Peptides and poly-peptides have been used in cosmetic advertising for years. Products claim to contain panta-peptides for anti-aging. But how many of us know what a peptide is, or what it does for our skin?
What happens in the skin?
Peptides are messengers that send messages to and from the cells in our body. This message could be from one skin cell to another requesting more hydration; it could also be a message between nerve endings, resulting in a muscle movement.
Each communicating peptide is a protein made up of a string of amino acids. There are 22 amino acids and 8 essential amino acids, which the body cannot manufacture. As long as the amino acids are in the right order and functioning, the message will be sent and received well, and healthy cellular function will occur. For example, our fibroblast cell that makes our collagen and elastin, will work at optimum level and our skin will be plump and hydrated. Just like everything in our body, these proteins eventually breakdown and the body makes a new chain of amino acids to replace it. This repairing process slows down with age. This means messages aren’t sent or received as well as they are in a younger skin and cellular function can reduce dramatically. This results in less collagen production leading to lines and wrinkles.
How can a product affect this?
There are two types of Peptides that are found in cosmeceutical products.
1 ) Bio-Memetic Peptides.
These are proteins that aid in switching cellular messaging “on”. As the peptides found naturally in our skin breakdown, they leave behind shards of the amino acids it’s made of. The body identifies these shards and triggers the production of a protein chain.
Bio-Memetic peptides mimic shards of amino acids, triggering the body’s production of a new peptide chain, even though the previous peptide is still functioning. This results in a reinforced peptide delivering twice the message. Twice the message = twice the cellular function. Clinical trials have shown that Bio-memetic peptides such as ‘’Palmitoyl tripeptide” (SYN-AKE) increase collagen production by 350% and stimulates the cells that make your hydration by 146%.
2 ) Neuro-Peptides.
Neuro peptides work specially on the messages sent between your nerve endings effecting muscle contraction, turing cellular function “off”. They block the energy levels in the neuro-transmitters that fire the message across the synaptic gap, interrupting the message being sent, reducing muscle movement. These peptides are sometimes called ‘Botox in a bottle’.
Products that you can buy over the counter contain very low level, basic amino acid chains that cannot reach the lower layers of the skin, where peptides actually work.
Only in a cosmeceutical product will you find the complex and specific peptides required to truly affect your skins function. Not only do IMAGE skin care products contain both neuro and bio-memetic peptides. They are also the only skin care company to encase them both into vectorize technology TM . This is a delivery system that drip feeds these peptides throughout the skin layers for up to 48 hours of activity in the skin, for prolonged and accelerated results.
IMAGE’s The MAX range is called MAX because it boasts ten powerful peptides, plant and fruit derived stem cells and potent anti-oxidants for MAXimum results in anti-aging. Because all these quality ingredients are bio-available, meaning they are a correct pH and potency for your body to be able to utilize them, all skin types can use the MAX, even the most sensitive skins.
Peptides are one of only two ingredients that can stimulate your fibroblast cells for increased production of collagen and elastin, leading to the reduction of lines and wrinkles. The other is Retinol (vitamin A). Combine Retinol and Peptides in your homecare program for exceptional results in correction of wrinkles, improved skin hydration and powerful anti-aging.
To ask your IMAGE specialist how to combine these ingredients for your skin type and budget, click here to find your nearest stockist.
No Comments