My heart gladdens when an established and evidenced skincare ingredient catches fire in an industry full of dubious claims and silly, marketing-driven trends. In a world of oxygen-boosts, diamond dust and Boswelox, be more peptide and you will finally get your moment.
Peptides are everywhere and it’s high time, since they are endlessly supportive of good-looking skin. Peptides are short or long chains of amino acids, occur naturally in the body, and are commonly referred to as “the building blocks of skin”. But it’s maybe more helpful to think of them as triggers for proteins such as elastin and collagen.
There are four main types of peptide, with different functions, and hundreds of ingredients across all four, but the one with the most buzz around it is hexapeptide-8, which marketeers are annoyingly and irresponsibly describing as “Botox in a bottle”, because there is encouraging evidence to suggest hexapeptide-8 reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and boosts collagen.
I’ve spoken to a number of dermatologists about the ingredient, and all are cautiously optimistic and in favour of its use, but no one believes peptides are enough on their own, which is why they should be included in a broader skincare routine containing other dependable ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and retinoids.
Medik8’s popular Liquid Peptides (£55) is a solid 30% blend of several peptides (including hexapeptide-8) in a hyaluronic acid-rich serum. It goes on after cleansing, morning and/or night, and its texture is sublime. It has a noticeable effect on the feel and “bounce” of my skin and is suitable for even acne- or rosacea-prone users.
The latter may also love Paula’s Choice Calm Rescue & Repair Moisturiser (£34). This is velvety and rich, making it ideal for night-time use. It has an instantly soothing, comforting feel and is so moisturising that it can still be felt on my usually parched face in the morning.
If you’d like to try hexapeptide-8 but your routine is full, an eye cream is an easy way to slot it in. I’m impressed with the manageable £18 price point of Naturium’s Multi-Peptide Eye Cream, as well as with its formula, which contains my beloved squalane (non-greasy, light, very moisturising) and hyaluronic acid (a very effective humectant for better hydration and plumped-up skin) and is an easy pleasure to use at any time of day.
