If you already like your moisturizer
If you want to try peptides and keep the cream you already like, a serum can fit between cleansing and moisturizing. The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is one example. The brand describes it as water-based and directs you to dispense a few drops onto your face in the morning and evening, before your moisturizer.
The bottle has a dropper, so you can count out those drops. If your moisturizer sits well under makeup, you can keep using it. The question is how the two layers feel together. A water-based formula can still feel tacky to you, and the description alone gives you little sense of how your foundation will sit on top.
If you’re replacing an empty jar
A peptide moisturizer lets you try peptides in a step you already have. Drunk Elephant describes its Protini Polypeptide Firming Refillable Moisturizer as a lightweight gel-cream and directs you to apply it to clean, dry skin morning and night. If your usual evening routine is a cleanser followed by a moisturizer, you can keep it to those two steps.
Protini’s standard 50 mL jar has a pump. Press down on the top to dispense the cream. If you’re buying it for the first time, look at the size selector. The brand sells both the complete jar and a 50 mL refill for the container you already own.
Frequently asked questions
Which format contains more peptides?
To compare concentrations, you’d need the amount of each peptide per gram of finished product. Pumps and drops are handy for following the directions. You can count out the same number each night and still have no way to calculate the amount of peptide in that application.
Do all peptide serums come with droppers?
Packaging varies. For example, Mora’s Daily Peptide Serum is a gel-serum in an airless pump bottle, while its Soft Landing Cream comes in a wide-mouth jar. If a dropper is awkward for you to handle, you can still choose a serum. Check the dispenser alongside the texture when you compare products.
