Hyaluronic acid and peptides are very common in the products in our beauty routine, but have you ever wondered what they do?
The beauty industry is constantly changing, evolving rapidly with new discoveries almost every month. It’s easy to get lost in this whirlwind of new products and treatments, and it can become overwhelming. The terminology can be difficult to understand, so we don’t always know why an ingredient has become so popular or is present in all of our beauty products.
It seems like every month a new miracle ingredient is discovered and everyone wants to use it. All of the beauty brands include it in their products because it promises to do wonders for our skin. A few years ago, hyaluronic acid and peptides were all the rage in the industry, but unlike many fads, these components have managed to withstand the test of time. These are still some of the most common ingredients in beauty products thanks to the different positive effects they have on our skin.
But if we’re being honest, sometimes we don’t actually do any research and we just buy what’s recommended to us. We pick up the products that our friends are using or try a beauty treatment we read about in Vogue or Allure. But, I like to go deeper and learn about all of the ingredients in the products in my beauty routine.
Some of the ingredients present in the products I use most are hyaluronic acid and peptides. But what are they?
After chatting with experts in the beauty industry and asking my dermatologist, I’m ready to share my findings. Welcome to Hyaluronic Acid and Peptides 101.
Hyaluronic acid: Healthy, moisturized, luminous skin
What is hyaluronic acid?
A sugar found naturally in our body.
How does it work?
It is responsible for moisturizing and hydrating our eyes, joints, and skin. In addition, it helps prevent the water we have inside our body from evaporating. However, with the passage of time, our body loses hyaluronic acid.
What does it do?
Hyaluronic acid hydrates us, which means firmer, healthier skin that glows. It also helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
How can we recover and counteract the loss of hyaluronic acid?
Many beauty products contain hyaluronic acid. This helps us counteract the passage of time and considerably improve the appearance of our skin. We can apply creams, serums, or masks containing this ingredient to increase the levels of hyaluronic acid in our skin.
Peptides: Young, healthy skin
What are peptides?
They are chains of amino acids that our body generates naturally.
How does it work?
They are responsible for helping us generate proteins such as collagen organically in our body. This gives us healthy, firm, elastic skin and strong nails and hair. Peptides help the body create enzymes and hormones and give us energy.
What does it do?
For the skin, peptides help us achieve firmness and elasticity, deterring the appearance of wrinkles and expression lines. As with other molecules, our body decreases the natural production of this substance over time.
How can we recover and counteract the loss of peptides?
Using products such as creams or serums with peptides helps our body in turn generate and increase the natural production of them. The interesting thing is that when we apply a serum with peptides, our body does not absorb them but instead recognizes these external peptides as a sign of the lack of this element in that area, thereby increasing the natural production of it.
With this simple summary, it should be easier for you to understand the importance of including products containing these elements in your beauty routine. An average body stops producing these elements around the age of 35, so it’s a good idea to incorporate hyaluronic acid in your routine starting at age 20. After 30, start looking for products with peptides, too.
Among my favorite products containing these ingredients are the Hyaluronic Peptide Serum from Spa Technologies. I love this one because it combines the best of two worlds, including both hyaluronic acid and peptides to make our skin look brighter and healthier. These ingredients also give the skin greater elasticity and firmness. The plus, which I adore, is the cucumber in this product. It helps us have silkier and more hydrated skin. Without a doubt, this product is a must in my skincare routine.
As always, remember to meet with an expert before including any new products in your routine. I recommend going to a dermatologist to see what works best for the type of skin you have.
XO
Sira