What Exactly Are Peptides?
The term peptides is used time and again in skin care products. If you believe the advertising, true power molecules are hidden behind it, which smooth wrinkles, tighten and refresh the skin. And they also make the muscles grow.
“First and foremost, peptides help to form the collagen and elastin fibers that are everywhere in our skin. It’s short chains of amino acids that tell the body to produce more collagen.” This is how Ron Robinson, my favorite cosmetic chemist in New York, who has an answer to every beauty question, explains the phenomenon of peptides. Roger that. Peptides are something like little messengers that deliver messages. Roger that. In this case, they signal the cells to start the skin’s natural regeneration process.But why are there so many different peptides? Robinson has an explanation for that too. „Since peptides are composed of up to 50 amino acids, they are incredibly changeable. All you have to do is add, remove or replace an amino acid and you have already created a new peptide that again fulfills new functions.“ This can be smoothing or strengthening, it can have an anti-inflammatory effect or keep the moisture in the skin for longer.
Chain reaction
To go a little deeper: Proteins such as collagen consist of chains of peptides, which in turn consist of amino acids. There are hundreds of peptides, and each peptide is made from a combination of amino acids. If peptides are combined in a certain way, they form proteins. Proteins in turn are composed of one or more polypeptide chains. The length of these chains can vary from approx. 40 to over 4,000 amino acids. To speak of the one peptide would be wrong. Peptides are rather a whole group with a wide variety of tasks and functions. Of the many peptides, tetrapeptides (they have four amino acids) and hexapeptides with six amino acids are often used in skin care. Due to their special chemical structure, both perform a wide variety of tasks: Hexapeptides can reduce stubborn expression lines, while tetrapeptides promote elasticity and firmness of the skin. Molecules which have at least ten amino acids are generally classified as polypeptides. Shorter polypeptides are called oligopeptides. The individual amino acids are linked by so-called peptide bonds. Incidentally, this was researched in 1902 by the German chemist and later Nobel laureate Emil Fischer.
Peptides instead of botox
Agireline (INCI name: Acetyl-Hexapeptide 3), which is said to have a botox-like effect, is one of the best known oligo- or hexapeptides.… weiterlesen
CultureAndCream Author from Munich
To travel during my profession as a beauty journalist was never enough for my. Also my six month on a world trip didn’t do it. It always attracts me to other cities, foreign countries, on roadtrips and places I don’t know yet. But I am not only interested in “culture” and “cream”, I am also fascinated by people who have stories to tell . Such unique experiences I want to share with you.
