Most people laugh and frown up to 15,000 times each day. These movements create skin depressions around the eyes mouth, and forehead because the collagen breaks down. Peptides play a key role in this "aging" process as they diminish and increasing peptides play a integral part of firm, youthful skin.

Peptides are chains of amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins but they start to diminish with age. Using peptide techology based skin care over time, the skin will start to look more plump, brighter, tighter and smoother, which is a direct result of the increase in collagen. Peptides tell nerves and muscles to perform different functions. Specific peptides may reduce expression lines and wrinkles by disrupting the nerve signals sent to tense muscle, relaxing the muscle and smoothing the skin.

Peptides appear in the body as enzymes, hormones, antibiotics, receptors etc. Peptides are chains of up to 50 amino acids, any more amino acids and they become proteins. The smaller the chain of peptides in a product, the more impact there is on collagen production because collagen is made of proteins that are bonded together with peptides. Using peptides on the skin makes the skin think it is experiencing a breakdown of collagen internally and therefore prompts the body to make more collagen. Within the skin peptides form a wide variety of structural and hormonal functions and also act as chemical triggers.

Milk is the richest source of peptides. Normal drinking milk contains a group of molecules called cytokines. Cytokines include a diverse family of peptides, which calm inflammation, regulate the immune system, repair tissue and stimulate the growth of collagen and other connective tissues, leading to the restructuring of the skin. Other natural peptide sources are eggs, grains, soybeans, seaweed, and seeds.

Elegant Savage's skin care goods are plant based, vegan, non-GMO, and soy free so our peptide source is from cold-pressed seeds of many varieties found in our face oils, especially the "Bija Nectar" which is a seed serum. We look forward to also experimenting with seaweed sources in future products.

The beauty of using naturally sourced peptides is that there are a number of different cytokines, all of which carry out a slightly different role within the skin, some triggering defensive functions to protect the skin, others stimulating the production of collagen and tissue-support functions. The mixture of cytokines and other molecules work together, triggering intricate systems of immune defence and tissue regeneration.

References:

Peterson. R,D., Reinhold. W., Tyborczyk. J. (August 1997) Cytokines in Cosmetology. Cosmetics and Toiletries (Vol. 112, p. 65)