How to heal faster from sunburn with Copper Peptides
This past month, I have had several customers ask about using Copper Peptides (GHK-Cu) for sunburn. GHK-Cu, the great wound healer, can be a great protector as well as a healer for sun damage. Today, I would like to share more about how it works.
What happens when your skin gets sunburned?
Sunburn is a radiation burn caused when the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays damage DNA in the upper layer of skin cells. The sun emits three kinds of UV radiation - UVA, B, and C. UVC is mainly absorbed by the earth's atmosphere, but UVA and B rays reach the ground and can penetrate unprotected skin.
UVB penetrates the epidermis, the top layer of the skin, which can induce a suntan and sunburn. It can also cause DNA damage. UVA has low energy and never burns the skin. However, it is the most dangerous type of UV radiation as it can penetrate much more profoundly than any other UV radiation, damaging skin collagen and cell DNA.
Once the cells of the top layer of skin (called keratinocytes) detect DNA damage in themselves, they begin producing molecules to attract immune cells into the skin. This action causes the skin's blood vessels to leak into the spaces between cells and other skin structures.
This extra fluid and the swelling leads to red skin, a hot sensation, and painful sensitivity of freshly sunburnt skin.
Immune cell invasion begins while you're still sitting in the sun but increases about an hour after you come in from the sun. The process peaks 24 to 48 hours later, which is why the redness and pain of a sunburn can continue developing for a couple of days.
How do Copper Peptides help?
Copper Peptides demonstrate remarkable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant power that can speed up sunburn healing and help treat the redness caused by sunburn inflammation. Research shows that GHK-Cu increases the healing rate following burn by as much as 33%. In addition to recruiting immune cells and fibroblasts, GHK-Cu promotes blood vessel growth, crucial in wound healing as burned skin often has impaired blood vessel regeneration. (See Research)
What about DNA Damage? DNA damage occurs to radiated skin and radiation in general. The presence of Copper Peptides initiates the DNA repair process. When fibroblasts, the repair cells of the skin, are exposed to radiation, they're then able to replicate themselves, as well as fibroblasts not exposed to radiation.
To demonstrate the healing power of Vitali Serum with Copper Peptides, here are before and after photos from a Vitali customer who suffered a second degree burn while cooking. She used the serum on the wounds immediately and twice a day for two weeks. (on the left is before, middle is one week, on the right is two weeks)
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In addition to the sunburn and DNA healing that GHK-Cu offers, Vitali's skincare products are formulated with multiple ingredients that heal sun-damaged skin. The Skin Cell Restorative Serum (available in 2% and 3% GHK-Cu strength) is formulated with other natural skin-healing ingredients that help you recover from too much sun. Some of these ingredients include:
Macrocystis Pyrifera (Giant Sea Kelp) which replenishes proteins and minerals lost in the sun, firms the appearance of skin and protects against photo-aging,
Allantoin is a botanical extract found in the comfrey root. It is moisturizing and can also cause the keratin in the skin to soften. The softening enables the skin to heal quickly and bind moisture more effectively, making it ideal for dry skin, wound healing, burns, and scars.
Silk Amino Acids from the silkworm's cocoon have a chemical composition close to protein in human skin. It has been shown to inhibit the formation of excess melanin in the skin, helping prevent dark spots and freckles.
Once you've applied the serum, you can layer more hydration and moisture with Vitali's Skin Awakening Moisturizer and Restorative Body Cream. Both combine Copper Peptides with natural and organic ingredients such as Sea Buckthorn to strengthen skin and Shea Butter, known for healing irritated and stressed skin. The moisturizer includes Jojoba Seed Oil, which provides a durable layer of moisture for the skin, while the Body Cream contains both Aloe Leaf Juice and Aloe Butter.
Undoubtedly, it is better not to be overexposed to the sun. Use Vitali serum with Copper Peptides followed by mineral sunscreen BEFORE sun exposure. However, if and when sunburn happens, you can speed up the recovery with Vitali Copper Peptide products.