PeptideCompareMatrixyl — EU research guide.
In this guide Matrixyl means palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (Pal-KTTKS), a synthetic cosmetic lipopeptide used in anti-wrinkle creams. It is not Matrixyl 3000, which is a different mixture of separate ingredients.
What is Matrixyl?
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is a synthetic cosmetic ingredient sold to cosmetic makers under the trade name Matrixyl. It joins a five-amino-acid peptide (KTTKS), whose sequence matches a fragment of type I procollagen, to palmitic acid (C16) so that it is more fat-soluble. The proposed mechanism is that KTTKS acts as a matrikine, a signal fragment of collagen, telling skin cells to make more extracellular matrix; this rests mainly on cell-culture work. Do not confuse it with Matrixyl 3000: according to a Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) draft assessment, that product is a mixture of palmitoyl oligopeptide (palmitoyl tripeptide-1) and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, which are separate cosmetic ingredients. The CIR document lists a second CAS number (521091-64-5) besides 214047-00-4.
What does the research show?
Human evidence is topical only and small. A double-blind, placebo-controlled split-face study in 93 women aged 35-55 over 12 weeks, described in the 2013 CIR draft, reported that the peptide cream was well tolerated and gave significant improvement in wrinkles and fine lines; that document gives no effect sizes and does not name the paper. A published human topical study by Robinson et al. (2005) exists, but its abstract and numbers were not read. A 2023 double-blind randomised trial in 21 Indonesian women (7 per group, 8 weeks, cream with 0.005% peptide, crow's feet) found the grading score fell by 0.86 points from baseline, but differences between groups on objective measures were not significant (p above 0.05) (Aruan 2023). Ex-vivo work suggests limited penetration: neither KTTKS nor palmitoyl-KTTKS crossed full-thickness hairless mouse skin in 48 hours, although the palmitoylated form built up in the skin layers, including a small amount in the dermis; in skin homogenate 11.2% of palmitoyl-KTTKS remained after 60 minutes versus 1.5% of unmodified KTTKS (Choi 2014). No human data showing increased collagen in skin biopsies were verified; the collagen results come from cell cultures. The studies are small and short and were not independently replicated as far as checked.
EU legal status
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is a cosmetic ingredient (INCI name Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4; function skin conditioning agent according to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review) and not a medicine. Cosmetic products in the EU fall under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009; the EU CosIng entry was not opened, so any restrictions under the annexes of that regulation are not verified. The US CIR panel's draft final report (September 2024) concluded that it is safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration, citing negative human repeat-insult patch tests (0.018% and 0.01% formulations) and reported use up to 0.012% in leave-on face and neck products. It is not listed on the WADA Prohibited List (read from a mirror copy of the 2026 list). Research vendors sell 10 mg vials, but whether such a vial is the same molecule, purity and form as the cosmetic ingredient is not verified; all human studies found used creams applied to skin.
Molecular information
Pharmacokinetics
Potency retained over time
Each line is one storage condition: it starts at 100% and falls as potency is lost. Above the dashed 80% line the material is considered reliable — hover for exact values.
⚠ A structural estimate, derived from each compound's sequence length, cyclisation and oxidation-, deamidation- and light-sensitive residues. Indicative only — not lab-measured per batch.
Matrixyl across EU suppliers
COA-verified EU vendors · Updated monthly
References
- Published human topical study of Pal-KTTKS on photoaged facial skin (bibliographic details confirmed; abstract and numbers not read). Robinson LR, Fitzgerald NC, Doughty DG, Dawes NC, Berge CA, Bissett DL. Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin. Int J Cosmet Sci 2005;27(3):155-160. DOIPubMed 18492182
- Trial in 21 women over 8 weeks: grading fell by 0.86 points from baseline, with no significant difference between groups. Aruan RR, Hutabarat H, Widodo AA, et al. Double-blind, randomized trial on the effectiveness of acetylhexapeptide-3 cream and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 cream for crow's feet. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2023;16(2):37-43. PubMed 36909866Source
- Skin stability and permeation study: 11.2% versus 1.5% remained after 60 minutes, and no passage through full-thickness mouse skin. Choi YL, Park EJ, Kim E, Na DH, Shin YH. Dermal stability and in vitro skin permeation of collagen pentapeptides (KTTKS and palmitoyl-KTTKS). Biomol Ther 2014;22(4):321-327. DOIPubMed 25143811
- CIR draft final report giving the INCI definition, CAS numbers, use concentrations, irritation and sensitisation tests and the panel conclusion that it is safe as used. Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Safety assessment of myristoyl pentapeptide-4, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, and pentapeptide-4 as used in cosmetics. Draft final report, September 2024. Source
- CIR 2013 draft showing that Matrixyl 3000 is a mixture of separate ingredients, and summarising the 93-woman double-blind split-face study. Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Safety assessment of palmitoyl oligopeptides as used in cosmetics. Draft report for panel review, 22 February 2013. Source