What's up everyone? We're back. Dr. Maxfield, Dr. Shaw, and welcome back to our channel, Dr. Lee, where we talk about all things skincare and dermatology. Today, we're going to do a little bit of a deep dive on one of these ingredients that's just become super popular online.
Copper peptide. So copper peptides is one of... many peptides, but today all of our attention is going to be on copper peptides. What do they do in the skin? What does copper do in the skin?
This is one of those ingredients where I think there's a lot of confusion around it. So we're going to try to explain all that confusion and we're going to highlight why you would want to use it, how you would use it, what not to use it with, and some of our favorite products. All things copper peptides, here we go. First, shout out to Biosense for sponsoring this video. This is probably maybe the third or fourth video that we've done with them.
Big fans of Biosense, as you can tell. Just overall love their product. Everything they do is just very thoughtful. And I think every time we see a product from them, we dig in and we're like, it just kind of makes sense.
And I like the way that they feel on my skin. I've been using them for a really long time. I talk about them all the time.
They're very supportive of education. So they're sponsoring this video on copper peptides. And at the end, there's going to be a special Dr. Lee bundle that you can purchase that's going to be a severely discounted bundle of some of our favorite products from Biosan.
So if you've been interested in trying these products and didn't want to take the leap yet, this would be a good time to try these out. Let's talk about peptides in general. What the heck is a peptide? So peptides, they fall between an amino acid and a protein. So if you've ever heard me talk about some of these things before, amino acids are the building blocks of a lot of things in our skin.
I got something in my eye. Keep going. So the amino acids, we'll think of those as the building blocks.
Collectively, they form longer structures, which are your intermediary peptides, rather. And then the peptides, so distracting, the peptides complex together. And those form proteins, which are the bigger structural things that make up, obviously, huge portions of the body, muscles, and everything else. Right.
I got an eyelash. So I think the confusion with peptides is that each peptide that you have, these complex of amino acids, have different functions, right? So some can just moisturize the skin. Some are signal peptides. They actually send signals that will maybe tell your body to produce more collagen.
Neurotransmitter peptides like your Botox, it's actually going to stop muscle contraction. And so you have all these peptides and they all have different functions. Just because someone says the word peptide doesn't mean that you're going to get the benefits that we're talking about today.
And not all peptides are the same. And so just be aware of what kind of peptides you're putting on your skin if you want specific benefits. Yeah, absolutely.
And peptides are a nightmare for someone who's trying to be delivered with skincare. Because of that very reason, like it says blank peptide number and everything is something different. It's a disaster.
And we'll do a complete deep dive and break down this at some point. It's a headache. to engage even for us like for us like it's like what is you know this peptide number 94 have to do like we we don't know right so that's where the confusion comes in if you're trying to be deliberate it can get very confusing the good thing is that a lot of peptides will complement your skincare routine and you can add them to things you're already doing that aren't as confusing the other confusion comes from the fact that a lot of times when a new ingredient becomes buzzy You get all these hype headlines around them and then they pretend to do things that they don't really do.
So I want to read you this headline. Even though we think that copper peptides are a good ingredient, we'll talk about that. Read this headline from Birdie.
Copper peptides are like nature's Botox and here's how to use them. Like, no, right? It's like, it gives you this idea it's going to do something that it's not going to do, right?
It's going to have benefits, but it's not going to be. like a substitute for Botox. And, you know, we're guilty of clickbait too. So we can't really put that. We can't really put like, you know, our thumbnail is probably going to be us doing something crazy in this video itself, right.
To get you to click on it. But the truth is that things like this is why you get a little bit of confusion and then you get disappointed because you're like, well, this isn't like Botox. didn't have that type of effect and they won't, right?
It just won't. That's like a little bit of an overhype. Exactly.
And that's the key word here is overhype. So I've talked a lot about different peptides, one of which is our geruline, which is I think hexapeptide 8. And some of these neurotransmitter peptides do have... a similar function and role as other ingredients like botulinum toxin, but it's the overhype. It doesn't give you the same results.
I think with peptides in general and the new ingredients, that's where people fall short. All right, so to demystify, we're specifically going to focus on copper tripeptide 1, also known as GHK copper. If you're looking for studies on this, you're going to be much better off just finding studies on GHK.
So if you're doing that professional deep dive, copper peptides are not the way to go. So let's rewind a little bit here. What does copper do in general in our skin? Because without these skincare products, all that, forget all that, copper actually has a very essential role in our skin. So copper has multiple roles in our skin, one of which it's an essential co-factor for enzymes involved in both collagen synthesis and elastin synthesis, which gives not only the volume, but also the structure balance and a lot of the health in our skin.
So you need copper in order to create collagen and elastin. And so in conditions where you have low copper like manky's disease you do get damage to your collagen weakened collagen weakened elastic fibers in addition to that copper is another cofactor for tyrosinase the major enzyme in creating pigment for our skin so it's necessary to have an even skin tone initially we'll always meet ingredients with skepticism because we wanted to withstand the test of time and more studies to validate its efficacy so if a new ingredient comes out i'm always like ah you I like the study they did, but I want to see more. And then as more starts to roll out, we're like, okay, this actually is probably going to withstand the test of time.
