PEPTIDES ARE HOT! PRODUCT REVIEW: NATURIUM MULTI-PEPTIDE MOISTURIZER - Best Face Cream with Peptides, What Are Peptides? What Do Peptides Do for Skin?
NATURIUM | MULTI-PEPTIDE MOISTURIZER
Peptides fascinate me. The use of peptides in skin care products – including some of the best anti-aging serums and face creams for wrinkles – has grown increasingly popular.
It seems eye creams, serums and facial moisturizers with peptides were on every skincare marketer’s launch calendar for 1Q 2023. I’m having a hard time keeping up with the new product introductions.
If you’re a fan of The Ordinary, you know that the brand recently repackaged, repositioned and relaunched its popular “Buffet” peptide serum. The brand expressed its desire to simply rename the product around its specific ingredient technology, in line with The Ordinary’s other products – including the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydrating Serum and Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension Brightening Cream.
Apparently, that single word thing just wasn’t cutting it! But I suspect it was also about the fact that peptides are really hot in skincare right now and the brand (wisely!) wanted to capitalize on the trend.
The Ordinary’s new (and notably not-so-new) Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is the same formula as “Buffet” – powered by three distinct, proprietary peptide complexes that combine to stimulate collagen production to plump skin and smooth the look of surface lines and wrinkles. Today, at just $17.50, The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is probably the most accessible peptide serum on the planet. Catch my review of it on the blog here.
PRODUCT REVIEW: THE ORDINARY MULTI-PEPTIDE + HA SERUM - BEST PEPTIDE SERUM
As all of this peptide mania is going on in the skincare universe, I’m doing my best to keep up. Over the last several months it seems there’s a new peptide product being launched weekly. It began with the introduction of the Youth to the People Triple Peptide + Cactus Hydrating + Firming Oasis Serum at the start of 2022 and topped off the year with Naturium’s Multi-Peptide Moisturizer.
I’m a big fan of the accessibly priced Naturium brand and their extensive range of face serums for sensitive skin, oily skin, dry skin – seemingly every concern of the skin imaginable. Only two years ago, the brand consisted of a handful of one-note, inexpensive serums, including my day-one faves – the $20 Vitamin C Complex Serum and $16 Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%.
Last month, I reviewed one of Naturium’s newest products – a well-formulated and reasonably priced facial sunscreen. At just $22, the Naturium Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50 is one of the best facial sunscreens I came across last year. It’s such a pleasure to use that it’s become a staple of my morning bike rides. You can catch my product review of the Naturium Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50 on the blog here.
PRODUCT REVIEW: NATURIUM DEW-GLOW MOISTURIZER SPF 50 - BEST SUNSCREEN FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
Naturium has been a product launch machine over the last six months. But are they really innovating? Some of the newness is underwhelming and expected, but I find their new Multi-Peptide Moisturizer to be among the most innovative and interesting products the brand has ever offered.
It’s not that Naturium’s Vitamin C Complex Serum isn’t an effective brightening serum with Vitamin C. But every brand has an antioxidant Vitamin C serum – and Naturium knows that. It’s what brands like Naturium, The Inkey List and The Ordinary do: make really good, single-note products and offer them for less than the traditional skincare brands can. There’s something different about the new Multi-Peptide Moisturizer, though.
It’s the peptides!
You may be asking yourself, what are peptides and what do peptides do for the skin? I thought I’d present the question of what peptides are to the AI. Instead of googling it and sorting through the most credible of dozens of search results, I dropped the question “what are peptides in skincare?” into a new search engine called you.com that’s powered by OpenAI’s Chat GPT. Here’s what the groundbreaking artificial intelligence technology came up with (citations and all!):
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as building blocks of proteins such as collagen [1][2], elastin and keratin. When these proteins are used in skincare, they can help to promote skin elasticity and firmness, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, even out skin tone, and provide antioxidant protection. Peptides are often used in anti-aging products, as they can help to stimulate collagen production, leading to firmer, more youthful-looking skin. Additionally, peptides can help to reduce the appearance of dark spots and can even help to protect the skin from UV damage.
1. Everything about peptides in skincare | Paula's Choice
2. Peptides In Skincare: The Ingredient You Need To Try For Plump, Healthy Skin
Without doubt, Naturium has been one of my favorite brand discoveries of the last year or two. It literally came out of no where and its products are now featured regularly in my daily skincare routines. I reach for Naturium’s Vitamin C Complex Serum often throughout the week. And as I said, the Naturium Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50 is a morning staple.
The brand’s new Multi-Peptide Moisturizer is a new personal fave. What makes it special is its superb anti-aging, antioxidant blend of actives, beginning with the formula’s peptides.
I can recall a time when peptides were only found in the most expensive anti-aging face creams. Until relatively recently, as with all new technologies, peptides were too expensive to be included in an affordable moisturizer like Naturium’s $19 Multi-Peptide Moisturizer. And if they were, they were at the end of the INCI, at very low, essentially nonsensical levels.
