Amino-peptide complexes?!

[Guest Recusant]

I was sitting down the other day, lazing in front of the tv when an Olay advert comes on and starts talking about "amino-peptide complexes"

Now my knowledge of chemistry is purely A-level standard so maybe I've yet to learn a certain section of chemistry but if I recall correctly a peptide link is formed when two amino acids are condensed together!

Now as a single amino acid, I could imagine it forming a zwitterion and becoming a dipole sufficient to form a ligand with a transition metal, but is it still even possible for a polypeptide to become a ligand?

From my knowledge of chemistry so far it would appear claims of "amino-peptide complexes" are contradictory in at least 2 ways.

Is the Olay company selling its cosmetics using pseudo-science or have I missed something?

[wolfson]

I think what is was meaning is the so called anti-ageing products that contain Alpha Hydroxy Acids ect....

[Glider]

Cosmetic companies base most of their sales strategies on psuedo-scientific babble. That's why they use terms like "Contains Rejuviyouthwrinkle-eliminaticol!" (for example). The terms are meaningless in the context of actual substances (which will be mainly an oil-water emulsion with colour and perfume), but it does evoke in the minds of the target population the words 'youth' , 'rejuvination', and 'wrinkle elimination'. The more realistic scientific terms are included principally to provide credibility. Every couple of years or so, studies are carried out which show these things do not do what they claim to do, the advertising standards people warn the cosmetics companies, they readdress their ad strategies for a while, then the whole cycle starts again.

 

A dictionary definition of 'cosmetic': "Improving something only outwardly". That should be the guiding principle when evaluating the claims of these companies.