Does a “face lift in a bottle” sound like something you’d like to get familiar with? It does to us, and so we spent the better part of this year delving deep into the world of copper peptides and how they fit into modern day skincare.
Our conclusion? The results are undeniable, and copper peptides are something that you may wish to become familiar with if you want to keep the signs of aging at bay. Read on and we’ll tell you how and why!
In this article we discuss the following:
Copper, as a mineral, is one of nine essential nutrients required for the human body to function properly. Almost all tissue in the body needs a healthy dose of copper to maintain proper and normal physiological processes.
This is not a new revelation; human beings have known about the importance of copper intake for centuries. The Ancient Indians wrote about daily copper intake almost 5000 years ago, in the texts that brought Ayurvedic healing to the world. They believed copper so important, in fact, that they instructed everyone to start each morning by drinking water that had been held in a copper water bottle or vessel overnight.
With copper deficiency becoming an ever-increasing condition in both men and women, modern science has looked more deeply into the way in which copper is used in the body’s processes. It turns out that a portion of all daily copper intake (approximately 15% to be exact) is actually reserved as copper for skin, meaning that the outside of the body needs it just as much as the inside does.
When it comes to the skin, copper has the very important role of stimulating dermal fibroblasts proliferation. It also promotes collagen production, as well as elastin fiber, which keeps the signs of aging at bay. Copper in skin also has the very important role of supporting superoxide dismutase, which is an antioxidant enzyme that protects our skin from free radicals from the environment. Some studies have also linked copper to melanin, which makes it somewhat responsible for pigmentation in the skin.
It’s important to note that no human being can make copper on their own; one gets copper via a nutrient rich diet, a daily copper supplement, or by drinking mineral-supplemented water.Because copper is a mineral that is usually ingested, the internal body tends to get first preference, leaving the skin somewhat at the bottom of the food chain.
This is what makes copper skin care so appealing; we can finally apply copper directly onto the skin and see accelerated results. Copper on skin started to become a revolutionary branch of skincare around 1989. However, there is evidence to support the notion that the Ancient Egyptians were using copper as part of their skincare rituals as early as 4000BC.
It was only later in 1997 that the mass market for skincare was introduced to copper-rich products. Prior to this, skincare products containing copper had been reserved for use in salons and spas, and anyone looking to experience the benefits had to have the money and the time to visit regularly.
It was a biochemist named Dr. Loren R. Pickart who uncovered the ancient secrets of copper in skin care and reintroduced them to the world. At the time, he was an undergraduate student at the University of California.
The doctor noticed that the molecular compound known as GHL-Cu was something that was abpndant in young people, yet not at all present in the old. He then discovered that the GHL-Cu compound was pretty easy to break down, and that he could quite easily recreate it in a laboratory by simply combining copper with three amino acids. And thus copper peptides were born.
Copper is applied to the skin through what are known as copper peptides. When the copper mineral is combined with at least three amino acids, a copper peptide is formed in the compound of GHL-Cu. As humans, we do this naturally in certain parts of the body, including within our blood plasma, saliva and urine. And, as we grow older, we do this less.
For skincare products, copper peptides are made in a laboratory following Dr. Loren R. Pickart’s method. Those copper peptides and can then be combined into existing products such as moisturizers and serums.
The production of peptides is not something that many skincare brands have chosen to get involved in until now. There are only a handful of companies that can produce peptides, so adding them into existing brands can take the products from affordable to expensive, overnight.
So, why are peptides becoming so accessible all of a sudden? The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and the results of long term application of copper peptides directly onto the skin are not easy to ignore.
While copper peptides seem to have a multitude of positive effects on the skin, the most dominant benefit remains their ability to stimulate rapid production of collagen and fibroblasts. Both of these give our skin elasticity, which in turn allows the enzymes to firm, smooth and soften so rapidly that the anti-aging results become apparent.
At the same time, the peptides also retain the ability to remove damaged collagen and elastin from the skin. Scar tissue is stripped of these compromised enzymes and gradual healing can take place.
Perhaps one of the most important benefits of peptides is that they already occur naturally within the body, making them one of the safest chemical skincare products to introduce to the skin. There have been no studies to show any notable risks or side effects from using copper peptides on the face or body, though it is generally not recommended that one apply any peptide product to broken skin.
Short answer? Undeniably so.
Long answer: in addition to their ability to seemingly reverse signs of aging, copper peptides also act as antioxidants. They do so by supporting what are known as superoxide dismutase, the antioxidant enzyme that directly protects the skin from free radicals.
