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Cosmetic peptides: an ingredient glossary

Cosmetic peptides are short chains of amino acids used as active ingredients in skincare. Each has an INCI name, which is what goes on the label, and many are better known by a supplier's trade name. This glossary matches the two, for people who read specifications and ingredient lists for a living.

It says what each ingredient is. It makes no claim about what any of them does: that is for the brand that sells the finished product, with its own evidence.

The peptides people ask about

INCI nameKnown asWhat it isDo we supply it?
Copper Tripeptide-1GHK-Cu, copper peptideThe tripeptide Gly-His-Lys bound to copperYes: GHK-Cu
Acetyl Octapeptide-3SNAP-8 (trade name)An eight-residue peptide, acetylated and amidatedYes: Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8Argireline (trade name)A six-residue peptide, acetylated and amidatedNo
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4Matrixyl (trade name)A five-residue peptide with a palmitic acid chain attachedNo
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1Part of some Matrixyl-branded blendsThe tripeptide GHK with a palmitic acid chainNo
Tripeptide-1GHKThe tripeptide without copperNo

Argireline, Matrixyl and SNAP-8 are trade marks of the companies that market those ingredients. We name them only so that you can match a trade name to its INCI name.

How to read an INCI peptide name

  • The prefix tells you what is attached. "Acetyl" is an acetyl group on the first amino acid. "Palmitoyl" is a 16-carbon fatty acid chain. "Copper" is a bound copper ion.
  • The middle gives the length: tripeptide is three amino acids, pentapeptide five, hexapeptide six, octapeptide eight.
  • The number at the end only distinguishes one registered sequence from another of the same length. It is not a strength or a grade.

Two ingredients can differ by one word and be different substances. Tripeptide-1 and Copper Tripeptide-1 are the usual example.

What a formulator should check

  1. The INCI name on the specification matches the one you plan to print on the label.
  2. The certificate of analysis is for the batch you are buying. How to read one
  3. The form: the pure peptide, or a prepared solution of it. Trade-named ingredients are often sold as solutions at a stated concentration, so a gram of one is not a gram of the other.
  4. The grade: cosmetic grade for a topical product.

Peptides in cosmetics and the rules

A peptide in a cream is a cosmetic ingredient as long as the product is a cosmetic: applied to the outside of the body, and described without medical claims. Registering a cosmetic product in the UAE sets out Dubai Municipality's definitions.

Buying from us

We supply Copper Tripeptide-1 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 in cosmetic grade to brands and manufacturers in the UAE. Cosmetic peptide ingredients · copper peptides: a guide for formulators · for skincare brands