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With so many self-proclaimed skin care experts commanding authority across online forums such as TikTok and Reddit, each promoting their own multistep routines packed with the “best peptides, exfoliants, toners and oils,” it’s become increasingly difficult to know what routine and which ingredients you should actually trust. Do these convoluted rituals actually work? Or is a simplified regimen, comprised of two, maybe three, products better? And what the heck even are peptides?
According to Dr. Daniel Gould, a board-certified plastic surgeon, peptides are “short chains of amino acids that mimic fragments of the body’s signaling proteins.” Peptides tell fibroblasts (cells in the connective tissue) to produce collagen. They’re reasonable daily drivers, compatible and the most accessible category now.
That said, there are four families under the wider peptide umbrella. “Copper peptides like GHK-Cu are the most interesting to me from a regenerative standpoint,” said Gould. “They exist naturally in plasma, they show up in wound healing, they influence fibroblasts and matrix remodeling.” These are effective for post-procedure recovery and skin that can’t handle retinoids. “But they’re incredibly formulation sensitive; most products on the shelf are underdosed,” Gould noted.
