Lately, "peptides" have come up as a buzzword in the skincare industry because of their anti-aging effects in skin serums and creams. These products promise to support collagen and elastin production for smooth skin and strengthen skin barrier function.
In this article, we'll explore the top peptide creams and serums on the market in 2024, focusing on formulations best suited for aging skin.
What Are The Best Peptides for Skin?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that communicate between cells, improving skin health overall.
There are three broad categories of peptides: carrier, signal, and neurotransmitter peptides.
Let's go over each one for skincare:
- Carrier Peptides: These types of peptides carry important minerals, like copper, to the skin, which support various enzymatic processes, including collagen production and wound healing, and have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Signal Peptides: Also known as matrikines, these peptides send signals to the skin cells to stimulate the production of key proteins that support skin elasticity and hydration, like elastin and collagen.
- Neurotransmitter Peptides: This category of peptides works by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters that cause muscle contractions, which helps to reduce the movement that leads to the formation of wrinkles.
The Best Peptides to Look For in Skincare
- Copper Peptides: These are a popular carrier peptide made up of protein fragments with an affinity for copper ions — the most well-known copper peptide skincare in GHK-Cu (glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine), which is naturally found in human plasma. Some of the benefits of GHK-Cu, when applied topically, include supporting collagen production, wound healing, antioxidant protection, and anti-inflammatory actions [1].
- Matrixl (Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4): This is a synthetic peptide that mimics a fragment of the collagen protein. As a signal peptide, it sends messages to the skin to stimulate collagen production and other structural proteins, which help repair and renew the skin.
- Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8): Also known as acetyl hexapeptide-8, this peptide mimics the action of botulinum toxin (Botox) by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters that cause muscle contraction. It's a neurotransmitter peptide popular in anti-aging serums and eye creams.
Many other peptide compounds are available that are more closely linked with wound healing, like CJC-1295, BPC-157, and Ipamorelin. However, these aren't typically used in over-the-counter skincare products and are more commonly associated with clinical applications used in research settings or as prescribed treatments.
The Best Peptide Creams and Serums in 2024
- Best Peptide for Face Overall: Neurogan Health Copper Peptide Face Cream
- Best Light Weight Peptide Serum: Neurogan Health Face and Neck Copper Peptide Serum
- Best Anti-Aging Peptide: Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream
- Strongest Peptide Cream: Estée Lauder Resilience Multi-Effect Night Tri-Peptide Face and Neck Moisturizer Cream
- Best Multipeptide Serum: The Ordinary Buffet Multi-Peptide Serum
- Best Selling Peptide Serum: Cosrx 6X Peptide Collagen Booster Toner Serum
- Best Peptide for Wrinkles: Clinique Smart Clinical Repair™ Wrinkle Correcting Rich Cream
Neurogan Health Copper Peptide Face Cream
Our Copper Peptide Face Cream is made with carefully selected ingredients for advanced skincare benefits. The star of the show is the 4% concentration of Copper Peptides (GHK-Cu), known for its skin-rejuvenating properties.
It's in a concentration that's effective yet gentle enough for even sensitive skin types to support the skin's natural barrier, collagen and elastin production, and improve skin texture and firmness.
All our skincare products are vegan-friendly, with third-party lab tests to verify the quality and safety of GHK-Cu. It can be used as a standalone cream for day and night use or applied under makeup as a hydrating base in your routine.
Neurogan Health Face and Neck Copper Peptide Serum
Our Face and Neck Copper Peptide Serum is meant to be applied after cleansing and before moisturizer. It can be used alone or combined with the copper peptide face cream to boost this carrier peptide’s actions.
In addition to Copper Tripeptide-1, this serum is enriched with Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Juice, which provides soothing and hydrating benefits, calming irritated skin. Vegetable Glycerin acts as a humectant, drawing moisture into the skin for deep hydration, while Kojic Acid helps to brighten the skin and even out skin tone.
Compared to the other copper peptide serums and creams on our list, our lineup of active copper peptide products comes in at a fraction of the cost — $20 for our face cream and $18 for the serum.
We achieve this affordability by focusing on what truly matters: using premium ingredients and maintaining clean, effective formulations.
Instead of investing heavily in fancy packaging and elaborate marketing campaigns, we prioritize delivering high-quality active copper peptides directly to you. This approach allows us to keep our prices low without compromising on the quality or efficacy of our products, ensuring you get the best possible skincare that doesn’t hurt the wallet.
Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream
Sulwhasoo, a luxury skincare brand from Seoul, South Korea, is best known for harnessing ginseng's regenerative power in its high-end products. Central to its offerings is the Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream, which features Ginsenomics™, Sulwhasoo’s trademark ginseng saponin and ginseng peptides.
These signal peptides promote collagen and elastin production, improving skin firmness and elasticity and reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
Ginseng peptides protect the skin from environmental stressors, enhancing its natural barrier and repair processes. Sulwhasoo’s clinical studies with women aged 37-39 showed a 10.26% improvement in skin firmness and elasticity and a 25.96% reduction in fine lines and wrinkles.
