Matrixyl

Areas of active research — not promised effects

Each tag links to other compounds with research into that goal. Research use only: these are areas of study, not human-use claims.

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Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is regulated as a cosmetic ingredient in the United States under FDA cosmetics law, including the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA, 2022). It is not an FDA-approved drug, is not subject to the FDA Section 503A/503B bulk drug substance (Category II / FDA-19) lists, and requires no prescription for purchase or use in finished cosmetic products. Finished-product marketers must comply with MoCRA obligations (facility/product registration, adequate safety substantiation, and INCI-compliant labelling) effective July 2024. The CIR Expert Panel has affirmed safety as used.

Transparent blend · bci-1.0 · never paid-placement

Primary name

Matrixyl

Origin

Developed and commercialised by Sederma (now part of Croda) under the trade name Matrixyl®. The core sequence Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Ser (KTTKS) is derived from the pro-collagen I alpha 1 chain C-propeptide region. Conjugation of a palmitoyl (C16) fatty acid to the N-terminal lysine was engineered to improve partition through the stratum corneum lipid matrix and facilitate delivery to dermal fibroblasts.

Registry IDs

PubChem CID

9897237

CAS

214047-00-4

InChIKey

WSGCRSMLXFHGRM-DEVHWETNSA-N

ChEMBL

CHEMBL451881

Molecular formula

C39H75N7O10

Molar mass

802.1 g/mol

Monoisotopic

801.55754161 Da

InChIKey

WSGCRSMLXFHGRM-DEVHWETNSA-N

Appearance

White to off-white lyophilised powder (vendor-typical)

Solubility

Low aqueous solubility as free powder due to the lipophilic palmitoyl chain (CAS…

Sequence not available in current seed.

Stability: Lyophilised powder is stable under cool, dry, light-protected conditions. Hydrolysis of the palmitoyl-lysine amide bond is a primary degradation pathway in aque

Vial sizes

null mg

Purity grades

cosmetic grade / research grade

Salt forms

Free base (primary)

• GHS hazard class on file
• PPE & spill response
• Disposal guidance
• Not-for-human-consumption posture

How much research exists, and of what maturity — never a verdict on whether it works.

Mechanism of action

• Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is proposed to function as a matrikine: a bioactive fragment that mimics the signalling activity of collagen degradation products and thereby activates fibroblast surface receptors to initiate extracellular matrix repair responses
• Upon penetrating the stratum corneum via its lipid anchor, the KTTKS moiety interacts with fibroblast receptors and activates downstream MAPK/ERK and TGF-β signalling cascades, upregulating transcription of collagen type I, type III, and type IV, as well as fibronectin and, to a lesser extent, elastin
• In vitro cell culture studies have reported increases in type I collagen secretion by human fibroblasts at nanomolar to low-micromolar concentrations, and mild inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases has also been described
• The palmitoyl chain is hydrolysed by skin esterases and lipases once the molecule reaches the dermis, releasing the free KTTKS pentapeptide and palmitic acid; the active species responsible for receptor engagement is considered to be the free peptide, though this remains to be definitively confirmed in vivo

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Half-life

No formal systemic half-life determined; a topical in-situ half-life of approximately 6 hours has been reported in some secondary sources but is not independently validated in peer-reviewed studies.

PK–PD note: No formal systemic pharmacokinetic parameters (Cmax, AUC, t½, clearance) have been published for palmitoyl pentapeptide-4. Systemic absorption following topical cosmetic application is considered negl…

Reading the evidence

• Evidence quality and gaps vary by application — see the cited grades above.
• Indexed-article counts span all evidence tiers, not only completed human trials.
• No first-party human-dosing, efficacy, or benefit claims are made here.

No registered human trials found for this compound.

Status

No registered trials found

Summary (literature)

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel conducted a formal safety assessment of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (along with myristoyl pentapeptide-4 and pentapeptide-4) and concluded in its 2024 update that the ingredient is safe in cosmetics at present practices of use and co…

WADA status

Not specifically listed on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is a topically applied cosmetic signal peptide with no identified performance…

Dominant research route: Topical (TOP)

Human facial skin (photoaged females) and animal wound-healing models; in vitro hairless mouse skin permeation

Bioavailability: In vitro hairless mouse skin: pal-KTTKS was detected in stratum corneum (4.2 ± 0.7 μg/cm²), epidermis (2.8 ± 0.5 μg/cm²), and dermis (0.3 ± 0.1 μg/cm²), but was NOT detected in the receptor solution, indicating no full-thickness permeation under the tested conditions. Unmodified KTTKS was not detected in any skin layer.

Dominant studied route. Robinson 2005: 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, split-face RCT in 93 Caucasian women (35–55 y) using 3 ppm pal-KTTKS moisturizer vs. vehicle — significant improvement in fine lines/wrinkles vs. placebo. Kachooeian 2022 (ACS Omega): in vivo animal wound-healing study comparing MTI patch vs. MTI cream (0.1 mg and 1 mg) over 21 days. Choi 2014 (Biomol Ther): pal-KTTKS more stable than KTTKS in skin extracts/homogenates; both rapidly degraded without protease inhibitors.