Copper peptides also promote the production of very necessary glycosaminoglycans. Usually, we would have to use something like hyaluronic acid on our skin daily over a long period of time in order to produce glycosaminoglycans.
Peptides for skin have arguably some of the most powerful anti-aging properties the skincare world has uncovered. Affectionate street names for peptide-products include the aforementioned “facelift in a bottle”, and some have likened them to the very exclusive ‘vampire facial’ due to their similar abilities. In a way, this comparison is apt. A vampire facial occurs by drawing the blood of a patient and spinning it to separate the plasma. The platelet rich plasma is then painted onto skin that has undergone microneedling. Like the plasma that comes from within the body, copper peptides are mimicking a substance we already make on our own. Applying them onto the skin is arguably like using the body to heal itself.
Of course, all skin is different, and the positive results experienced by one individual using copper peptides are never guaranteed with a different person.
Perhaps the impressive results of peptides on the skin can be linked back to what seems to be a partiality for copper by the human body.
The skin is our biggest organ, and the absorption of substances through it is actually the most direct route into the bloodstream. This is why there has been such a radical movement toward natural skincare and beauty products over the past few years.
For decades we have consumed big brand products often made with harmful chemicals, assuming their use on the outside of the body was necessary and had no effect on the inside of our bodies. Science has thankfully shed light on this notion, showing how many of the harmful chemicals used to make beauty and skincare products are eventually absorbed through the skin and left to have consequences on the inner systems of the body. Respiratory diseases, infertility and even cancer have been linked to chemically-based skincare products.
Natural skincare calls for less harmful chemicals and more nutrient-rich, beneficial ingredients that do not put the body at risk. It is also believed by some health practitioners that the body favors copper absorption through skin.
At this point you may be thinking, “aren’t copper peptides a chemical all on their own?” This would be correct, but the reason they can be quantified as natural skincare is because they are a naturally occurring chemical in the body already, and a necessary one at that!
In chemistry there are good chemicals and there are bad chemicals. There are many good chemicals that work to keep us alive, copper peptides included. And then there are man-made ‘bad’ chemicals that do the opposite, such as parabens, petrolatum and formaldehyde.
Since positive, natural chemicals work with the body instead of against it, we can give credit where it’s due and acknowledge copper peptides for the powerful anti-agers that they are. Allow these copper peptide before-and-after images to give you greater perspective:
As with any active ingredient, the product within which it is carried is of great importance. When using copper peptides, you want the compounds to find their ways into the deepest parts of your pores. Carefully chosen supporting ingredients can help to facilitate this.
Copper peptides retain the natural ability to pull any damaged or compromised collagen from existing pores, which is not something any botanically sourced ingredient has shown itself to be capable of as of yet.
That being said, it’s never a bad idea to offer extra support, hydration and anti-inflammation to these now vulnerable, exposed pores in the process of applying the peptides. A good serum, face moisturizer, or eye cream will bring a wealth of their own skincare benefits to the table. Here’s what to look out for.
Serums are the pinnacle of any well-structured skincare routine. They usually offer the highest concentration of an active ingredient, therefore accelerating results when compared to the average cream or essence alternative.
For years, serums remained rich in chemicals, both harmful and not, as it was assumed that botanically-derived ingredients simply could not have the same impact on human skin. This has been disproven over the last few years, with plant-based alternatives emerging as equally as potent to their chemical counterparts, with retinol as an alternative to retinoid being one of the most notable discoveries.
Because of the high concentration of the active ingredient, you’re going to pay a pretty penny for a serum that is rich in copper peptides. Copper peptide serum is usually comprised of a “buffet” of multiple types of hyaluronic acid to create a suitable carrier for the compound.
Most copper serums that are available to the public sit at around 2% in peptide density. If you want anything stronger, you will have to source it from a dermatological professional. Copper peptides for skin is believed to be safe, even in higher concentrates, but the industry isn’t ready to relinquish these dosages to the public just yet as the long term effects of daily use are not yet fully documented.
Serums containing copper peptides should ideally not be in competition with any other active ingredients at the time of use. They can be applied alongside hyaluronic acid, other amino acids and most facial oils, but use among acids, retinoids, antioxidants or vitamin C serums should be avoided.
A more gentle way of getting any active ingredient onto the skin is through a cream or moisturizer. Skincare professionals advocate for the moisturizing of the face and body at least twice daily.
Face creams become an excellent vessel by which to transport copper peptides into the skin. Generally, face creams with copper peptides are absorbed more quickly than serums, especially when pores are already wide open thanks to appropriate prior cleansing.
It’s important to note that the effectiveness of a face cream depends greatly on the composition of the formulation. In the
