Anti-aging peptides for advanced skincare: Focus on nanodelivery systems

Skin plays an essential role in our personal image and aesthetics as it is where the first signs of aging are visible. As a way to prevent and mitigate this natural physiological process and achieve a more youthful appearance, consumers are constantly looking for innovative options of anti-aging skincare products, including more effective and safer ingredients. Particularly, peptides are cosmetic ingredients present in anti-aging skincare formulations attending to their efficacy in reducing wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, and/or stimulating collagen production. Moreover, peptides are less irritating alternatives regarding conventional cosmetic ingredients against skin aging. However, despite these advantages, peptides have considerable difficulty to penetrate the stratum corneum, which hinders their bioactivity. This occurs attending to their high molecular weight, hydrophilic character, and high susceptibility to enzymatic degradation, requiring the application of formulation technologies to improve the stability and the release pattern of peptides through the skin. A detailed exposition focused on smart and multifunctional nanodelivery systems that have been used to encapsulate peptides on anti-aging skincare formulations is provided, within the scope of research and development for anti-aging skincare products. Briefly, it is demonstrated that these biomolecules are a reliable and outstanding alternative considering retinoids and sunscreens against skin aging.