Healthy, glowing skin isn’t luck—it’s strategy. And at Emerge, skincare is the foundation of everything we do in medical aesthetics. Non-surgical regenerative treatments respond and react best to a strong barrier and consistent care, which is why knowing what to include in your skincare routine is so important.
Active ingredients, for example, are some of the most powerful compounds in skincare. They work at the cellular level to address skin concerns and provide real results. Aside from retinols and retinoids, peptides are one of the most beneficial ingredients in skincare. They don’t just soften fine lines, though. These short chains of amino acids strengthen the skin barrier, support skin regeneration, and improve overall skin health.
That’s why today, we’re breaking down the real benefits of peptides in skincare. We’ll talk about what they are, how they work, and why they’re so important for achieving firmer, smoother skin. We’ll also tell you how and when to incorporate them into your routine—because real results come from consistency and physician-guided approaches.
10 Benefits of Peptides in Skincare for Healthy, Youthful Skin
Active ingredients are the “performers” in skincare. Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, retinoids, AHAs and BHAs, peptides—they’re all invaluable. But to understand why peptides are so effective, it’s essential to understand what they are and how they behave on the skin.
Before we discuss the benefits, we’ll guide you through what exactly peptides are and whether they’re necessary. Afterwards, we’ll explain how and when to use them so you don’t waste time (or money) on the wrong routine.
Dr. Kling, a double-board certified Emergency Medicine physician provides a surgical level of expertise to non-surgical aesthetics—skincare included. So, consider this a physician-led masterclass on peptides grounded in science, strategy, and long-term skin health.
What Are Peptides in Skincare?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins such as collagen, elastin, and keratin—that play a key role in maintaining healthy skin structure, strength, and elasticity. Think of peptides as cellular messengers. Once they penetrate the skin, they send signals to other skin cells, telling them what to do.
However, there are different types of peptides, and each type tells the skin to react differently. For example:
- Carrier Peptides: Delivers minerals, like copper and zinc, to skin cells for better absorption. This boosts collagen, reduces inflammation, and aids in healing.
- Enzyme-Inhibitor Peptides: Blocks negative enzymes that break down collagen, elastin, and melanin production. This maintains firmness and slows signs of aging.
- Neurotransmitter-Inhibitor Peptides: Blocks or reduces neurotransmitters from cells to relax facial muscles and soften expression lines.
- Signal Peptides: Signals to cells to increase production of collagen and elastin, plumping and firming skin over time.
When they’re formulated properly, peptides support skin regeneration at the cellular level. This isn’t a temporary cosmetic effect—it’s structural support for healthier skin over time.
Are Peptides Necessary in Skincare?
Essential? Not necessarily. Highly recommended? Absolutely.
From a medical perspective, peptides are one of the safest andmost well-tolerated ingredients across all skin types—including sensitive skin. The body naturallyproduces peptides for countless functions, like hormone signaling, immune defense, brain function, and tissue repair.
Because of this, peptides are naturally biomimetic—meaning they mimic the body’s own biology. They don’t force a change; they support and guide the processes your skin cells are already programmed to perform. While they’re powerful, they’re gentle and offer a low-irritation risk.
And even better, they pair well with other actives, like vitamin C and retinoids—(which Dr. Kling does consider skincare essentials!). There’s never one magic product that can fix your skin. The best results come from a multimodal approach—one that includes ingredients like peptides, which help support structural change.
If you’re looking for a retinoid that works for your skin, learn more through the Emerge RX club!
What Are Peptides Good for in Skincare?
Strengthening the Skin Barrier
If your skin barrier is compromised, it may appear red, dry, flaky, tight, and generally sensitive. This can happen for a number of reasons, including harsh products, over-exfoliating, extreme weather (cue our Fall Skincare guide!), or sun damage.
Ultimately, when your skin barrier breaks down, products can’t work as effectively—and your skin ages more quickly. Peptides reinforce the skin barrier by supporting lipid production and cellular repair. They’re the small ingredients behind the scenes that encourage cells to rebuild and replace what’s lost with age.
