YNS Medspa Intensive Peptide Complex pretty much had me at hello with power peptides making up the first four ingredients (after HO2).  Skimming over the rest of the list I was willing to engage in a friendly conversation. And with the price at $65 we could be talking friendship.

Intensive Peptide Complex found me and the nice people there sent a sample so I can’t claim credit for tracking this one down. Behind YNS (which stands for Younger New Skin) are the Breusch sisters (Ann and Natasha) and with the help of Dr Mine Kurtay they seem to go for a mix of botanicals shot with some of the cutting edge laboratory grown actives. For example, another product of theirs has the recently introduced Renovage that is used by Osmotics and Your Best Face.

Intensive Peptide Complex Radiance majors on two neuropeptides Argireline and Pentapeptide-18 (which also goes by the name of Leuphasyl) that work by inhibiting the muscle movements that cause expression lines. Then there are collagen building Matrixyl 3000 and SYN-COLL. The (manufacturer’s) claims for Syn-Coll are eye-brow raising, to say the least. Collagen production is increased by 119% and the manufacturer says it will actually remove wrinkles. It is claimed that a 2.5% concentration of Syn-Coll outperforms Matrixyl (Matrixyl 3000’s sister peptide) at 10%.

L-proline is also a good inclusion. One-sixth of collagen, a major building block of skin (and its youthful appearance) is comprised of proline. According to research, Proline can break down protein to help create healthy cells and connective tissues, promoting firmer, glowing skin and reducing sagging, wrinkles and aging of skin due to sun exposure.

With yeast and milk protein, plus sodium hyaluronate, this potion may indeed prove to be “intensive”.  There are useful botanicals as well, such as butcher’s broom and horse chestnut, which contain chemicals that attach to and strengthen blood vessels, and soothing calendula.

YNS has to be commended for what it has left out too. There isn’t a silicone in site and, apart from phenoxyethanol and butylene glycol, there is nothing not to like. I’ll be testing this over the coming weeks and will let you know how it works out.

Ingredients:

Aqua (water), Acetyl-Hexapeptide -3 (Argireline®), Pentapeptide-18 (Leuphasyl®), Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (Matrixyl® 3000), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 (SYN®-COLL), Sodium Hyaluronate (humectant), Sodium PCA (humectant), Aloe Barbadensis (emollient), Panthenol (skin conditioning), Simmondsia Chinensis Oil (jojoba oil emollient), Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (shea butter emollient), Acetylated Cetyl Hydroxyprolinate (L-proline), Hydrolyzed Milk Protein (skin conditioning), Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein (skin conditioning), Coco-Caprylate/Caprate (emollient), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (emollient), Cetearyl Alcohol (emollient), Cetearyl Glucoside (emulsifying), Ruscus Aculeatus Extract (butcherbroom soothing), Cellulose Gum (visocity controlling), Glycerin (humectant), Allantoin (soothing), Centella Asiatica Extract (leaves of the hydrocotyl soothing), Calendula Officinalis Oil (emollient), Cucumus Sativa Oil (cucumber oil emollient), Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract (horse chestnut seed astringent), Fructose (humectant), Gluconolactone (humectant), Benzyl PCA Phenoxyethanol. Butylene Glycol (preservative).