle is the protein.

Benefits of peptides

The theory goes that adding peptides to your skin care routine gives your body the chance to create more new proteins. Specifically, two proteins that are essential for healthy skin: elastin and collagen.

By creating the building blocks for these proteins, peptides can help your skin stay stronger and more flexible.

Over time, inflammation and oxidative stress can cause visible damage to your skin and lead to signs of aging. That includes things like:

• Wrinkles and fine lines.
• Discoloration.
• Thinning or crepey skin.
• Dryness.
• Dullness.

Peptides may help overcome these effects.

“Peptides can be anti-inflammatory, and chronic inflammation damages the tissue in your skin,” Dr. Bergfeld points out.

Some studies have suggested that adding peptides to skin care products can help to dampen down inflammation to help undo the effects of aging skin.

That comes with a big caveat, though. Because peptides are just one part of what makes your skin care products effective.

Overall product quality

Remember, your skin care products have a lot of stuff in them.

So, when your moisturizer or eye cream says it’s “formulated with peptides” in big splashy letters, that’s just one part of the equation.

“All these products are full of ingredients — moisturizers, humectants, exfoliants, vitamins and more — and it takes good scientists thoughtfully compounding products to get the most out of them,” Dr. Bergfeld states.

Just having peptides in a skin care product doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be their most effective. Because the science behind unlocking their full potential can be tricky.

“With some of your less expensive or newer brands, the level of cosmetic chemistry can be lacking,” she adds. “Your more costly products made by companies that have been in existence for a long time tend to be compounded more elegantly to get the full advantage of the component ingredients.”

In other words, when it comes to peptides, you might get what you pay for. Of course, shelling out big bucks for a name-brand product is no guarantee it’ll be effective. But it may make a difference. If your budget allows, that is.

Alternatives to peptides

There’s no shortage of products out there that claim to do miracles for your skin. Given the time and money, it’s easy to fall into a trap of a skin care routine several products deep.

It doesn’t have to be so hard.

“Really, the basis of skin care is to cleanse, moisturize and reduce sun exposure,” Dr. Bergfeld clarifies. “The rest of it is optional.”

And yes, peptides can be one of those options. But you may be just as well off with some other, more budget-friendly ingredients.

“If you’re looking for anti-inflammatory products for things like wrinkles and aging skin, things like hyaluronic acid and retinoids are very effective and tend to be less expensive,” she recommends.

If you’re looking for a change in your skin care routine, perhaps the best place to start is by talking with a dermatologist. They can help you navigate the options so you can get the skin you’re looking for, without breaking the bank.