Healthy skin starts with a strong barrier. Always.
Supporting Collagen Production
Peptides signal fibroblasts (skin cells) to increase collagen and elastin synthesis. A lack of collagen is what leads people to notice the visible signs of aging, like shadows, hollowness, and poor light reflection.
And remember, different types of peptides encourage collagen production in different ways.
Signal peptides trick the skin into thinking it’s been damaged, while neurotransmitter-inhibitor peptides relax facial muscles to reduce wrinkle depth. Similarly, carrier peptides deliver minerals vital to tissue regeneration, while enzyme-inhibitor peptides block collagen-degrading enzymes.
Different roles, similar results.
Improving Skin Elasticity
Collagen makes the skin firm and strong; elastin makes it flexible and elastic. Think of it this way: elastin is what allows you to smile and laugh, collagen is what keeps the skin from staying lax. They’re essentially the yin and yang of skincare.
As you age, you naturally lose skin elasticity, resulting in sagging, fine lines, and a thinner, crepey texture. Peptides, as with collagen, act as messengers, signaling the skin to stimulate new elastin production while protecting existing elasticity.
Reducing Inflammation
Chronic inflammation, while aggravating to deal with, is also incredibly harmful to skin health. The longer skin remains in an inflammatory state, the more it weakens the skin barrier, breaks down protein, and accelerates aging.
Peptides go in and calm inflammatory pathways—even in genetically influenced conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and acne-prone skin. By reducing inflammation, especially when it’s chronic, low-grade inflammation, peptides allow the skin to repair, recover, strengthen, and function more normally over time.
Enhancing Skin Regeneration
Peptides encourage skin regeneration by signaling repair at the cellular level through processes mentioned above. More specifically, peptides increase the production of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin, proteins that contribute to strength, firmness, and hydration.
As peptides constantly rebuild fibroblasts, they’re forming the skin’s structural matrix—or, in other words, the framework that keeps skin firm, supported, and resilient. These anti-aging properties encourage gradual, biological improvement in skin quality—not just short-term cosmetic change.
Even better, peptides are excellent for cellular repair after treatments like microneedling, CO2 laser resurfacing, and PRP.
Improving Hydration
Even if you don’t struggle with dryness, the environment constantly draws moisture from our skin. Low humidity, sun exposure, harsh skincare, hot showers, and natural aging just contribute to the process.
Let’s reroute back to the skin barrier. By using peptides, you’re encouraging a stronger, healthier barrier that helps prevent moisture from escaping. Add a boost of collagen and elastin, and you’re supporting firmer, plumper skin that holds hydration better.
Softens the Appearance of Fine lines
Fine lines are a natural result of aging—it’s unavoidable. However, there are treatments and skincare ingredients that can reduce the appearance and slow aging. Neurotransmitter-inhibitor peptides, specifically, help relax facial muscles.
So even though we smile, laugh, squint, and raise our eyebrows, peptides reduce the appearance of expression lines without freezing the face. A lot of people think, “That’s what Botox is for!” Except at a certain point, Botox stops enhancing and starts detracting. Skin quality is what matters for long-term, natural rejuvenation.
Supporting Wound Healing
Wound healing doesn’t always refer to large, noticeable injuries. Acne scars, post-inflammatory marks, compromised barrier function, and microscopic damage from treatments all require the same biological repair process.
Peptides bind to cell receptors in the skin, encouraging the growth of new blood vessels, skin cells, collagen, and tissue. This is why they’re often recommended for post-procedure skin. Instead of chasing trendy products to help restore collagen, peptides rebuild the actual framework of the skin.
Refining Skin Firmness and Texture
If you’re dealing with a lack of collagen and elastin, your skin tends to become rough, thin, fragile, and dull. Glowy make-up products and overnight hydration masks promise temporary change—peptides guarantee total transformation.
Adding this ingredient into your skincare routine, especially when paired with powerful humectants (like hyaluronic acid), supports a stronger structure and better hydration. And, ultimately, both are essential for a smoother texture and improved light reflection.
