Beyond Retinol, Vitamin C and SPF- Are Peptides the next essential skincare ingredient?
When we think of powerful skincare ingredients, our minds go straight to the heavy-hitters: retinol, vitamin C, and SPF. But there’s one category quietly doing the work behind the scenes—peptides. These tiny yet mighty molecules are essential to skin health, and if they’re not in your skincare routine yet, they probably should be.
As our natural collagen production declines, think dullness, fine lines and yes, sagging skin, Peptides help to tell our skin to “act younger” - without side effects we might suffer from more aggressive actives. Basically, Peptides are short chains of amino acids that actually support proteins like collagen, elastic and keratin. And these proteins are what keeps our skin firm, plump and elastic. The peptides are like messengers that signal our skin to product more of what we are losing over time.
Much like retinol, peptides help boost our collagen production but from a different route. And yes, there are a ton of peptides - not all are equal. For instance, Matrixyl and copper peptides stimulate collagen synthesis specifically helping to restore firmness and volume over time. However, depending on your current skincare routine, if you are using both Vitamin C and Copper Peptides be sure not to layer them at the same time - when combined they can reduce both of their effectiveness. To ensure you are getting optimal results from both products, use Vitamin C in the morning (as it is enhanced by SPF) and use your copper peptides in your nighttime routine after retinol.
Peptides further support your skin beyond building collagen - they can improve skin barrier function, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, soothe and calm inflammation and improve your skin texture and tone. So yes, peptides are additive to your skincare lineup, and can be a great option if you skin needs a break from more aggressive retinol and vitamin c. A couple of the serums you might want to try are the Biossance’s Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum (it also has Squalane so it’s super hydrating too), Medik8’s Liquid Peptide Serum or their advanced MP Peptide serum and splurge-worthy Eighth Day, the regenerative serum.
Peptides won’t give you overnight results, but that’s kind of the point. They work gently, deeply, and consistently to build skin resilience over time. If you’re looking for a more youthful glow without irritation, peptides are an ideal long-term addition to your regimen.