There are dozens of peptide molecules and new ones are invented all the time. The Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer contains three distinct peptides: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. In fact, two of these appear in The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide + HA Serum!
What are Peptides in Skincare and What Do Peptides Do for Skin?
For additional insights beyond those provided by the AI, there’s an excellent article by the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Peptides in skincare: what do they do? which you can read here. The article goes deep into everything from what peptides are to how they benefit the skin — and what makes them among the best age-fighters in skin care. Here is an excerpt.
Peptides are one of the most talked-about ingredients in the field of anti-ageing skincare. When applied to your skin, they demonstrate remarkable benefits, revitalising your skin and making it more resilient and stronger. But peptides do not possess magical properties, as some brands claim. The fact is that there is no single ingredient that will address all the signs of skin ageing - and peptides are no exception. Peptides are a great asset to your skin, but it’s best to be realistic in your expectations to avoid disappointment. Peptides have amazing benefits for skin but the results will never be the same as a cosmetic procedure.
What are Peptides?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as building blocks of proteins such as collagen, elastin and keratin. These proteins are the foundations of your skin and are responsible for its texture, strength and resilience. Without peptides, our skin is less intact which can lead to a loss of firmness, the appearance of wrinkles, a change in texture and less ‘bounce’.
When applied topically to the skin, peptides act as little messengers, triggering skin cells to perform specific functions such as building collagen and elastin, encouraging skin to look and act younger.
Extensive scientific research has proven that peptides can support your skin on multiple levels, for example firming, soothing and hydrating the skin.
SKINCARMA ON TIKTOK
Catch my first impression of it!
Beyond its three peptides, ingredients number 10, 11, and 12 in the INCI, the Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer contains numerous skin-replenishing, non-fragrant plant oils – including Jojoba Seed Oil and Squalane – that help the skin to retain moisture. Additionally, and further reinforcing the skin’s defenses against trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL, are humectants Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate.
And, there’s a nice level of the multi-benefit antioxidant Niacinamide at ingredient number seven, an estimated 2-3% concentration. (The recommendation is 2%). But what surprises me most in the Multi-Peptide Moisturizer INCI is the inclusion of Ethylated Vitamin C (3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid), a stabilized and potent form of Vitamin C that’s relatively new and, I believe, the most expensive of the class of Vitamin C molecules. In a $19 face cream? I find that quite impressive.
What is 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid? According to the AI, “3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid (EAA) is an ether-derivative of ascorbic acid [1][2], known to inhibit tyrosinase activity and is widely used in skincare products as a whitening agent [2]. The ethyl group attached to the third carbon of the ascorbic acid molecule helps stabilize the vitamin C, making it more resistant to oxidation and degradation. It is also thought to have anti-aging benefits by stimulating collagen production, reducing wrinkles, and promoting skin elasticity.”
1. 8 types of Vitamin C compared – which one is right for your skin?
Multi-Peptide Moisturizer has what I’d describe as a mid-of-the-road texture; that is, it’s not too light, not too thick. It’s certainly not the kind of moisturizer that fully absorbs in seconds, as a gel cream does. Rather, it leaves a nice comfortable coat on the skin, an indication to me that it’s intended to prevent moisture loss, something indicated by the INCI.
Because of its richer texture, I wouldn’t recommend it for oilier skin types; but for anyone else, it’s a great option. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the best face creams under $20 and even better than The Inkey List’s new SuperSolutions 10% Urea Moisturizer Textured Skin Solution, at $19.99.
What I like about it: For just $19, the Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer is IMO one of the best anti-aging moisturizers under $20. In fact, I haven’t come across many $20 face creams that are this loaded with pro-skin health actives. I’m super impressed with its infusion of three peptides, Niacinamide, and one of the most potent forms of Vitamin C. Naturium really nailed it with this one; it’s their most innovative moisturizer to date.
What I don’t like about it: Honestly, I like everything about it.
Who it’s for: All skin types, except very oily or acne-prone.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer for $19 here.
The Ingredient List of the Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer:
sii|h 0 0, Dimethicone emo 0 1, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil 
emo 0 0-2, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1-2, Cetyl Alcohol emo|vc 2 2, Niacinamide cci|sb|aacne|h, Stearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 2 2, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 cci, Pantolactone h, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 cci, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 cci, Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid aox|sb, Panthenol so|h 0 0, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil emo, Honokiol aox|sb, Magnolol aox|sb, Palmitic Acid sii|emo|emu 0 2, Sorbitan Oleate emu 0 3, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate vc, Hydroxyacetophenone aox, Stearic Acid emo|vc 0 2-3, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer vc, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate emu, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, Boron Nitride, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Isohexadecane emo|solv, Butylene Glycol h|solv 0 1, Chlorphenesin pres|amic, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer vc, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Polysorbate 80 emu|surf 0 0, Sorbitan Palmitate emu, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Sodium Benzoate pres, Carbomer vc 0 1, Sodium Lactate buff|h, Phenoxyethanol pres, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Citric Acid buff, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Potassium Sorbate pres
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