Neutralizing Free Radicals
We’re sure you’ve seen products that promise to “reduce free radicals and protect the skin from pollution.” Some work, most overpromise. Free radicals essentially attack collagen and elastin, disrupt normal cell function, and weaken the skin barrier. They’re found in environmental pollutants, UV radiation, processed foods, and certain medications.
It feels like you can’t escape them, but you can definitely combat them. Peptides don’t work by neutralizing free radicals the way antioxidants do. Instead, they repair the damage by supporting collagen integrity, cellular repair, and barrier function.
In simpler terms, free radicals work hard, but active ingredients in skincare work harder.
How to Use Peptides in Skincare
Just like any other ingredient, peptides are only effective when you use them correctly. Here’s an Emerge-style guide for using peptides in skincare:
Apply to Clean Skin
You can use peptides in your morning or nighttime skincare routine—more on that in a second. Regardless of when you incorporate them, we highly recommend applying peptides to clean, damp skin.
For nighttime routines, apply them after cleansing and toning, but before thicker creams. If you’re incorporating them into your morning routine, don’t feel like you have to wash your skin for proper application. Most people don’t need AM cleansing, as it can actually dry out the skin. Just apply them before your moisturizer and sunscreen.
Layer with Compatible Ingredients
Certain ingredients work together, certain ingredients don’t. Fortunately, as we mentioned earlier, peptides tend to get along with most other skincare ingredients. However, here’s a quick look at what to pair them with—and what to avoid:
Peptides layer beautifully with:
- Hyaluronic acid to boost hydration, enhancing skin texture and increasing plumpness
- Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier, reduce inflammation, and improve elasticity
- Vitamin C to boost collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and improve brightness
- Retinoids to enhance cell turnover, encourage collagen production, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and balance dryness from retinoids
- Ceramides to lock in moisture, plump and hydrate skin, and rebuild the outer lipid barrier more efficiently
- Green tea extract to protect existing collagen, enhance skin elasticity, and encourage anti-inflammatory benefits. Learn more about the benefits of green tea in skincare on our Instagram!
Avoid using peptides with:
- Stronger AHAs and BHAs due to a decrease in peptide efficiency and potential irritation
- L-Ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C) can destabilize both ingredients, essentially becoming useless
- Physical exfoliants create micro-tears, which, when combined with peptides, can strip natural oils and lead to breakouts
Vitamin C, specifically, is a non-negotiable product in skincare—so don’t remove it from your routine just because you’re introducing peptides. Instead, use one ingredient at nighttime and the other in the morning.
Use Consistently
Consistency is the best anti-aging treatment in both skincare and non-surgical treatments. You won’t notice results overnight; change happens gradually. Give peptides 8–12 weeks; this is when you notice true transformative results.
Pair with Medical-Grade Skincare
In a sea of brands and products that promise change, it’s easy to reach for skincare recommendations from favorite influencers and convincing social media ads. However, medical-grade skincare is scientifically proven to work. It’s not guesswork, it’s strategy.
Soap is soap, skincare is not. Medical-grade formulations contain high concentrations of ingredients, penetrate more deeply, and ensure efficacy. Skinceuticals P-TIOX, for example, is a peptide-powdered serum that’s proven to reduce the appearance of 9 types of expression lines. It’s a physician-tested, non-invasive wrinkle-modulating serum to encourage needle-free wrinkle correction.
Stick with products that are proven to work, not ingredients that don’t have credentials. For more of Dr. Kling’s recommended skincare products, visit our website!
When to Use Peptides in Skincare Routine
We gave a sneak peek earlier, but let’s dive a little deeper into when you should use peptides in your skincare routine.
Nighttime Skincare Routine with Peptides:
- Step 1: Cleanse skin. Wash your face using a gentle cleanser to remove impurities and make-up. Double-cleansing can be extremely effective here!
- Step 2: Apply toner. Not always necessary, but toners can be beneficial for additional hydration.
