By Sarene Kloren – Les Nouvelles Esthetiques
More and more skin care companies are spotlighting peptides, growth factors and stem cells as the rising stars in anti-ageing products. These active ingredients are the latest technological advances in skin care, effectively protecting skin from damage, dramatically slowing signs of ageing and accelerating the regeneration of skin cells for more youthful-look.
However, skin care professionals should look beyond the marketing message and understand how these ingredients may or may not impact skin regeneration.
Do peptides, growth factors and stem cells make for truly effective skin care? Let’s put each in the skin care spotlight!
The Power of Peptides
Peptides are mini-proteins, consisting of chains of two or more amino acids arranged like pearls on a necklace. Peptides formed in a certain pattern make specific proteins that function as messengers, allowing the epidermis and dermis to communicate efficiently to promote collagen synthesis. However, as skin ages, communication diminishes, resulting in wrinkles, loss of firmness and changes in texture. Peptides are like anti-ageing keys that unlock skin cell surface receptors to open the doors of cellular communication and help skin repair itself.
Peptides: Pros
•Less irritation. Peptides are not as irritating as some other anti-ageing ingredients.
• Anti-ageing results. With appropriate delivery systems, peptides signal skin to produce more collagen and hyaluronic acid.
• Variety. The appropriate peptide must be selected for specific results, such as promoting collagen synthesis, targeting environmental damage or diminishing wrinkles. In fact, the synthetic version of the peptide found in snake venom (Syn-ake) works similarly to Botox, temporarily impacting facial muscle contractions to prevent the formation of expression lines and wrinkles. Peptides are continually being synthesized in labs, so there is no single “best” anti-ageing peptide. The most effective way to benefit from peptides is to ensure that they are combined with other anti-ageing ingredients, such as ceramides, antioxidants, stem cells and growth factors.
Groundbreaking Growth Factors
Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins that stimulate cellular renewal. When there is damage, cells produce growth factors that communicate to surrounding cells that repair is needed. In fact, growth factors were first used to treat patients in burn centers.
Cells naturally secrete growth factors as signaling molecules that keep cells healthy and stimulate them to divide. However, the ageing process leads to a decrease in growth factors. When growth factors are applied topically, the stratum corneum stimulates a repair message that goes into the dermis via a signaling cascade, stimulating fibroblasts to produce collagen and revitalize damaged or ageing skin.
Growth Factors: Pros
• Post-Care. Growth factors accelerate skin renewal during and after esthetic procedures that create stress to skin such as micro-needling, dermaplaning, laser, IPL and peels.
• Availability. Growth factors are a “must” for people over 30, who are already experiencing skin aging and environmental damage.
• Source. Growth factors are most bio-active when derived from human sources since they work with growth factors normally present in the skin.
Some growth factors used in skin care include Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) to accelerate healing, Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) to stimulate fibroblast production, Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) to promote cell growth, Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF) to stimulate epithelial cell growth, Platelet- Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) to regulate cell growth and Transforming Growth Factor-Beta to stimulate collagen secretion. Growth factors are often cocktailed with peptides, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and growth factor precursors – stem cells.
Stem Cell Repair
Stem cells function as a type of internal repair system. They work best with growth factors, which signal the stem cells to go to the targeted location and renew collagen, elastin and epithelial cells. Stem cells can be derived from humans, animals or plants. Human stem cells functioning with growth factors in skin care formulations stimulate epidermal stem cells to help repair wrinkles, improve elasticity and protect skin from environmental exposure.
Stem Cells: Pros
• Repair. Stem cells stimulate cellular growth and division, leading to collagen and elastin synthesis, filling out wrinkles and slowing the development of new wrinkles.
• Prevention. Stem cells not only repair, but also protect existing cells from damage.
• Source. Human stem cells may be more effective in activating wound healing and stimulating collagen synthesis, but plant stem cells (apple, grape, edelweiss, Alpine rose) may promote improvement due to antioxidant benefits.
Keeping Up with Skin Care Breakthroughs
Growth factors are an absolute “must” for clients over 30, and especially for clients over 40 whose ageing skin is vulnerable after treatments such as micro- needling, dermaplaning and peels. Professional protocols creating stress to the skin should include growth factors, stem cells and peptides to supplement skin’s natural repair system. These ingredients should be applied during and after procedures to help prevent hyperpigmentation that can result from skin that heals too slowly.
Over the past few years, the cosmeceutical world has opened up an array of clinical products, and professional aestheticians can now greatly increase skin performance. The takeaway? Constantly keep yourself informed, so you can maximize your success. “Stem cells not only repair, but also protect existing cells from damage”
