The skin is one of the body’s most dynamic organs with several unique characte­ristics––chief among them, pigmentation. The skin’s melanin determines the color and protects against UV damage.
Many individuals battle some form of a pigmentation and no skin is immune to this regardless of age, race or gender. This brings many challenges when trying to solve and determine a solution.   When a pigmentation issue occurs, how do you help restore the skin to a healthy, bright and glowing complexion?
Identify the Disorder Type
Like many functions within the skin, the process of creating pigment (melanog­enesis) is extremely complex. When damaged, the melanin production process changes, either overproducing or slowing. This is when issues occur, resulting in one of three types of pigment changes:

• Hyperpig­mentation––darkened pigment
• Hypopigm­entation––a lack of melanin in the skin
• Demarcat­ion––uneven pigment

While there are numerous factors that can disrupt the pigmentation process, there are typically three common triggers these can be traced back to, including:

• UV exposure
• Hormone fluctuations
• Inflammation

UV exposure is the number one cause of hyperpig­mentation. Sun exposure increases the tyrosinase enzyme, and in excess, it can increase melanocyte activity. Eventually mutations in the melanocyte will stimulate excess melanin production. Hormonal fluctuations also trigger tyrosinase through the Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH). This often displays as melasma and can be further stimulated by inflammation and UV exposure. Finally, inflammation will increase histamines, Langerhans cells and melanin production and can lead to pigment being trapped in the papillary layer.
Solving the Pigmentation Issue
There are four critical factors to eliminating, reducing and managing pigmentation issues. These include:

• Surface exfoliation
• Suppression of melanocyte activity
• Skin lightening and brightening
• Cellular repair and protection

Professional treatments and a prescribed home care plan comprising intelligent ingredients will address these areas. Ingredients include:

• Daisy flower extract
• L-ascorbic acid
• Alpha arbutin
• Kojic acid
• Epilobium angustifolium flower (willow herb)
• Lotus extract
• Aminobutyric acid (GABA)

In the treatment room, a lotus-infused enzyme, mandelic acid and LED therapy will reduce pigment and brighten skin tone and provide a gentle, yet effective exfoliation. A luminescent gel mask containing plant stem cell technology and flower essences will restore, cool and hydrate. Oxygen, used with a serum containing niacinamide, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) and vitamin B5, will drive nutrients deep into the skin to restore vitality.
For deeper exfoliation, TCA with sake and potent melanin suppressors will tone and refine the skin for a luminous, healthy complexion. Flower acids and mandelic acid will also brighten and stimulate cellular turnover. Follow with a vitamin A and peptide peel formula to rejuvenate damaged cells.
For home care, look to botanical brighteners, retinald­ehyde, plant stem cells, epidermal growth factor and peptides. This combination will address the four key areas: exfoliation, melanin suppression, skin brightening and cellular repair and protection.

When you apply a serum, lotion, or cream, it encounters the uppermost layer of skin, which is called the stratum corneum. Depending on the size and chemical properties of the ingredients, three different things can happen:

1: Small and Permeable: Absorbed by Skin Cells
If the ingredients in your product are small and permeable, they will be uptaken by skin cells and processed. After a period of time, the ingredients will be secreted out of the skin cells and will enter the circulation. This includes ingredients like L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), and retinol (vitamin A).

2: Large and Non-Permeable: Goes Between Skin Cells
If the ingredients in your product are too large to be uptaken by skin cells, they will move between the skin cells for a period of time. After a while, these ingredients will also enter the circulation and be excreted from the body. These include peptide ingredients like Matrixyl 3000, which have been shown to work at a space between skin cells known as the dermo-epidermal junction (DEJ)

3: Large and Non-Permeable: Is Temporarily Absorbed by Glands
If the ingredients in your product are not absorbed by your skin cells, they may also be temporarily absorbed by some glands in a process known as ”appendageal absorption”. In this process, there are “reservoir effects” in which substances may be stored within the glands for absorption over time before being released into the bloodstream. This includes ingredients like aluminum, which is the reason for some of the controversy surrounding aluminum-containing deodorants.

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When you are shopping for the best products to help reduce the signs of aging, it is important to give careful consideration to products that utilize the peptide for skin care approach. This ingredient is a broad term to describe chains of amino acids, which serve as the building blocks of cells and tissues in your body. Using peptide for skin care is considered a viable strategy by some dermatologists because skin care products containing these ingredients are meant to stimulate the cell rejuvenation process and even stimulate collagen production. Therefore, products with these chains of amino acids are generally considered to be anti aging in nature. It is important to note that the use of peptide for skin care products will not yield results overnight, but daily application may show improvements over time.

Replacing Collagen for Younger-Looking Skin
Peptide for skin care products use chemicals that are close relatives of proteins, which are the building blocks of our bodies on the cellular level. These nutrients are kept together with nitrogen and carbon molecules that can work their way into the epidermis and “speak” to the cells. When products using peptide for skin care make their way into the skin, it may stimulate collagen production to tighten skin, and may even repair some cell structures. This is important because collagen is what keeps the skin plump and full, and helps it withstand the natural appearance of wrinkles that is so common with aging skin.

Unfortunately, as we age, collagen production begins to decrease and the skin becomes more likely to sag. Add to that years of unprotected exposure to the sun, and the skin doesn’t just lose collagen faster, but starts to appear dry and sallow, exacerbating the appearance of wrinkles. Using a peptide for skin care strategy may help reverse this process, allowing you to retain beautiful skin longer.

Diligent Application of Peptide for Skin Care
When you choose to use a peptide for skin care product routine, you have to be diligent about applying the ingredients regularly. Most people do not see results from their peptide products for at least one month or more, and in some cases, the results do not show for up to 3 months! Unfortunately, many people also do not have the patience to wait that long for results, and stop using the cream after just a few weeks. Some people don’t notice results because they are too gradual, while some may not see any improvement from a peptide for skin strategy at all. You specific situation and skin type will play a large role in determining the final outcome.

Commonly Found Peptides
There are several different types of chemical used in the peptide for skin care product lines. Most commonly, two types of peptides in cosmetics are Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. The former needs to be used for at least four weeks or more to see any results, and works mainly by helping to keep connective tissues structured. Products with this type of peptide will help keep the skin from sagging and may also reduce the signs of wrinkles. The latter, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, is a popular ingredient which aims to reduce inflammation in the skin. This peptide for skin care also helps the skin fight against problems that occur from free radicals that damage the skin even more.

Two lesser known ingredients used in peptide for skin care products are Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3, which stimulates collagen, and Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 which behaves in a similar way to Botox. The latter peptide keeps muscles relaxed, so wrinkles are less likely to appear.

Stimulating Collagen and Healing the Skin
Peptides not only help stimulate collagen growth, but they also deliver copper into the skin, which can help the skin heal faster. Since microscopic ingredients in peptide for skin care strategies can penetrate deep into the skin layers, these amino acid chains help heal the skin faster than many other types of product. For example, a copper peptide serum may help heal the skin while working to increase collagen as well.

Serums and Creams
Peptide for skin care products are usually available in serum and cream form. However, it is important to keep in mind that different product types work differently, even if they have similar ingredients. For example, the creams will moisturize the skin, but may be too heavy to allow helpful ingredients to penetrate the skin, thus diminishing effectiveness. Serums, on the other hand, will allow the peptides for skin to be absorbed more quickly, yielding more meaningful results.

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