Animal & human figures are kept visibly separate so studied animal doses are never misread as human guidance.

Sorted A–Z by vendor — never by price

Weekly median $/mg from the live vendor crawl.

Researched storefront prices, bucketed

p25 $0.950 · median $1.82 · p75 $1.99 · 8 researched vendors

Legit, COA-backed band: $0.855–$2.20/mg.

Value rule: don't just buy the cheapest — a price under $3/mg is a red flag. Pair price with COA and independent-test grade.

Estimated cost of research (10 mg)

Vial (best researched price)

$9

Bacteriostatic water (generic estimate)

$6

Syringes / supplies (generic estimate)

$12

What each test proves — general guidance, plus this compound's researched purity data

Purity on the current market (researched)

Vendor CoA reports 99.66% purity (HPLC) for palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (MedChemExpress, Cat. HY-P0045); cosmetic-grade material is commonly marketed at ≥95% purity. No independent third-party purity range for Matrixyl was retrievable from Janoshik public portal (access blocked).

Independent labs cited for this compound

No Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide-4)-specific FDA recalls, market withdrawals, or safety alerts were found in FDA's recall database or warning-letter index. Matrixyl is regulated as a cosmetic ingredient (INCI: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4), not an FDA-approved drug, so drug-recall/enforcement pathways generally do not apply.

Buyer red-flag checklist

• Matrixyl has no FDA approval for any therapeutic indication; it is regulated as a cosmetic ingredient (INCI: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4), so any vendor marketing it with disease-treatment/structure-function drug claims is misbranding.
• Vendor-supplied CoAs (e.g., 99.66% purity claims) are not independent third-party verification; Janoshik and similar independent portals are the appropriate verification route but returned no retrievable Matrixyl-specific public results.
• 'Research use only' / 'not for human consumption' labeling on a cosmetic peptide is a common evasion pattern; FDA has warned peptide vendors (e.g., USApeptide.com, 02/26/2025) that such disclaimers do not negate drug status when therapeutic claims are present (that warning letter targeted semaglutide/tirzepatide, not Matrixyl).
• Cosmetic-grade purity thresholds (≥95%) are lower than pharmaceutical-grade expectations; buyers should not assume pharmaceutical-grade quality from cosmetic-ingredient suppliers.
• No Matrixyl-specific recalls or criminal enforcement actions were found — absence of enforcement reflects its cosmetic (non-drug) regulatory category, not verified quality assurance.

GMP vs research-grade: the chemistry (SPPS + HPLC + MS) is identical — the difference is the quality system.

Underdosing / mislabeling: No retrievable independent lab-test aggregate (Janoshik/MZ Biolabs/Finnrick) quantifying Matrixyl underdosing prevalence was accessible. A vendor buyer-guide snippet alleging 7 of 12 online Matrixyl 3000 vendors supplied sub-potency material could not be retrieved (page returned 404) and is therefore not cited.

• FDA Import Alert 66-78 'Detention Without Physical Examination of Drugs, Based Upon Analytic Test Results' authorizes DWPE of drug products/APIs that appear adulterated due to contamination, substandard quality, or ingredient substitution. This is a general drug-quality alert, not Matrixyl-specific; Matrixyl is marketed as a cosmetic ingredient rather than a drug, so the alert does not directly target it.66-78
• An RUO label is not an import exemption — CBP judges actual intended use.
• Lyophilized powder is ambient-stable in transit; temperature control needed for > 7-day transit.
• US-warehouse vendors dodge import scrutiny — they cost more but ship more reliably.

Every item dated & sourced

Not prohibited. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (Matrixyl) is a topical cosmetic matrikine and is not listed on the WADA 2025 Prohibited List. WADA prohibits peptide hormones, growth factors, and mimetics under S2 (e.g., GH-releasing peptides), but cosmetic skin-care peptides like palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 are not included.

No granted patents identified in current seed. Composition-of-matter coverage is limited given the peptide's synthetic origin.

• IACUC / IRB research context
• RUO buyer responsibilities & documentation
• Veterinary / alternative-use where lawful
• Jurisdiction-aware "who may lawfully obtain"

What people discuss

Reported concerns — discussion, not established effects

Reading caveats

• Sponsor-influenced YouTube content (e.g., Depology-sponsored Matrixyl 3000 review)
• Affiliate / aggregator review sites with commercial incentive
• Brand-sponsored dermatologist commentary in lifestyle media
• Self-selected reviewer base on aggregator (Deciem enthusiasts)

Manually researched from reddit, youtube— theme weights are research estimates, not live counts; aggregated & de-identified. No individual posts, quotes, or usernames are ever shown.

Relative research / market volume — populated once the activity stream is wired

Inline tooltips for lyophilized, RUO, EU/mg, SPPS, 503A and more.

Toggle plain-language ↔ scientific in the header.

• How to read a COA
• Free base vs acetate
• Understanding evidence grades

Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 signal peptide that mimics collagen matrikine fragments to stimulate extracellular matrix synthesis in dermal fibroblasts. Approximately 11 articles are indexed (literature last scanned 2026-05-29). US regulatory status: Cosmetic ingredient (OTC, no prescription required). Research use only.

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