Patent Insights: Peptide-driven Skin- and Haircare
Recent patents reveal peptides that support skin and hair by balancing the microbiome, regulating gene expression and improving penetration for heightened efficacy.
Trusted by leading global brands
Collapse All
-
- What you need to know
-
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Peptides rank among the top five most recognised beauty ingredients
- Graph 1: awareness of ingredients in beauty and grooming products, 2025
- Consumers associate peptides with anti-ageing benefits and haircare and highly value effective ingredient absorption for enhanced results
-
PRODUCT INNOVATION TRENDS
- Peptides are gaining traction across skincare and haircare
- Graph 2: % of launches that contain peptides as an ingredient, by category, 2021-26
- Launches contain peptides to unclog pores, reduce inflammation, improve scalp health and use delivery techniques to improve their efficacy
-
THE PATENT LANDSCAPE
- Patent activity for peptide-based skin- and haircare has doubled in the last decade, showing strong innovation momentum
- Graph 3: patents related to the use of peptides in skin- and haircare products, 2016-26
- China dominates patent grants for peptides in skin- and haircare
- Caregen Co leads innovation in peptide patents for skin- and haircare
- Graph 4: top 10 organisations with granted patents related to peptides for skin- and haircare, 2026
- Leverage peptides for targeted skin benefits
- Peptides in skincare are primarily positioned for hydration and anti-ageing benefits
- Graph 5: % of skincare launches with peptide ingredients that feature selected beauty claims, 2021-26
- Peptides help repair the skin barrier and boost collagen for healthier skin
- Peptides enhance microbiome balance and gene signalling for anti-ageing benefits
- Researchers uncover peptides that regulate moisture-related and anti-inflammatory markers to improve skin health
- Leverage peptides to reduce hyperpigmentation by regulating melanin production
- Elevate hair health with peptides
- In haircare, peptides are linked to repair and hydration
- Graph 6: % of hair product launches with peptide ingredients that feature selected claims, 2021-26
- Haircare launches feature turmeric and biomimetic peptides to boost hair health
- Peptides that promote cell proliferation, reduce inflammation and modulate stress- and androgen-related pathways may mitigate hairloss
- Innovators are exploring peptides that activate hair follicle genes, boost collagen synthesis and increase growth factors
- Improve peptide delivery for better efficacy
- Launches use low-molecular-weight ingredients and micro-pressure technology to enhance peptide efficacy
- Patents demonstrate the use of lipids and nanoparticles to improve peptide delivery for enhanced effectiveness
- Structurally modifying peptides enhances skin penetration, boosting the effectiveness of active compounds
- Peptide innovations enhance efficacy by improving the delivery of active ingredients and film-forming functions
-
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Key takeaways
-
APPENDIX
- Research methodology
- Key patent examples for peptides used in skin- and haircare
Recent patents reveal peptides that support skin and hair by balancing the microbiome, regulating gene expression and improving penetration for heightened efficacy.
Neha Srivastava, Senior Patent Analyst – Food & Drink and Beauty & Personal Care
£ 2,195 excl. Tax
Secure direct checkout
Instant PDF download
Portal access included
Need help deciding?
Get in touch
Trusted by global industry leaders
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.
Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.
Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.
By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.
For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.
Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.
We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.
We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.
Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
