PEPTIDES VS RETINOL: WHICH ONE IS BETTER FOR ANTI-AGING? WE ALL WANT TO BE ABLE TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK WITH OUR SKINCARE PRODUCTS, BUT ITS HARD TO KNOW WHICH PRODUCTS WORK AND WHICH ONES ARE JUST A WASTE OF MONEY.
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF HYPE OVER RETINOL AND ABOUT PEPTIDES, BUT WHICH ONE ACTUALLY WORKS TO REDUCE SIGNS OF AGING?
LETS COMPARE THE TWO AND FIND OUT…
What are Peptides?
Peptides are amino acids that tell your skin to produce more collagen. Collagen is what keeps your skin hydrated and bouncy.
What are peptides good for?
Peptides are great for hydration, wrinkle prevention, barrier repair, and for pairing with other anti-aging products.
Peptides are generally considered safe for all skin types and help to prevent new wrinkles from forming.
What is Retinol?
Retinol is a type of Vitamin A.
Retinol helps to get rid of old cells and tells your skin to produce fresh, new cells. Retinol signals your skin to increase collagen synthesis.
What is retinol good for?
Retinol penetrates the skin at a cellular level, not just at the surface level. It really does work to reduce fine lines and speed up cell turnover. It can even help to reduce dark spots and uneven skin tone.
If you are looking to reduce your fine lines, this is the ingredient to use! Just be sure to be cautious of the cons listed below.
Can you use both together? Peptides vs Retinol
Absolutely! These two pair beautifully together. One thing to keep in mind is that you can only use retinol at night before bed because it makes your skin sensitive to the UV rays of the sunlight, which can actually cause more harm than good. ALWAYS use an SPF in the morning after using retinol the night before.
So, if you plan to use these two products together, it can only be at night and not in the morning.
Make sure to apply retinol first, then peptides.
The CONS of Retinol
- it can dry out the skin
- it takes 2-3 weeks of consistent use to see results
- skin may look worse before it begins to look better (this is the normal process of beginning retinol users)
- it can irritate the skin if you use too high of a percentage when first introducing it to your skin (aim for less than 1%.)
- You can only use it at night
- You can’t use it every night because it is too harsh on the skin
- You MUST apply SPF in the morning afterwards to protect your skin
The CONS of Peptides
- You won’t see dramatic results like you would from retinol
- They are better for prevention than reduction of wrinkles
- They support collagen production, but not as strongly as retinol does
The Peptides vs Retinol Skincare Routine
Using peptides and retinol together is a great nightly skin care routine!
- Cleanse the skin
- Apply Retinol serum
- Wait 5 minutes for it to absorb into the skin
- Apply Peptide Serum
- Apply eye serum
- Apply hydrating moisturizer with hyaluronic acid
Things to remember when using Retinol:
- ONLY apply it at night
- ALWAYS apply a hydrating moisturizer overtop
- NEVER pair it with Vitamin C because it can counteract the effects of the retinol
- Always cleanse your face in the morning and apply SPF
For more information check out our post HOW TO USE RETINOL THE RIGHT WAY
Peptides vs Retinol: Which one is “better”?
The honest truth?
It depends on what your skin care goals are.
If your goal is simply hydration and preventing wrinkles in the future: peptides is the way to go!
If your goals are to reduce fine lines that bother you then: Retinol is the better option!
You can also pair them together for optimized prevention and reduction of wrinkles.
