When you hear the words quality protein, you likely think of hard-boiled eggs, flaked tuna, or a heaping scoop of whey powder. (And probably not your skin-care products!) But as the most plentiful substance in our bodies after water, proteins are, in fact, the building blocks of skin. Every function of your outermost layer relies on them, but surprisingly little is understood about how this vast network, known as the skin proteome, functions as a whole. Experts have a grasp on the biggies, like collagen and elastin, but there are thousands of other such proteins whose job remains unclear.

That’s starting to change. Thanks to new research technology, scientists are learning more about the less-well-known proteins of this proteome and the role they play in skin aging and disease. And it’s leading to advances in products and treatments, along with fresh insight into the role of diet and overall wellness. To be clear, you may already be doing a lot to support your skin proteome, but we’re discovering that there are other ways to get even more plumping, glowing, smoothing benefits.

So, What Is The Skin Proteome?

Like the microbiome before it, the inner workings of the proteome are the next big frontier in skin care to be explored, researchers say. It’s part of an area of study called proteomics, and as you read this, experts are hard at work mapping every single protein found in the body. “Every organ, from the lungs to the liver to our largest, the skin, is made up of thousands of different proteins,” says Michael Sherratt, PhD, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Manchester in England. Some are unique to their location; others, like collagen, can be found in multiple areas, like your bones, connective tissue, and, of course, your skin.

What’s so intriguing about this research, which began in earnest in the early 2000s, is that, “while genomes can predict a person’s disease risk in the future, proteomes are good indicators of the current state of health of individual organs, because they can be influenced by environment, lifestyle, and behavior,” says Sherratt. The insights that individual proteomes could provide is one of the biggest reasons dermatologic scientists want to create a database of every known protein found in skin—painstaking work that is in motion and could take years to complete. “To understand all that goes on in the skin, we have to know everything that’s in the skin,” says Eleanor Bradley, PhD, senior scientist at No7, a cosmetic brand that has partnered with the University of Manchester to lead research in this area. “Knowing which proteins are present is just the beginning,” adds Sherratt. “We’ve developed new techniques to screen proteins to identify damage, allowing us to better understand how to prevent or repair it.”

What Do We Know About The Skin Proteome So Far?

To date, the University of Manchester and No7 researchers have identified more than 3,000 proteins in skin and presented their findings at the 2023 American Academy of Dermatology conference. (At the time of this story’s publication, the study had been submitted to a top journal.) The proteins we know the most about right now are structural ones, like collagen (your complexion’s main support system), elastin (it provides stretch and elasticity), and keratin (this one binds cells together). Then there are specialized proteins like fibrillin (which helps keep skin bouncy), fibronectin (essential to tissue repair), and laminin (involved in healing damage). But researchers believe there could be thousands more that haven’t yet been named.

Through proteomics, scientists are learning how the main skin proteins become damaged and what role their supporters play. “This could translate into new therapies for conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and breakouts, since we now know that certain skin proteins can exacerbate acne or make you more prone to it,” says Jessie Cheung, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Chicago. Some studies even found that proteins are involved in most skin cancers.

How does all this factor into how we care for our complexion? “For years, skin care has been aimed at encouraging plentiful amounts of proteins like collagen and elastin to be produced,” says dermatologist Julie E. Russak, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Today, research is showing that it’s not just about how much of a certain protein there is, but also how that protein is organized and functioning. Take elastin, for example: “You could have a lot of it, but if it’s disorganized or clumped together, it’s not going to firm and lift the skin,” says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, founder of the skin-care brand BeautyStat. It’s a combination of quantity and quality.

Scientists are also trying to determine how other, less-understood proteins function, so as to develop more targeted solutions. One example is fibrillin, which gives skin youthful bounce, says Bradley. Skin that lacks fibrillin won’t be as firm or smooth—and proteomics suggests this may have less to do with chronological age and more with cumulative sun exposure (fibrillin is highly UV sensitive). Increasingly, says Dr. Russak, “we’re understanding which skin proteins change with age and which change with injury, which helps us figure out what we can do to stimulate their repair.”

