Collagen is the scaffolding that keeps skin firm. The ECM is the larger network around it, including elastin and glycosaminoglycans, which add elasticity, resilience, and hydration. As we age, both decline.
Vitamin C and peptides protect and rebuild this system, but they do it in different, complementary ways.
The extracellular matrix is the network of proteins and molecules surrounding your skin cells that holds everything together. Think of it as the scaffolding beneath the surface, giving skin its firmness, elasticity, and ability to hold onto moisture. Collagen is the best-known piece of it, but the ECM also includes elastin, which lets skin snap back, and glycosaminoglycans like hyaluronic acid, which draw in water.
What vitamin C does: defense, construction, brightening
Daily exposure to UV rays and pollution generates free radicals, unstable molecules that damage collagen and weaken skin's structure. Vitamin C, specifically L-ascorbic acid, the form we use in Glow Maker, is one of the primary antioxidants in skin. It helps neutralize free radicals and reinforce your skin's natural defense system.
Vitamin C also plays a direct role in collagen production. In studies of postmenopausal women and people with sun-damaged skin, topical vitamin C increased collagen levels.
It's also a strong brightening agent. Vitamin C is a tyrosinase inhibitor, which helps reduce hyperpigmentation over time.
Tyrosinase is the enzyme your skin uses to produce melanin, the pigment behind dark spots and uneven tone. A tyrosinase inhibitor slows that enzyme down, so less melanin gets produced in the first place. Over time, this can help fade existing dark spots and reduce new ones from forming.
What peptides do: construction, preservation, hydration
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as signaling molecules. Certain peptides, like GHK and copper peptides, tell skin to produce more collagen and ECM components. These peptides naturally decline with age, and replenishing them can help support skin firmness.
Other peptides help reduce the look of expression lines, slow collagen breakdown, and improve hydration. Peptide Squad combines several of these, each targeting a different pathway.
Why the combination matters
Vitamin C and peptides complement each other in keeping skin firmer.
Vitamin C protects existing collagen from breaking down, and it's an essential cofactor your skin needs to produce new collagen in the first place. Peptides work as signaling molecules, activating skin cells to produce more collagen and ECM components.
Using one helps. Using both covers more ground.
Think of it as a key ingredient a recipe can't work without. Your skin has the machinery to make collagen, but without vitamin C, the process can't proceed. Vitamin C is what makes that biological process go.
Where the idea for Peptide Squad came from
Glow Maker was Maelove's first product, built as an effective, affordable alternative to serums that could cost over $150. It's been our best seller since 2017. Over the years, we noticed something in how customers got the best results from it: the ones seeing the most change weren't using Glow Maker alone. They were pairing it with proven ingredients like retinoids, niacinamide, and peptides.
Our founder, Jackie, ran into that firsthand. When she became pregnant and retinoids were off the table, she started looking for something else that could pair with vitamin C as the second half of a simple, effective routine. As she put it:
"That's how Peptide Squad came to be. Glow Maker is lightweight and fast-absorbing, delivering antioxidant protection. Peptide Squad is richer and more hydrating, combining multiple peptide classes with niacinamide, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. Together, they give a streamlined routine with maximum impact."
Designed to work together
Not all active ingredients layer well. Some combinations can irritate skin or reduce effectiveness. We built these two formulas specifically to be compatible:
- No ingredient conflicts
- No interference with absorption
- Minimal risk of irritation when layered
You can use them together without having to guess at the order or worry about canceling each other out.
How to use them
Apply Glow Maker first. Give it about a minute to absorb, then follow with Peptide Squad, then moisturizer.
You can use both morning, night, or both. About two out of three of our customers use both twice a day. Others use Glow Maker in the morning and Peptide Squad at night. Both approaches work.
If you're planning to keep both in your routine long-term, we offer them together as a Wrinkle Treatment Kit at a lower price than buying separately.
If you have questions about the science or the routine, reply to any of our emails. Our team reads everything.
Dr. Sunbin Song is Maelove's Senior Scientist. Before joining the team, she conducted neuroscience research at the National Institutes of Health and in the pharmaceutical industry, and is an alumna of MIT and Georgetown University. Meet the rest of the team behind Maelove's formulas here.
