Greener peptides for skin
Consumers are looking for efficient, sustainable, and highly targeted solutions to address their specific skin care concerns. According to a recent beauty consumer survey [i] out of 2,000 women, 74% of respondents associated “sustainability” with ingredients that are renewable and sustainable. Sustainability is a focus for the beauty industry and peptides can be part of this conversation.
Discover in this blog why peptides are so beneficial for skin, and to what extent peptides can be considered sustainable cosmetic active ingredients.
How do peptides for skin work ?
Naturally present in the human body, peptides like proteins, are composed of amino acids (AA).
Peptides used for cosmetic applications are short chains (a maximum of 20 AA) and have very specific amino acid sequences. By mimicking natural mechanisms of action, they modulate a protein production pathway. The challenge for scientists is to find these very specific amino acid chains that enable the production of skin proteins such as collagens, elastin, hyaluronic acid, and other matrix components, like a key and a lock.
To understand how peptides work, watch the below video. Through the example of Matrixyl®, discover how a peptide can stimulate fibroblasts to perform skin rejuvenation.
What is peptide and how does it work? Example of Matrixyl®
The wide variety of peptides available in the Cosmetics industry provide many benefits for the skin. Peptides can do a lot for skin, including anti-wrinkle, skin firming, and rejuvenating hair follicles...They are found as key active ingredients in the composition of many highly targeted skin care and hair care products and in particular anti-ageing products.
Both natural and synthetic peptides are targeted to achieve a specific benefit, so they are particularly effective. Having entered into the skincare routine of beauty consumers for decades, they fully respond to their growing demand to demonstrate the veracity of product activity claims on skin with scientific evidence.
Sederma, the forerunner in peptide development for cosmetic applications, has identified several sequences of amino acids stimulating the production of molecules that have a primary role in the maintenance of skin properties. Discover our range of peptides by consulting our product finder.
Cosmetic peptides for skin and sustainability
Regarding the positive sustainability benefits of peptides, consumers have yet to be convinced! They mistakenly believe that synthetic peptides are not sustainable. However, the synthesised peptides are made up of short chains of amino acids, elements naturally present in the human body and the environment, thus bringing nothing foreign to those ecosystems.
Sederma, as part of Croda closely follows the 12 Green Principles of Chemistry for chemical synthesis. Putting sustainable development at the heart of our concerns, important measures are taken to continuously improve our peptide synthesis process.
When performing chemical synthesis, our priority is to avoid the use of solvents that are harmful for people and the planet. We also continuously make progress in the reduction of energy consumption and in waste management.
The design of chemical reactions and synthesis routes is intended to be as safe as possible.
Cosmetic peptides for skin and naturality
The naturalness of cosmetic products is seen as a key concern for many consumers today.
The ISO 16128 is a standard that helps ingredient selection when formulating, to meet the growing consumer demand for natural cosmetics. It offers a framework to determine the natural and organic origin content of products, based on the ingredient characterisation.
Peptides formulated in a solvent of natural origin (e.g natural glycerine) meet the requirements of ISO 16128 with a very high natural origin index up to 99.99%. As an example, discover the ultimate and greener version of our iconic peptide Matrixyl 3000®. This RSPO and IECIC active ingredient is now also free from ethoxylated and carbomer.
What about natural peptides?
Let’s talk about Poretect®, a peptide of natural origin developed by the prospective research team at Sederma. For the first time, it integrates the technology of characterised botanical peptides. These peptides, naturally present in flaxseed, are cyclic, of perfectly defined size and composition. Called “the green architect for an empowered skin”, Poretect® also contains senkyunolide, naturally present in the seeds of Selenon (or celery, Apium graveolens). The activity of Poretect® is based on its ability to stimulate the mitochondrial protein dynamics of the cell to re-densify and re-pulp the skin while improving its firmness and surface homogeneity. It also strengthens the pores sheath giving a younger look to the skin and moderates sebum productions.
To learn more about our natural peptide feel free to consult our product page.
Peptides and sustainable palm oil
Deforestation and other collateral damages linked to palm oil culture is a concern in the Personal Care industry. However, the answer is not to boycott palm oil but to transform the supply chain to – sustainable palm oil. Croda has received peer recognition for its work to deliver products containing sustainable palm oil derivatives, certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Sederma peptides include a palmitic chain to enable their bioavailability. The palm derivatives used in low amounts to produce these peptides are RSPO certified according to Mass Balance (MB) supply chain model.
On the way for greener peptides for skin
Innovation for more environmentally friendly peptide production is of utmost importance to reduce our impact. Sederma has been investing this field for many years and has initiated several research projects to substitute the most harmful solvents and reduce the consumption of solvents overall. Sederma is also part of very avant-garde development programs which will allow us, in the near future, to manufacture peptides without resorting to solvents via synthetic biotechnology, in particular from algae.
Click the links above to explore our full peptide range and stay connected with Sederma to be among the first to benefit from our present and future innovations for greener peptides for skin!
Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
[i] Global Cosmetic Industry: Consumers’Sustainable Beauty Attitudes, June 2022
