For years retinol was the ingredient everyone searched for. Not any more. Since the end of August, UK searches for peptide serum have been ahead of searches for retinol serum every single week — and in the week of 4–10 October, peptides led by 62%. We looked at five years of Google search data to see what Britain is asking about its skin, and what is quietly falling out of fashion.
- Peptide serum has out-searched retinol serum every week since 30 August 2026 (Google Trends, UK).
- In the week of 4–10 October, interest in peptide serum was 62% higher (index 73 vs 45).
- Since 2021, peptide serum interest is up about fourteen-fold; retinol serum has roughly doubled.
- Azelaic acid is up about seven-fold, mineral sunscreen about nine-fold.
- Shoppers search by ingredient, not label: "clean beauty" gets around 720 UK searches a month.
The crossover, week by week
Google Trends shows how interest in a search term rises and falls, indexed so that the busiest week in the period scores 100. We compared "peptide serum" and "retinol serum" in the same request, so the two lines share one scale. Retinol had its peak at the start of April. Peptides edged ahead for a single week at the end of June, fell back in July, and then took the lead for good at the end of August.
| Week (2026) | Peptide serum | Retinol serum |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Mar – 4 Apr | 71 | 100 |
| 21 – 27 Jun | 46 | 48 |
| 28 Jun – 4 Jul | 61 | 60 |
| 5 – 11 Jul | 44 | 54 |
| 23 – 29 Aug | 67 | 72 |
| 30 Aug – 5 Sep | 72 | 70 |
| 13 – 19 Sep | 75 | 54 |
| 20 – 26 Sep | 76 | 52 |
| 27 Sep – 3 Oct | 73 | 49 |
| 4 – 10 Oct | 73 | 45 |
Index values are relative interest in the UK (100 = the busiest week in the period), not search counts. The week of 11–17 October was incomplete when we pulled the data and is left out.
Five years of change
Zoom out and the shift is even clearer. Averaging the weekly index for each calendar year, peptide serum has gone from a niche search in 2021 to one that now sits close to retinol serum across the whole of 2026 — and ahead of it in recent weeks.
| Search term | 2021 average | 2026 average (to mid-Oct) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peptide serum | 1.8 | 24.4 | about 14× |
| Azelaic acid | 11.3 | 75.2 | about 7× |
| Niacinamide serum | 3.2 | 20.3 | about 6× |
| Retinol serum | 12.8 | 28.3 | about 2× |
| Peptide moisturiser | 0.2 | 1.3 | small base |
All five terms were compared in one Google Trends request, so they share a scale. 2026 covers January to mid-October.
Peptide skincare at Alyaka
Serums, creams and eye treatments formulated with peptides, from independent clean beauty brands.
Shop peptidesWhy peptides are rising
Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins such as collagen. In skincare they are used in serums, moisturisers and eye creams, usually alongside hydrating ingredients. Their appeal is easy to understand: they fit into almost any routine, and most people can use them without the dryness and stinging that often come with starting retinol.
That matters because many shoppers have been through a retinol phase. The search data suggests the conversation has moved from "what is strongest?" to "what will my skin tolerate every day?". Retinol has not gone away — its interest has doubled since 2021 — but it now shares the stage. For a deeper look at how the different types of peptide work, read our guide to peptides in skincare.
A peptide serum to layer under moisturiser.
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Peptides with carnosine in a serum texture.
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A cream with biomimetic peptides.
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An overnight cream from our peptide edit.
Shop now →The other risers — and what faded
Peptides are not the only ingredient on the move. In the same five-year comparison:
- Azelaic acid is up about seven-fold since 2021, and with around 60,500 UK searches a month (Semrush) it is now one of the most searched skincare ingredients.
- Mineral sunscreen is up about nine-fold (Trends index 4.5 in 2021, 40.6 in 2026), with around 9,900 searches a month.
- Beef tallow skincare went from nothing in 2021 to a peak in 2025 — and is now falling (36.1 → 29.5).
- Snail mucin peaked in 2023 (11.1) and has faded since (6.6 in 2026).
- "Clean beauty" is growing slowly, but it stays tiny next to ingredient searches: about 720 a month, compared with 60,500 for azelaic acid and 90,500 for peptides.
British shoppers no longer search for a label. They search for the ingredient.
What it means for your routine
Trends are a signal, not a prescription. If retinol works for you, there is no reason to stop. If it has always been a struggle, a peptide serum is an easy way to add a targeted step without the adjustment period.
- New to actives? Start with a peptide serum in the morning under moisturiser and SPF.
- Already using retinol? Keep it at night and use peptides in the morning or on your nights off.
- Sensitive skin? Introduce one new product at a time and give it two to four weeks.
Explore our peptide skincare, our retinol and retinol alternatives, niacinamide and the full serum edit, or read retinal vs retinol.
How we did it
Direction of interest: Google Trends, United Kingdom, weekly relative-interest index, January 2021 to 10 October 2026. Terms in each table were compared in the same request, so values in one table share a scale; values in different tables cannot be compared with each other. Yearly figures are averages of the weekly index; 2026 runs to mid-October.
Monthly volumes: Semrush, UK database, October 2026 snapshot (12-month average). On that annual measure "retinol serum" (12,100 a month) is still ahead of "peptide serum" (4,400): the crossover in the weekly data is recent. The broad term "peptides" also includes searches unrelated to skincare, so our comparison uses "peptide serum" and "retinol serum".
Journalists and researchers are welcome to use these figures with a link to this page. For the weekly series, contact alina.l@alyaka.com.
Frequently asked questions
Have peptides really overtaken retinol in the UK?
In weekly Google Trends data for the UK, searches for "peptide serum" have been ahead of "retinol serum" every week since 30 August 2026, and were 62% ahead in the week of 4–10 October. Averaged over the last twelve months, monthly search-volume estimates still put retinol serum ahead, so the crossover is recent.
Is a peptide serum better than retinol?
They do different jobs. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that many people find effective but irritating at first; peptides are short chains of amino acids that tend to be gentler. Many routines use both: retinol at night, a peptide serum in the morning or on alternate nights.
Can I use peptides and retinol together?
Yes, they are generally considered compatible. If your skin is sensitive, introduce one product at a time, start retinol two or three nights a week and keep a simple moisturiser and daily SPF.
Where does this data come from?
Direction of interest comes from Google Trends for the United Kingdom (weekly relative-interest index, January 2021 to 10 October 2026, terms compared in the same request). Monthly volume estimates come from Semrush's UK database (October 2026). Trends values are relative, not absolute search counts.
Why do so few people search for "clean beauty"?
Shoppers increasingly search by ingredient rather than by label. "Clean beauty" is searched around 720 times a month in the UK, compared with roughly 60,500 searches for azelaic acid and 90,500 for peptides.
