The cosmetic industry requires a variety of ingredients for skincare products such as peptides, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory vegetable substances and polysaccharides. At first, peptides were noticed in cosmetics due to the discovery of their beneficial effects in wound healing, and then most of the peptides used in cosmetics were designed to deal with skin aging. Increased knowledge of the molecular details of skin aging processes has made a significant contribution to the discovery of anti-aging agents. Some of the beneficial uses of cosmetic peptides in skin and hair care include:

• Improved skin firmness via stimulation of collagen and elastin production.
• Diminish the appearance of wrinkles.
• Skin lightening and elimination of hyper-pigmentation.
• Stimulator of melanin to preserve the color of the hair.
• Antimicrobial properties.
• Wound healing.
• Anti-inflammatory properties.

Due to the aging of the population and the increasing desire of people to keep their skin youthful, cosmetic industry research has focused on anti-aging skin treatment, and today more than 30 peptides are used in this field, and more are in development.