Most Commonly Used Peptides in Cosmetics

Peptides are functional nutrients that are the most active, easily absorbed, and capable of stimulating the body’s regeneration system, positioned between large protein molecules and small amino acids. They are generally compounds formed by three or more amino acid molecules through dehydration condensation, with the amino acid molecules connected by amide bonds (—CONH—).

Peptides can be classified based on the number of amino acids they contain. For example, dipeptides, tripeptides, tetrapeptides, and so on, up to peptide chains composed of dozens or more amino acids, which are referred to as polypeptides or oligopeptides. Some literature also refers to peptides consisting of 2-10 amino acids as oligopeptides (small molecular peptides), while peptides composed of 10-50 amino acids (or sometimes 10-100 amino acids) are referred to as polypeptides, and those with more than 50 amino acids are classified as proteins.

Peptides and proteins participate in various physiological and biochemical processes, offering advantages such as good tolerance, high specificity, and minimal toxic side effects. This article continues from the previous discussion on the three most commonly used peptides in chemically synthesized cosmetic products and further introduces representative peptide components derived from animals and plants.