Alastin

Most anti-ageing ingredients aim to stimulate production of new collagen and elastin. Alastin's proposition adds a step before that.

With age and UV exposure, collagen and elastin fibres become fragmented. Damaged elastin in particular accumulates as disorganised material in sun-exposed skin. The argument is that this debris occupies the space where new fibres would form, and that clearing it produces a better environment for renewal.

The peptides carrying this are hexapeptide-11 and acetyl tetrapeptide-2, patented together as TriHex Technology. Alastin have published studies using biopsy and histological assessment rather than appearance alone, which is a higher standard of evidence than most cosmetic peptide claims rest on. The research is almost entirely company-funded, which is normal for proprietary technology rather than a mark against it, but worth knowing.

The brand is closely associated with aesthetic procedures, and several products are formulated for use before and after treatment.

TriHex is not uniform across the range. Of the products we stock, only some contain both signature peptides. Others carry one, and several carry different peptides entirely. We note which on each product page.

Most of the range is fragrance-free. Five of the seven products we stock contain no fragrance, no essential oils and no declared allergens. That is unusual in this category and makes Alastin a reasonable option if you react to scented products.

Several products contain animal-derived ingredients. Lactoferrin is milk-derived and appears in several formulations, so those are not vegan and are relevant if you have a milk allergy.

The range we stock contains no retinoids or acids. Alastin's approach here is peptide-led rather than active-led, which makes these products well tolerated and slower to show results. Alastin do produce a retinol elsewhere in their international range; it is not part of what we carry.