And so that's where I kind of feel with the copper peptide as well. So what have the studies actually shown on copper tripeptide? Well, one, they've done these cellular studies that have shown that it increases collagen, it increases elastin, and increases glycosaminoglycans or hyaluronic acid in the skin. So that's what it's doing on the cellular level.
But then they've also done clinical studies in humans to show that it increases firmness of the skin. elasticity of the skin, and also helps to eliminate those fine lines and wrinkles in the skin. So we have both the small level, cellular level, bench level work, where you're looking at what's actually happening in the skin and then what actually happens clinically, which is what we like to see with studies. Exactly. You want to complement that pathophysiology that I think we're both obsessed with, and then see if that translates to real work.
results. Another thing to consider when you look up copper tripeptide online is that a couple people propose, is it possible to have too much copper on your skin and is that bad for the skin? So we know that copper in general can generate free radicals and free radicals can damage the skin. So if we're using copper on the skin, is that bad for the skin?
Well, it turns out that this copper tripeptide in every study that it's been used in has actually been shown to be an antioxidant that scavenges free radicals. radicals. So you would think that maybe copper would cause this issue, but there's absolutely no data to suggest that you can have too much copper in your copper tripeptide. And in fact, it's actually going to do the reverse of what you think it would. Which is absurdly counterintuitive.
It's absurd how this all works, but I think it just shows the complexity and the interplay between not only this element itself, but also the peptide formation and the physiology within the skin. There's just so much more to the story, I think, than meets the eye here. And a lot of people didn't understand why this was happening.
Why is this complex now acting as an antioxidant? But it seems that it actually modifies gene expression to be able to act as an antioxidant. So there's a lot of complex things happening.
And I want to read this conclusion from this study in cosmetics. This is from 2015. And their conclusion of the article when they were summarizing copper tripeptide, they said, this molecule is very safe and no issues have ever arisen during its use as a skin cosmetic. or in wound healing study. Now, of course, you can have issues with any ingredient, right?
So I think that might be like a little bit of a reach. There's no data that shows that there's any issues with it, but you could be allergic to any ingredients. Just be aware and just it's not going to work for everybody, but all the data suggests it's going to be safe. So there are studies backing up this claim. In fact, one study compared GHK, the copper peptides, to some of our other hero ingredients like vitamin C and retinoic acid.
And the way this worked, they applied GHK to the thighs for 12 weeks. And at the end of the time period, it had more collagen growth than the vitamin A and the vitamin C groups. And so am I going to say from this study conclusion that copper peptides are now better than retinol? No, I think that these are things that are going to be complementary to each other. So, you know, using retinol at night, using a copper tripeptide serum in the morning.
they're going to complement each other and both of them could boost collagen growth. So I don't think one's going to be a substitute for the other, but ultimately they can have benefit and the studies show that. So overall, this seems to be safe, but what are some ingredients you might not want to use this with?
What you may not want to use it with is vitamin C. And the reason why is because we know that copper itself, copper, the trace element, the metallic ion. can ultimately oxidize vitamin C and make it inactive. And there are studies that show this. Now, copper tripeptide plus vitamin C, who knows, right?
So I would say personally not to use them at the same time of the day. And if you were, at least let one of them dry before applying the other one. But I would prefer to just use the copper tripeptide serum in the morning.
Apply sunscreen and not use vitamin C at least the same time as it just because of the theoretical risk of inactivating it Yeah, I totally agree with that take because if you just deep dive critically think into this It's actually the signaling properties that are doing a lot of the work to help reduce Osteo stress through this GHK as long as it doesn't come in contact with the vitamin C before they're absorbed and active in the skin I think in theory there should be no problem to having the same routine Just not at the same time and there's also the fact that copper is that a cofactor for tyrosinase, the pigment producing enzyme. And so this is something I wouldn't necessarily use with kojic acid because kojic acid interacts with that copper tyrosinase reaction. So those two ingredients might neutralize or cancel each other out. Just theory crafting, but again, something to be considerate about. Yeah, it could make sense.
If you think about the mechanism of kojic acid and then the mechanism of these copper tripeptides, they could cancel each other out theoretically. So again, maybe don't use them at the same time of the day. Okay, so now that we've reviewed the benefits of copper peptides and the studies on it, let's do our product highlights. So today we're reviewing the Biosan Squalane and Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum.
Mouthful here. So let's talk about the packaging here. What do we think? So I'm finding out I'm a big fan of glass. I just like the weight.
I think it's elegant. This also just meets that expectation. So yeah, so it comes in this beautiful glass bottling. And when you open it up... which I like to see for some reason when products have like a color to them.
I think that's the same thing that you see with like that ordinary peeling solution, that red color. This has this slight blue tinge to it from the copper. It's just a pretty product and it doesn't come on blue or anything like that. Don't worry about looking like a smurf while using this product. It has a slight blue tinge to it and that's from the copper that's in it.
