What are peptides and what are they for?
In the space of just a few years, peptides have become essential to anti-ageing efforts and have found their way into many cosmetic formulations. Peptides offer a multitude of benefits, from protection against external stresses to firming, smoothing, and even relaxing properties, making them one of the hottest active ingredients of the moment. Let's learn all about the superpowers of these fascinating little molecules!
What is a peptide?
Peptides are strings of amino acids that form the building blocks of proteins.
There are many different types of peptides with many distinct biological functions: antioxidant, antimicrobial, cell-to-cell communication, etc. The order of the different amino acids within the string that forms the peptide's structure determines its function. Although there are 20 different amino acids found in the human body, they are not all used simultaneously to form peptides. For example, a dipeptide is the combination of two amino acids linked by a peptide bond; a tripeptide has three amino acids and two peptide bonds; and so on.
Peptides are produced by a number of cells in the human body. For example:
L-type enteroendocrine cells, which are specialised cells in the digestive tract, are involved in the production of peptides like peptide YY, which is involved in the regulation of appetite and energy.
Pancreatic cells produce insulin, which is a peptide hormone.
Other cells produce peptides that serve as signals to initiate and stimulate the healing process, while others are involved in muscle contraction.
Which peptides are used in cosmetics?
In skincare, different peptides are used to achieve different effects on the signs of ageing.
Toning, plumping, and firming peptides.
This class of peptides regulates skin repair mechanisms and is crucial to tissue regeneration. They send a message to fibroblasts to stimulate collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid synthesis.
Antioxidant peptides.
Certain peptides, like glutathione, are able to neutralise free radicals in order to combat the oxidative stress responsible for premature skin ageing.
Neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides.
Muscles contract thanks to a nerve communicating with the muscle via chemical transporters known as neurotransmitters. Depending on what they are made of, these give specific instructions to the muscle, telling it to contract or remain relaxed. Botulinum toxin is used in aesthetic medicine to suppress muscle contractions and reduce expression lines.
Inhibitory peptides closely reproduce the skin-relaxing effects of botulinum toxin. They block the signal that instigates muscle contraction by preventing the release of neurotransmitters.
Peptides in FILORGA's anti-ageing treatments.
As we've seen, peptides can offer a whole range of benefits to the skin thanks to their diverse mechanisms of action. Some can reduce wrinkles and increase skin firmness thanks to their regenerative properties, while others protect against external stresses.
In order to effectively counter the signs of ageing, Laboratoires FILORGA has made full use of the power of peptides in the formulas found in the TIME-FILLER range.
Peptides employed in TIME-FILLER 5XP cream.
To address deep wrinkles, TIME-FILLER 5XP cream contains a powerful combination of two peptides, a tripeptide and a tetrapeptide, as well as encapsulated high molecular weight hyaluronic acid . These peptides came about as a result of advances in our understanding of skin repair mechanisms. The healing process calls on peptide fragments resulting from the breakdown of dermal proteins like collagen, elastin, and fibronectin. These fragments act as messengers capable of regulating fibroblast activity in order to regenerate tissue.
The peptides used in TIME-FILLER 5XP contain strings of amino acids similar to those found in the dermis during regeneration. This similarity allows them to stimulate the synthesis of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, while also guaranteeing excellent tolerance.
To counter expression lines. TIME-FILLER 5XP cream also contains a relaxing tripeptide that suppresses muscle contraction.
Peptides employed in TIME-FILLER SHOT 5XP.
TIME-FILLER SHOT 5XP reinvents the way anti-wrinkle treatments are applied. Modelled on botulinum toxin microinjections and designed exclusively for the treatment of expression lines, it features a patented peptide complex consisting of a hexapeptide and an octapeptide. These peptides also affect muscle contraction, but not in the same way as those found in the TIME-FILLER 5XP cream.
