Smiling Gives You Wrinkles
What The Hell Are Peptides? And Does Your Skin Need Them?
Published: 21 May 2026 at 05:15 Europe/London
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Episode notes
It feels like every beauty brand is yelling at us about peptides right now. They’re promising "Botox in a bottle," instant youth, and total skin transformation. And in my 25+ years as a beauty editor, I've seen many ingredient trends come and go - some are a waste of time, but some are actually worth jumping on - and peptides definitely fall into the latter category.
So to break past the glossy marketing campaigns and get the real, clinical truth about peptides, I sat down with my brilliant friend and top dermatologist, Dr. Justine Kluk to find out what they actually are and how they actually work.
Here is a list of the products mentioned in this episode:
- Medik8 Liquid Peptides My absolute go-to for high-tech skin smoothing and glow.
- SkinCeuticals P-TIOX The formula Dr. Kluk loves. I don't buy that anything is Botox in a Bottle but after trying it for a few weeks I'm impressed with the glowy finish it gives my skin.
- Beauty Pie Youthbomb™ 360° Radiance Concentrate This contains 18 skin-strengthening peptides to target dryness and firmness.
- No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal UV Defence Shield SPF 50 Love this for everyday protection and peptide repair! It's a great makeup primer too.
- Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair This has been part of my skincare routine for years and the one I always recommend to my friends.
I'm also going to add this list to my website thebeautyed.com - don't forget to subscribe if you visit!
And also, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and also Smiling Gives You Wrinkles®
