Peptides for Anti-Aging Skincare
Overview
11 research peptides are currently studied for anti-aging skincare. This guide ranks them by evidence strength and covers their mechanisms, safety profiles, and current clinical status.
Oligopeptide-1 / EGF — Phase I–II Clinical Trials
Evidence Rating: C Category: Growth Factor / Cosmetic
Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) is a 53-amino acid protein discovered by Stanley Cohen, who shared the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this work. EGF plays a fundamental role in cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. In medicine, recombinant human EGF (rh-EGF) is used in wound...
Key claims: Accelerates wound healing; Reduces signs of skin aging.
Matrixyl — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, Pal-KTTKS) is a lipopeptide used in anti-aging skincare. It consists of the pentapeptide KTTKS (a fragment of type I procollagen) conjugated to a palmitic acid chain to enhance skin penetration. Developed and patented by Sederma, it was one of the first cosmetic p...
Key claims: Reduces wrinkles and fine lines; Stimulates collagen production.
Matrixyl 3000 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Matrixyl 3000 is a trademarked cosmetic ingredient (Sederma) consisting of a combination of two lipopeptides: palmitoyl tripeptide-1 (Pal-GHK) and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 (Pal-GQPR). The combination is designed to provide synergistic anti-aging effects — Pal-GHK stimulates collagen synthesis while ...
Key claims: Reduces wrinkles; Stimulates collagen production.
Snap-8 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Snap-8 (acetyl octapeptide-3) is a cosmetic peptide developed by Lipotec as an extension of the hexapeptide Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-3). It is an 8-amino acid peptide designed to inhibit SNARE complex formation at the neuromuscular junction, mimicking a botulinum toxin-like mechanism to reduce...
Key claims: Reduces expression wrinkles; More effective than Argireline.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 (Pal-GHK) is a lipopeptide consisting of the tripeptide GHK (glycyl-histidyl-lysine) conjugated to a palmitic acid chain. GHK is a naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide found in human plasma, and its palmitoylated form is used in cosmetic formulations to stimulate coll...
Key claims: Stimulates collagen synthesis; Anti-aging effects.
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 (Pal-GQPR) is a lipopeptide used in cosmetic anti-aging formulations. It is designed to reduce skin inflammation by inhibiting IL-6 secretion, targeting "inflammaging" — the chronic low-grade inflammation that contributes to skin aging. It is one of the two peptides in the M...
Key claims: Reduces skin inflammation; Anti-aging through inflammaging reduction.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Palmitoyl tripeptide-5 (marketed as Syn-Coll by DSM) is a lipopeptide designed to mimic the action of thrombospondin-1, a natural activator of TGF-beta. By activating TGF-beta signaling, it stimulates collagen synthesis in dermal fibroblasts. It is used in anti-aging cosmetic formulations. The evide...
Key claims: Stimulates collagen synthesis; Reduces wrinkles.
Copper Tripeptide-1 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is the copper complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine. Note: This entry focuses on the cosmetic/dermatological use of GHK-Cu. For comprehensive coverage of GHK-Cu as a wound healing and research peptide, see the dedicated GHK-Cu entry. Copper tripeptide-1 is...
Key claims: Stimulates collagen synthesis and improves skin firmness; Promotes wound healing.
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Acetyl tetrapeptide-5 (marketed as Eyeseryl by Lipotec) is a cosmetic peptide designed to reduce under-eye puffiness (periorbital edema) and dark circles. It is proposed to work by reducing tissue water accumulation and improving microcirculation. It is widely used in eye creams and serums. The evid...
Key claims: Reduces under-eye puffiness; Reduces dark circles.
Tripeptide-29 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Tripeptide-29 (Gly-Pro-Hyp) is the most abundant repeating tripeptide unit in type I collagen, representing the fundamental building block of the collagen triple helix. As a cosmetic ingredient, it is used as a collagen signal peptide to stimulate fibroblast collagen production. The rationale is tha...
Key claims: Stimulates collagen synthesis; Anti-aging effects.
Sh-Polypeptide-1 — No Regulatory Activity
Evidence Rating: F Category: Cosmetic Peptide
Sh-polypeptide-1 is the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) designation for recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rh-EGF) produced by bioengineering (typically in E. coli or yeast expression systems). The "sh" prefix indicates a synthetic human protein. It is functionally ...
Key claims: Anti-aging and skin renewal; Promotes wound healing.
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