( 
)
By Hannah Sivak, PhD
Amino acids are the subunits (monomers) that make up a protein. Although there are many amino acids, only 20 are common in proteins. Amino acids can join each other in a peptide bond. Two amino acids joined in a peptide bond constitute a dipeptide, three a tripeptide, a few an oligopeptide, and many a polypeptide. A protein can be made up of just one or several polypeptides.
The cosmetic industry uses many different proteins, like collagen or elastin, and proteins with enzymatic activity, like pumpkin proteases or superoxide dismutase. Some peptides (chains of a few amino acids arranged in a certain sequence) have beneficial effects on skin healing and synthesis of skin components. This is likely to represent a natural regulatory mechanism in which the peptide acts as a signal: if the skin is damaged for any reason, structural proteins are destroyed and peptides resulting from the breakdown of the larger proteins are released. The skin will interpret the presence of these peptides as a signal that it has to build new skin, and for that it has to synthesize new proteins.
Recently, the industry started using synthetic peptides, made to mimic peptides found to have beneficial activity on the skin. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 (a.k.a. Pal-KTTKS, Palmitoyl-Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Ser, the names of amino acids can be abbreviated as one or three letters) trademarked as Matrixyl is a fatty acid derivative of a synthetic pentapeptide. There are no independent studies on the effectiveness of this peptide on skin ageing but Sederma, the manufacturer of Matrixyl, provides data on the effectiveness of Matrixyl. According to Sederma this peptide mimics a fragment of procollagen type I. Under its influence the skin synthesizes collagen I, III and IV and fibronectin, reducing wrinkle density and volume.
Another example is EEMQRR (trademarked as Argireline). The approach used to choose this particular sequence is very different from that used with Matrixyl. The “creators” of Matrixyl imitated peptides known to have some function in nature. For Argireline, they made many peptides and chose the one that had some effect. Unfortunately, this effect was not very strong and unless the peptide is used at a good concentration and in a solution that will preserve activity, nothing much will happen. Synthetic peptides are still very expensive to make, and the longer they are, the more expensive. Every amino acid added to the sequence costs money (so it is so tempting to shorten the pentapeptide in Matrixyl to the tripeptide in Matrixyl 3000!).
Copper peptide is also a synthetic peptide that imitates a natural one, this time a carrier of copper that will take it to wherever is required. Copper peptide is beneficial for healing wounds and may help with scars. It will also increase synthesis of collagen when used at an optimal concentration, but at a higher concentration it will promote collagen breakdown.
Active peptides can also be obtained from a natural source. Our natural active peptides are obtained from natural collagen that have been hydrolized. The peptides can be as short as two, and as long as about 30 amino acids length, up to molecular weight 5,000. Because of their relatively low price, you can use them in concentrations that will allow some of them to act as signals to the skin to make new collagen but also provide the skin the building blocks (amino acids) for protein synthesis. They will even help the skin retain moisture.
A lot of hype and money is invested in the marketing of synthetic peptides, because they can be patented and sold at huge profit. The methodology required to make synthetic peptides was developed by scientists and for scientists as a tool for research. Once that the technology is there, the cosmetic industry adopts it. I don’t mind, because sometimes they get things right and the skin really benefits.
In short, we can live without synthetic peptides, and we do not need Matrixyl as long as we have access to natural peptides. Vegans may have no choice but to stick to synthetic peptides, because only animals make collagen.
Amino acids are the subunits (monomers) that make up a protein. Although there are many amino acids, only 20 are common in proteins. Amino acids can join each other in a peptide bond. Two amino acids joined in a peptide bond constitute a dipeptide, three a tripeptide, a few an oligopeptide, and many a polypeptide. A protein can be made up of just one or several polypeptides.
The cosmetic industry uses many different proteins, like collagen or elastin, and proteins with enzymatic activity, like pumpkin proteases or superoxide dismutase. Some peptides (chains of a few amino acids arranged in a certain sequence) have beneficial effects on skin healing and synthesis of skin components. This is likely to represent a natural regulatory mechanism in which the peptide acts as a signal: if the skin is damaged for any reason, structural proteins are destroyed and peptides resulting from the breakdown of the larger proteins are released. The skin will interpret the presence of these peptides as a signal that it has to build new skin, and for that it has to synthesize new proteins.
Recently, the industry started using synthetic peptides, made to mimic peptides found to have beneficial activity on the skin. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 (a.k.a. Pal-KTTKS, Palmitoyl-Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Ser, the names of amino acids can be abbreviated as one or three letters) trademarked as Matrixyl is a fatty acid derivative of a synthetic pentapeptide. There are no independent studies on the effectiveness of this peptide on skin ageing but Sederma, the manufacturer of Matrixyl, provides data on the effectiveness of Matrixyl. According to Sederma this peptide mimics a fragment of procollagen type I. Under its influence the skin synthesizes collagen I, III and IV and fibronectin, reducing wrinkle density and volume.
Another example is EEMQRR (trademarked as Argireline). The approach used to choose this particular sequence is very different from that used with Matrixyl. The “creators” of Matrixyl imitated peptides known to have some function in nature. For Argireline, they made many peptides and chose the one that had some effect. Unfortunately, this effect was not very strong and unless the peptide is used at a good concentration and in a solution that will preserve activity, nothing much will happen. Synthetic peptides are still very expensive to make, and the longer they are, the more expensive. Every amino acid added to the sequence costs money (so it is so tempting to shorten the pentapeptide in Matrixyl to the tripeptide in Matrixyl 3000!).
Copper peptide is also a synthetic peptide that imitates a natural one, this time a carrier of copper that will take it to wherever is required. Copper peptide is beneficial for healing wounds and may help with scars. It will also increase synthesis of collagen when used at an optimal concentration, but at a higher concentration it will promote collagen breakdown.
Active peptides can also be obtained from a natural source. Our natural active peptides are obtained from natural collagen that have been hydrolized. The peptides can be as short as two, and as long as about 30 amino acids length, up to molecular weight 5,000. Because of their relatively low price, you can use them in concentrations that will allow some of them to act as signals to the skin to make new collagen but also provide the skin the building blocks (amino acids) for protein synthesis. They will even help the skin retain moisture.
A lot of hype and money is invested in the marketing of synthetic peptides, because they can be patented and sold at huge profit. The methodology required to make synthetic peptides was developed by scientists and for scientists as a tool for research. Once that the technology is there, the cosmetic industry adopts it. I don’t mind, because sometimes they get things right and the skin really benefits.
In short, we can live without synthetic peptides, and we do not need Matrixyl as long as we have access to natural peptides. Vegans may have no choice but to stick to synthetic peptides, because only animals make collagen.
Guide created: 07/09/06 (updated 12/06/09)
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
