A while back Environ sent me a few products including their Environ Focus Care Youth+ Tri-Peptide Complex Avance Elixir (R1 360). When it comes to collagen-encouraging ingredients, I tend to put my money on high concentration retinol and vitamin C as they’re more independently researched, but peptides do show promise so they’re a fab ‘nice to have’.

Environ’s new serum contains a whack of them so, to make things easier, I’m breaking tit down like this:

Tripeptide-10 Citrulline – the manufacturer of this ingredient says it can help ‘trick’ old collagen fibres into behaving as though they’re young again.
Tripeptide-1 – a signalling peptide that can teach sun damaged areas to rejuvenate themselves.
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (a blend of palmitoyl oligopeptide and palmitoyl tetrapeptide known as Matrixyl 3000) – said to mimic the appearance of ‘broken’ collagen which stimulates your skin to ‘repair’ itself by making more of it.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 (Matrixyl Synthe 6) – this is also said to boost collagen production and, as an added bonus, stimulate hydrating hyaluronic acid. The study from which this was gleaned was run by Sederma, the ingredient’s manufacturer, who used a concentration of 2%. I’m not sure what percentage Environ’s product contains.

Peptide cocktail aside, Environ’s also included a mix of Chinese root extracts that have wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin lightening properties.

I’ve been using it for a while under my daily moisturiser and really like its water-like texture. Like for real. It literally comes out the bottle like water. Being an oily-skinned girl, this is great. So many adjunctive products (anything you’d pair with a moisturiser) become ‘a serum’ and the moment I hear those words I brace myself for an overload of grease-exacerbating silicone. But this guy’s silicone-free!

I have no idea whether it’s ‘working’. I currently don’t have pigmentation it might lift and anyone who tells you their skin looks less lined/more plump after using any collagen encourager for just a few weeks is talking crap. That’s not to mean it isn’t making a difference, however. Boosting your collagen supply is a long game and even a super potent retinol serum has never made a visible difference to my skin’s firmness or wrinkles in the short term.

While I’d still like to see more independent clinical trials relating to peptides, the few that are out there are good ones. Also, a great anti-ageing focused skincare regime requires a village of ingredients, not just one, so the more collagen encouragers the better. So, if you’re looking for a peptide cocktail with the added bonus of plant-based antioxidants, Environ’s new elixir is worth a look.

Love, love

Leigh