- Step 3: Layer on peptide serum. On damp skin, apply your peptide serum in a thin, light layer. More doesn’t equal better! Instead of rubbing, pat it into the skin—this helps it absorb more efficiently. Before moving on to your next step, give it 35-60 seconds to penetrate fully.
- Step 4: Follow with retinoid and vitamin C. If your skin reacts well, it’s completely fine to use retinoids and vitamin C with your peptide serum. Again, medical-grade matters here. Dr. KIing (very highly) recommends Tretinoin and tazarotene for retinoids and Alastin C-Radical Defense Antioxidant Serum for vitamin C Change happens with research—and a trusted recommendation from a double-board certified physician in Emergency Medicine!
- Step 5: Apply moisturizer. Finish your routine by sealing all of your products in with a rich moisturizer. This creates a protective layer that reduces water loss and supports the barrier.
Morning Skincare Routine with Peptides:
- Step 1: Cleanse skin (if necessary). As we mentioned earlier, most people don’t need an AM face wash. If your skin isn’t oily or acne-prone, a simple rinse with lukewarm water is enough. Over-cleansing in the morning can actually disrupt the barrier your skin worked hard to repair overnight. If you do cleanse, keep it simple with Alastin Ultra Calm Cleansing Cream!
- Step 2: Hydrate with hyaluronic acid. If you struggle with dry, dehydrated skin, support the barrier with gentle hyaluronic acid. Alastin HA Immerse Serum boosts skin hydration at the surface to provide instant and long-lasting results.
- Step 3: Apply peptides. On damp skin, apply your peptide serum. Same as the nighttime routine: pat—don’t rub—and let it absorb into the skin fully.
- Step 4: Follow with antioxidant support. Morning is the perfect time for antioxidants. A high-quality vitamin C serum helps protect against environmental stressors and free radicals. If your skin doesn’t react well to the combination, try alternating days or times you use each product!
- Step 5: Apply moisturizer. Add a thin layer of a rich, hydrating moisturizer. This acts as a lock to your routine, strengthening the skin barrier, maintaining hydration, and shielding your skin from daytime aggressors.
- Step 6: Finish with broad-spectrum sunscreen. High-quality SPF is non-negotiable—no matter the weather or season. Alastin Hydratint Pro Mineral Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, with SPF 36, provides both UVA and UVB protection. Plus, the glowy tint helps protect skin from pollution, IR rays, and blue light! Hear from Dr. Kling herself about how tinted SPF can make a significant difference for your skin.
Make sure to also check out our Medspa-approved favorite skincare products over on our Instagram!
When to Start Using Peptides in Skincare
When it comes to skincare, prevention is always easier than correction. Subtle, consistent care in your 20s and 30s makes all the difference in your 40s and 50s.
At Emerge, we recommend incorporating peptides into your routine as early as your late 20s. By 25, you lose up to 1%-1.5% of collagen a year, making additional skin resilience all the more important. However, don’t feel like you can’t begin using peptides at whatever age you are. This active doesn’t just reduce signs of aging, it also addresses specific skin concerns and supports skin repair.
The most important thing to remember is that quality matters. Whether you’re in your 20s or your 60s, investing in medical-grade peptides will offer a far more sustainable change than chasing short-term results or trend-driven products.
Adding medical-grade peptides to your skincare routine isn’t guesswork—it’s a strategy that performs.
Perfecting a skincare routine takes time, consistency, and dedication. However, it also supports youthful, healthy skin—which will always outperform quick fixes and short-term approaches. The best results come from addressing every layer of the skin, which is exactly what we prioritize at Emerge.
If you want real results and real guidance, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kling! As a double-board certified Emergency Medicine physician, Dr. Kling takes anatomy, biology, and long-term skin health seriously. She builds personalized, multimodal plans designed to restore and maintain natural results over time. The goal isn’t to change how you look—it’s to enhance it.
For more recommendations on skin health, visit the Emerge blog! Our client-focused guides prioritize education, evidence-based care, and long-term strategies. Also, don’t forget to join the Emerge RX club for customized treatment plans, formulations, and professional guidance that can transform your skin—and your confidence.