And just like that, it's been a year since I've posted, but as I grow annoyed at having to heavily edit down to fit all I have to say on a subject in the Instagram caption, we’re back on the mighty old blog, and we're starting with the bang - talking all about my recent discovery - copper peptides.
I love peptides for anti-ageing. And no, I’m not anti-ageing per se. Ageing is a f*$%ing privilege but we live in the world of algorithms and keywords/hashtags are important. But why copper peptides? Think of them like those tiny computer chips that do everything (read: are able to penetrate below the upper layer of skin - dermis), and help produce elastin and subsequently improve collagen levels.
Sadly, as we know elastin and collagen are also Panda bears of skincare, and so reproduction is an issue. That’s exactly what happens with our skin’s ability to produce elastin & collagen as we age. Most importantly. genetics come to play, and there are environmental factors to consider too. Sun exposure is a biggie so don’t be like Gwyneth, as well as other habits like smoking which takes a shovel to the metaphorical head of cell turnover.
In order for our skin to stay plump and youthful (see my disclaimer about chilling), we need deeply penetrating ingredients to kick start the rejuvenation.
We often talk about retinoids like retinol/retinal or tretinoin, being the one and only when it comes to anti-aging, but peptides play a huge role in the skin’s ability to renew. Peptides being a little loose *it happens to the best of us*, so they can easily bind with copper enzyme, and here’s why that’s a fantastic union.
Their impact on connective tissue growth addresses pretty much all #ageing skin concerns this 30-plus human being worries about daily. Think fine lines, enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, sun damage, inflammation, but also hair growth. Not that I would ever consider wasting the precious PR Biossance Copper Peptide or Medik8 Copper PCA Peptides serum on my scalp. It’s the equivalent of my ex sticking his grubby hands in my £100+ Omorovicza moisturiser and applying it to his whole body. Wonder why we’re not together anymore.
*** Save your hard-earned cash when shopping via Look Fantastic with my code: LFTFBDQ on checkout ***
It all sounds amazing, but it’s worth mentioning that it’s not possible to restore collagen (and other connective tissue) that has been already been lost, but as with any topical skin care, prevention is where it’s at. Also, whilst copper peptides have been studied more recently, there’s still a huge amount of human testing needed to truly understand their capabilities.
Few things to consider:
Copper peptides are the biggest snowflakes (and by that I mean, most easily offended, like you know, Republicans in the US of A, or Tories in the UK) of ingredient population, and don’t play that well with others. And whilst they don’t tend to cause irritation if mixed with other actives, they are easily canceled off if used as part of the same routine with retinol, vitamin C, and AHA’s.
Irritation-wise, for my sensitive Queens out there, copper peptides seem to be quite a good thing for us ‘softies’, but as a rule of thumb, always patch test any new skincare product and save yourself the hassle of trying to fix what you’ve broken. Copper toxicity could be a potential risk factor but that is extremely unlikely with the use of over-the-counter formulations available.
How to easily spot if the product you’re about to splurge on provides the benefits La of copper peptides? Just look out for its INCI keywords, such as glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu or GHK-Cu, or copper tripeptide-1.
Have you tried copper peptides in skin or hair care yet?
Until next time my Queens,
Post a Comment