Episode 5 | Peptides & “Botox in a Bottle”? What No One’s Telling You!

Have beauty trends have officially lost the plot?  In this episode, we break down peptides: what they are, why they’re everywhere, and how they’ve gone from skincare ingredient to full-blown injectable trend. From “botox-like” serums to regenerative and performance peptides, we unpack what’s real, what’s marketing, and what’s still a bit of a grey area. We also get into the rise of ingredient-led skincare, the skin barrier era, and the growing conversation around transparency in the beauty industry — including whether influencers should be disclosing treatments behind their glow-ups. Plus, your weirdest beauty trend confessions and a few things we’ll never be trying again. ________ Show Notes: Weird beauty trends you've tried — OPI shatter nail polish, at-home dermaplaning, dry shampoo as a dermaplaning guide, nappy rash cream for skincare, and more listener confessions Press-on nails update — Studio Hugh press-on nails review and why they're a game-changer Primers: Do you actually need one? — Why a well-prepped base might be all you need What are peptides? — Short chains of amino acids that act as biological messengers for your skin cells Types of peptides in skincare — Signal peptides, carrier peptides (copper peptides), enzyme inhibitor peptides, and neurotransmitter-inhibiting ("Botox-like") peptides Peptides beyond skincare — Hormonal peptides (Ozempic/GLP-1s), healing & regenerative peptides, and performance & longevity peptides Are peptides the new Botox? — The conversation around transparency, glow-ups, and undisclosed treatments Should influencers disclose treatments? — The ethics of beauty transparency on social media The rise of ingredient-focused skincare — How TikTok and short-form content changed the beauty conversation Korean skincare & the skin barrier trend — Why less can be more with active ingredients Injectable peptides: risks & concerns — Lack of clinical evidence, unregulated sources, potential tumor growth stimulation (BPC-157), stacking risks, and immune responses Allergic reactions from repeated exposure — Real stories about developing allergies to hair dye, gel nails, and latex gloves Mentioned: Studio Hue, The Ordinary, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Josh Hamill, Kim Kardashian, Ryan Murphy's The Beauty ________ Our signature glossy* theme track by Mike Newport (@mikenewportmusic) and SIDD (@iamsiddmusic) 🎶 🎧 Listen on Spotify 📸 Follow for behind-the-scenes → @glossypod 💌 Submit your Glossy Goss dilemmas → slide into our insta DMsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.