How To Protect Your Proteins

While developing new and novel treatments is the goal, experts urge you, for now, to keep doing what the pros preach. First, slather on sunscreen and an antioxidant serum to shield UV-sensitive proteins from damage, says Robinson. Then continue—or start—using “the gold-standard ingredients that help stimulate the main proteins, such as retinoids like OTC retinol and vitamin C,” he adds. Buzzy ingredients like growth factors and stem cell–derived exosomes are promising innovations that have also been shown to stimulate skin cells to churn out healthy collagen, says Dr. Russak. “Exosomes are tiny nutrient-filled sacs released by every cell in our body, and they play an essential role in cellular communication,” she says. “In this way, exosome products could reduce the signs of aging, improve texture, and enhance reparative processes.”

But while everything mentioned above is great at stimulating new collagen and, to a lesser extent, elastin, the ingredients can’t repair damaged proteins. What seems to be initially promising in that regard: peptides. These short chains of amino acids, which can be targeted and tweaked in a lab, are the building blocks of the natural proteins in our body. “When proteins break down, they release peptides,” says Bradley. “Your skin senses these fragments floating around, a signal that damage has occurred, and its self-repair process kicks in.” Applying peptides topically triggers this same process, nudging skin to replenish its store of healthy, well-functioning proteins.

To that end, scientists from the University of Manchester and No7 identified the peptides released when proteins that support skin function—collagen, elastin, and fibrillin—break down. Using this information, No7 created a patent-pending complex that they call a “super peptide” blend, available in their Future Renew skin-care range. This proprietary technology targets the cumulative damage to 50-plus proteins both on and under the surface of skin, triggering their repair and restoration—a promising innovation that shows that as our knowledge of the skin proteome becomes more sophisticated, products developed to address it may follow suit.

Products For Your Proteome

No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Cream

Backed by five peer-reviewed studies, No7’s Future Renew line contains a novel peptide blend that spurs skin’s natural repair process.

Alastin SilkSHIELD All Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

This sunscreen shields skin from UV damage and has a peptide blend that clears away compromised collagen and elastin.

Plated Skin Science Daily Serum

Exosomes derived from human platelet cells (a hot new technology) deliver growth factors that help to bolster your proteome.

BIOEFFECT EGF Serum

Formulated with an epidermal growth factor derived from barley, this serum supports skin’s natural production of firming collagen.

iS Clinical iS Clinical Retinol+ Emulsion 0.3 30g

Retinol is a proven collagen booster. Here, it’s encapsulated in bioidentical lipids so it effectively penetrates skin to work its magic.

Looking ahead, an ingredient piquing researchers’ interest is Gravityl, a bioengineered version of a red macroalgae, which was created by cosmetic manufacturer Givaudan and is not yet available. “Gravityl improves elastin organization and the production of collagens I and III,” says Robinson, which helps fight and reverse the effects of gravity on skin. Givaudan studies show it reduced double-chin volume in one month, and experts believe it will likely make its way into skin care soon.

While you may be tempted to chug a collagen beverage or pop a pill after reading all of this protein chatter, topical products are your best bet. “When you eat collagen, it goes to your gut and connective tissue, like your joints, first,” says Dr. Cheung. “Some small studies suggest it may eventually make it to your skin, but I generally advise my patients not to expect ‘wow’ results.” A better inside-out approach is through diet.

Eat Your Way To Better Skin

It’s not just the products you use—here, advice on how to nurture your skin’s proteome from nutritionist and health coach Jennifer Hanway, who’s worked with A-list celebrities and Olympic athletes.

• Aim for 25-30 grams of healthy protein at each meal. Chicken breast, fish, lean beef and pork, tofu, tempeh, and quinoa are loaded with amino acids, the building blocks of skin’s proteins.
• Eat plenty of antioxidant-rich produce. Fruits and veggies helpvskin ward off free radical–induced dam-age to your proteins. So do nuts and seeds, cacao, green tea, and extra-virgin olive oil.
• Curb sweets and refined carbs. They trigger advanced glycation end products(AGEs), harmful molecules that break down collagen, elastin, and other skin proteins.
• Try to reduce stress. Cortisol, our body’s stress hormone, damages skin’s proteome, weakening its functions and speeding up skin aging.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t the last time you’ll hear about the skin proteome. “There’s so much research going on, with many more discoveries to be made,” says Dr. Russak. Our experts believe that the next benchmark, after repair of damaged proteins, will be ways to stop their degradation in the first place. UV exposure and pollution are big offenders, but anything we put inside our bodies can affect the function and integrity of skin’s proteins, says Dr. Russak. “That’s why we advocate for a healthy diet with as few preservatives and sugars as possible.” Duly (or doubly!) noted.