Priced at $260 for a 2 oz jar, this cream isn't in everyone's budget. However, we wanted to highlight it as it’s a highly sought-after product because of its premium skincare benefits, making it an investment for those seeking luxurious anti-aging solutions.
Estée Lauder Resilience Multi-Effect Night Tri-Peptide Face and Neck Moisturizer Cream
Estée Lauder’s Resilience Multi-Effect Night Tri-Peptide Face and Neck Moisturizer Cream is an intensely nourishing and hydrating formula designed to rejuvenate your skin overnight. Featuring a proprietary Tri-Peptide Complex, this cream is said to enhance the skin's natural collagen production, leading to a firmer and denser complexion with increased elasticity. Because of its thick consistency, it's made for nighttime use.
Prices for the Resilience Multi-Effect Night Cream vary depending on the size and retailer, generally ranging from $80–$140. This luxury brand moisturizer is among many people’s favorites for elevating their nightly skincare routine. It’s a longstanding choice for those whose skin concerns focus on dry skin and elasticity.
The Ordinary Buffet Multi-Peptide Serum
The Ordinary, known for its scientific approach to skincare and affordable pricing, offers the Buffet Multi-Peptide Serum + Hyaluronic Acid. This serum targets fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, and loss of firmness and elasticity.
Formulated with a mix of skin-loving peptides, the Buffet Serum helps with collagen production and skin repair. The addition of hyaluronic acid helps the skin retain moisture, leaving the skin plump and smooth.
The Ordinary, which also produces Estée Lauder skincare products, bypasses traditional marketing and opts for straightforward, scientifically named formulations. Its goal is to ensure customers get high-quality, effective ingredients without the premium price tag.
Cosrx 6X Peptide Collagen Booster Toner Serum
Cosrx is another Korean skincare brand that's very popular worldwide. The 6X Peptide Collagen Booster Toner Serum is a blend of peptides designed to address multiple skin concerns, particularly aging. One of its standout ingredients is SH-polypeptide-121, a bio-identical vegan collagen signal peptide produced via bacterial fermentation.
This peptide works with vitamin C to provide powerful anti-aging benefits. Another key ingredient is dipeptide diamine butyryl benzoyl amide dicetate, a cell-communicating peptide similar to argireline. This peptide helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by encouraging skin repair and regeneration.
This toner serum is much loved by its customers, who have noted significant skin texture and hydration improvements with consistent use. One satisfied user reported that the serum lasted for about five months with thrice-daily use, describing it as a “skincare powerhouse that delivers real, visible results.”
Clinique Smart Clinical Repair™ Wrinkle Correcting Rich Cream
The Clinique Smart Clinical Repair™ Wrinkle Correcting Rich Cream targets wrinkles and fine lines with a blend of unspecified peptides and hyaluronic acid. The peptides stimulate collagen production, supporting skin elasticity, while hyaluronic acid provides long-lasting hydration, helping to plump and smooth the skin.
According to Clinique, in its clinical study with 67 women over 16 weeks, significant improvements were observed in skin appearance, with reduced visibility of wrinkles and fine lines.
What to Look for in Peptide Serums and Creams
When shopping for a peptide skincare product, you want to make sure you're getting the best for your wallet and skincare routine. That's why we've put together some key pointers to help you navigate the growing market of products.
First, look for non-comedogenic ingredients to prevent clogged pores, especially if you have acne-prone skin. You'll need to review the ingredient list carefully and reference a guide to see if any of the listed ingredients might be an issue for acne-prone skin.
Another reason you should review the ingredients is to avoid potential allergens that could cause adverse reactions like rashes and swelling. It's also a good idea to choose products with third-party lab tests, as this guarantees the quality and safety of the product.
Next, pay attention to the concentrations of active ingredients. Higher concentrations of peptides can lead to more noticeable results, but it can also increase the risk of irritation. Additionally, opt for reputable brands known for their effective and safe products.
Lastly, consider your budget. Find a product that offers quality ingredients while fitting within your price range. This balance will help you achieve the best results without overspending.
Who Should use Peptides for skin?
Peptides are suitable for various skin types and concerns. They're particularly beneficial for aging skin, helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and improve elasticity.
Peptides offer anti-inflammatory properties that help calm and repair acne-prone skin. They are generally gentle, ideal for sensitive skin types, unlike harsher active ingredients such as vitamin C and retinol.
The Takeaway: The Best Peptide Cream and Serums in 2024
Welcoming peptide creams and serums into your skincare routine can take your skin to the next level, from encouraging collagen production to improving skin texture and elasticity.
Among the best options on the market in 2024, our Copper Peptide products were designed with affordability and gentle formulations in mind suitable for all skin types. Whether you're dealing with aging skin, acne-prone skin, or just looking to improve your overall skin health, we're proud to offer premium-quality peptide products tailored to your needs.
Resources:
- Pickart, L., & Margolina, A. (2018). Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(7), 1987.
