All About Peptides

Learn about the hero skincare ingredient powering our Fixer enhancement

While other ingredients might generate more hype, when it comes to skincare, peptides are essential for healthy skin function and a must-have when looking for firmer, more youthful-looking skin, according to dermatologists. “Over time, we lose collagen, we lose elastin and that makes our skin look a bit more wrinkly, less tight and less firm,” says Dr. Roberta Del Campo, Skin Laundry’s Chief Medical Officer. “The more peptides you have entering the skin, the more you're going to increase firmness, soften those fine lines and wrinkles and actually make the skin more taut.”

Read on to learn more about how peptides can help firm the skin, support its structure, smooth wrinkles and much more…

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as the building blocks of proteins, including collagen and elastin, that are vital to skin. These proteins contribute to the body’s cellular functions and are responsible for the skin’s natural resilience and strength. While the body naturally produces peptides, this production process slows down with age.

How Do Peptides Support Skin Health?

Peptides are fundamental components of cells that carry out important biological functions. Structurally, peptides are made up of chains of amino acids–or fragments of protein–and these proteins are the building blocks of skin. In the context of skincare, proteins almost always refer to collagen, the protein that gives your skin its structure. Peptides, when applied topically, can stimulate the production of more collagen.

But there’s more. Different peptides have different roles and functions. In skincare there are five different types of peptides that are commonly used: Signaling peptides, carrier peptides, enzyme-inhibiting peptides, neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides, and structural/keratin peptides. 

• Signaling peptides tell the skin to do something, for example stimulate the production of collagen.

• Carrier peptides deliver trace elements (like copper) to the skin.

• Enzyme-inhibitor peptides hinder the activity of enzymes that degrade proteins and cause hyperpigmentation.

• Structural or keratin peptides improve skin barrier function, allowing skin to retain more water and therefore look plumper. 

• And last, but not least, neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides relax the muscles resulting in a mild Botox-like effect.

New studies show that the daily use of sun protection as well as topical antioxidants can potentially reverse sun damage.

What is Fixer?

Skin Laundry’s Fixer is a peptide-based topical treatment, formulated with acetyl hexapeptide-8, acetyl hexapeptide-30, hibiscus esculentus and camellia sinensis leaf extract.

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is commonly referred to in topical skincare products as Argireline. In studies Argireline was deemed to be a non-toxic anti-wrinkle peptide that was a biosafe alternative to botulinum neurotoxins, albeit with a lower efficacy. It was also found that Argireline can help increase collagen production.

Acetyl hexapeptide-30 meanwhile works to block nerve signals that cause facial muscles to contract, decreasing the formation of dynamic lines and wrinkles that are caused by caused by muscle movement – think frown lines or crow’s feet.

According to Del Campo, the high percentages of the hexapeptides in Fixer are what make it such an effective topical treatment. “These are medical-grade formulations,” she explains. “Conservatively, I would say it’s at least 100 times more concentrated than what you typically get in an over-the-counter cream or serum. You are basically putting pure peptides directly on the skin with no additives or ingredients to water it down.”

Learn more about Fixer here.

What Is the Best Way To Incorporate Peptides Into Your Skincare Routine?

While peptides are commonly found in a range of moisturizers and serums, the trick is getting those peptides to enter the skin, which is where Skin Laundry’s Resurfacing Facial comes in. Using advanced radio frequency technology, this treatment creates tiny micro-channels in the surface of the skin which allows any topical treatments that follow to penetrate more deeply.

Applying Fixer immediately after your treatment, while these channels are open, allows for optimum delivery of this peptide-based serum which smooths away fine lines and stimulates collagen production.

Learn more about the Skin Laundry Resurfacing Facial here

“What I love about this treatment is that it’s going all over the skin versus Botox where you’re injecting just to a focal area,” says Dr. Del Campo. “You’re addressing fine lines and wrinkles over the full area that we are treating.”