Slink

WHAT ARE PEPTIDES?
This term likely brings you back to your high school biology class. In the most basic sense, peptides are the building blocks that make up protein. When amino acids link together, the chain they form is called an amino peptide. When peptides link together, they become the basis for all protein. The most vital protein within your skin is that magic buzzword, again: collagen.

peptides-for-skin

Collagen lies beneath the epidermis (outer layer of your skin) in what’s known as the “dermis”, a layer made of nerves, blood vessels, fats, elastin (that’s what makes your skin stretchy), and — of course — collagen. Lots of collagen, in fact. Collagen peptides for skin make up about 80% of your dermis. It helps your skin look firm and smooth, cultivating that youthful, radiant glow we all strive for. When you’re young, you produce collagen at a very high rate.

However, as you age, that rate begins to slow. After age 20, your body produces an average of 1% less collagen peptides for skin each year, stopping production entirely around age 40. Not great news. What’s more: your existing collagen begins to break down, known as “fragmenting”. This occurs due to a number of reasons, some of which we can control — and unfortunately, some that we simply can’t.

The most prominent reason for collagen breakdown: aging. Every birthday that passes sees a higher level of fragmenting, and wishing your hardest when you blow out the candles unfortunately can’t stop this process.

However, there are behavioral and environmental reasons your collagen might break down — and these are things you can control. Exposure to UV radiation — whether that be a result of tanning beds or simply leaving the house without donning sunscreen — can break down collagen. Smoking can also lead to its deterioration (as if you needed another reason to quit that habit).

Bottom line: As your skin continues to stretch, new collagen isn’t available to maintain the firm, smooth look it once had. That’s where wrinkles come from.

The moral of the story: peptides = proteins like collagen = anti-aging defense. Without peptides, there’s no collagen, and without collagen, there’s no defense against aging.

Nutrients in Skin Health
Changes in the appearance of skin were associated with poor nutrition long before any biochemical relationships were discovered. Among the first to make these associations was the Scottish physician James Lind, who described the bleeding gums, skin discoloration, abnormal hair growth, and poor wound healing associated with the vitamin C deficiency disease known as scurvy (see the article on Vitamin C and Skin Health). Other investigators would soon find skin abnormalities in vitamin deficiency diseases (pellagra, ariboflavinosis, etc.) that could be corrected with an appropriate diet. Thus, many micronutrients were initially identified for their impact on skin health.

The effect of micronutrient supplementation on skin health is a relatively new field of study, as associations between diet and skin conditions are only now starting to emerge (1-3, 40). In addition, topical applications of micronutrients have only recently been considered to be reasonable alternatives to oral supplementation (9, 12, 39).

The remainder of this article focuses on select micronutrients and other natural factors that are important for skin health. Please note that this site is under development, and new articles will be added once they are completed and reviewed. Commercially available products occasionally refer to these compounds as “bionutrients” due to their abundance in natural sources. The role of these factors in the unique environment of the skin will be explained, and the effects of micronutrient deficiencies on the skin will be discussed. Further, the effects of dietary intake and topical application of these natural products on skin health will be explored.