Yeah, I guarantee you're not going to see any sort of bluish hue whether you want it or not. It just goes on very light, very matte. This is a really interesting product because not only does it have this copper tripeptide in it, it also has a lot of other supporting ingredients.
So every time I see a product, I read the name. Like, how does it earn the name they gave it? And a lot of times, the product doesn't earn the name they gave it. It's actually very rare that a product earns the name they gave it. I'm like, what does this do?
It says rapid plumping serum. And some of the main ingredients here, we have glycerin with hyaluronic acid. We have squalane and we have polyglutamic acid.
All f***ed. four of them humectants plus some moisturizing benefits as well. I mean, there's four humectants.
So all of that's going to absorb water, bring in water to the top layer of the skin, give volume, plump, plus moisturize. So this is actually targeted to be not just an addition to having its peptides in it, but it's also targeted to be moisturizing, hydrating, and plumping serum. So it's supposed to replace your hyaluronic acid serum in the morning.
You would not have to use a hyaluronic acid serum with this because it's going to do exactly that. And it has hyaluronic acid in it. This is one of those products, and I love this combination too, where you have that immediate benefit. Because you kind of want that little like immediate incentivization with the hyaluronic acid humectants in here.
As well as those long-term benefits here from the tripeptides, which kind of warrants using it daily both now and later. So I love that side of it. In addition to the copper tripeptide, it also has other peptides in them. Those ones don't have as... well defined as a role in the literature, but there are smaller studies that show they also can have antioxidant and collagen boosting benefits.
It's going to have complementing peptides, hydrating ingredients, and soothing ingredients. Some of my favorite soothing ingredients. So it has chameleicinensis, which is a green tea derivative. I'm like in love with this ingredient, by the way. I'm every, I was gonna say every day I'm like looking for a new product.
It's not that, but it's close. So it has camellia sinensis, it has panthenol, which is just a foundational soothing ingredient, has aloe, and I always love how aloe feels on my skin and in product. Turmeric.
Turmeric. It has turmeric. So a lot of calming and soothing ingredients that are complementing this plumping serum with the benefits of GHK copper or copper tripeptide.
So overall, just a very well-rounded product. We like it a lot. I think you're going to see immediate benefits with it from the hydration, but you're also going to see long-term benefits from the peptide.
Now we got to do our application sector. I don't think we're made to do application videos. All right, so we'll give you yours.
This is like the most awkward way we've ever done this. All right. I'm like risking it all. Balancing it on his knee. Okay.
All right. So I like to kind of tap in a little bit. And I don't. And then kind of smooth it.
and then you immediately see that dewy texture to it. It's not oily at all. So that squalane oil in it is very, very light in this product. Biostar's other products have a little bit more of that sort of squalane oil texture to it. This is much more watery.
Yeah. And I think it's interesting too, because I think Dr. Shaw's goal in life has always been to be dewy. Mine has always been to be matte.
But somehow this works for both of our experiences. It's very well balanced. Immediately you kind of get that look, but at the same time.
long-term benefits. It doesn't feel sticky by any means, immediately dry. Texture overall is good. Performance is good. I like it.
Love it. All right. So if you want to shop the rapid plumping serum, we'll put a link in the description, but also... Exclusive doctorly bundle of our favorite Biosans products that you can shop for a deep discount and depending on what time you shop at the discount will be different but ultimately you get the rapid plumping serum. You also get the marine algae eye cream which everyone knows that I'm obsessed with.
I use it twice a day on my eyelids, my very sensitive eyelids. You know kind of dab it in, spread it. It's amazing. It's one of my favorites. You get a probiotic gel moisturizer, super lightweight moisturizer that I put on before I film video.
It gives you that dewy finish that i love and he doesn't we love this deep discount make sure you shop the links in our description and uh check out these products yeah great products probiotics which we need to talk about more and we will because they really do bring value to a product and value to your skin they help offset inflammation help with the microbiome which we also need to talk about at some point but great products i think you'll enjoy them so thank you all so much for tuning in please like comment and subscribe And we'll see you in the next video. We'll see you next time. Yeah, great products, great ingredients, lactic acid, just like a very effective glycolic bath.
And then another thing. Gotta get the eyelash out. So a little fact, I always wondered this myself.
When you get something in your eye, like a bug, it doesn't roll into the back of your eyeball. Like these things can't roll behind your eye. I worried about that when I was a kid because it's actually... Believe it or not, the white part of your eye and the thin film over it and like clear, almost skin-like lining is confluent. It touches the rest of your skin, including this mucosa here.
You can't get things behind your eye like eyelashes or bones. It's called the conjunctiva and it doesn't allow things to get behind your eye. Fun fact.
All right. So let's rewind a little bit here. Rewind. What is the function of copper in our skin in the first place? Because copper is actually in a sense.
essential metal ion it's a metal ion yeah well yeah it's okay so it's a okay all right