Want to add peptides to an existing serum? It’s a wonderful way to elevate a serum and reach a new luxury market. Peptides are increasingly popular, and Essential currently offers 2 types of peptides that can be added to the end phase of a formulation. This means you can simply add a few drops of your desired peptide solution to one of our serums, mix, and enjoy! It’s an easy DIY way to add peptides to your products, and we’d love to hear what you and your customers think!
And first, a little background refresher.
What are Peptides?
Peptides are the building blocks of proteins, made up of two or more (up to about 50) amino acids, and they can be found throughout your body. The main difference between peptides and proteins is the number of amino acids used to make up the molecules—proteins tend to have more than 50 amino acids.
Collagen, elastin, and keratin are all proteins, and certain peptides form parts of those proteins. Given that collagen may have too large a molecular weight to be absorbed, peptides are one of the better options to achieve that youthful glow we are all in pursuit of!
Recipe Guidelines: Adding a peptide to a pre-made serum
One of the best things about peptides is that they’re easy to work with and add to a pre-existing formula, in addition to being wonderful ingredients!
As always, we recommend adding additional ingredients in small amounts, measuring and keeping track as you go, and then scaling up from there.
Usage Notes: Peptides are sensitive to heat and pH, so we recommend avoiding combining peptides with AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) products. You’ll notice that the below peptides have relatively low heating range (just 100°F).
Here are some of our favorite serums, creams, and best sellers to use as a base:
- Niacinamide Facial Serum
- Supreme Facial Serum
- Antioxidant Facial Serum
- CoQ10 Hydrating Cream-to-Gel
- Rooibos Eye Cream
How to Add Peptides to an Existing Serum
Equipment Needed:
- Scale with 2 decimal places
- Metal or glass bowl
- Smaller bowl for measuring
- Spoon or stirring implement
- Sanitizing spray for the area
- Funnel to pour off into packaging
Let’s say you want to add 2% of the Tripeptide Solution to our best selling Niacinamide Serum.
Directions:
- Let’s start with 1.0 lb of Niacinamide Serum (roughly 16 fl. oz).
- 2% of that would be 0.02 lbs (this is, roughly, less than half an ounce). Carefully measure out into your smaller bowl, and then add to your serum.
- Mix thoroughly with a sanitized implement and pour off into your packaging. Don’t forget to sanitize your funnel if you’re using one!
Resource: Weight vs. Volume When Measuring Ingredients & Formulated Goods
Tripeptide Solution
International Nomenclature (INCI): Palmitoyl tripeptide-5, glycerin, water
- Ideal For: Moisturizing and rejuvenating maturing skin, specifically the eye area
- Use In: Serums, creams, lotions, gels
- Usage Rate: 1% – 3%
- How to Use:
- Water soluble.
- Add to the end phase of your formulation.
- Do not heat above 100°F
Octapeptide Solution
International Nomenclature (INCI): Water (Aqua), Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Caprylyl Glycol
- Ideal For: Helping maturing skin look conditioned and soft
- Use In: Serums, creams, lotions, gels
- Usage Rate: 3% – 10%
- How to Use:
- Water soluble.
- Add to the water phase or end phase of a formulation.
- Do not heat above 100°F
