Ingredient glossary
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
On your shelf ✓What Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 · Also: Matrixyl, Pal-KTTKS
In short: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 delivers anti-aging support and firming, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is moderate.
- What it does
- Anti aging, firming
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Evidence
- Moderate
- How long
- 8–12 weeks
The molecule
The Glow take
Genuinely worth a spot in your routine.
When your goal is softening fine lines and keeping skin firm, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 pulls genuine weight, with a solid amount of evidence behind it. Gentle enough that most skin types can reach for it.
— Maya
What it does
- anti aging
- firming
- texture
moderate evidenceDouble blind clinical trials at three ppm report around thirty percent reductions in wrinkle volume with minimal irritation yet replication outside supplier studies is scarce.
On a label: usually effective at 0.0003-0.003%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- normal
- dry
- combo
- photoaged
Approach with care
No specific group flagged to avoid it.
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Often chosen for photoaged.
Where it fits in your routine
Give it eight to twelve weeks, and possibly less: that is simply when it was measured.
What was measured, and in whom
Measured on: fine line and wrinkle reduction by quantitative image analysis and expert grader assessment.
93 women aged 35-55 used a moisturizer containing 3 ppm pal-KTTKS against the same moisturizer alone in a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled split-face study; the improvement versus control is reported at the 12-week endpoint, so treat 12 weeks as a ceiling rather than a demonstrated onset. 3 ppm is 0.0003%, the bottom of the KB's clue, and effect sizes are small next to a retinoid. Independent replication outside supplier-linked work is scarce.
Robinson et al., Int J Cosmet Sci 2005;27:155-160, 'Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin', PMID:18492182.
Plays well with
- retinoids
- niacinamide
- hyaluronic acid
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, answered
Is Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4?
No specific group is flagged to avoid Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4. It is well tolerated by most skin. Still, introduce anything new one product at a time.
What concentration of Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 actually works?
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 tends to do its job in the 0.0003 to 0.003% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
Compare Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 with
- Niacinamide
- Vitamin C (LAA)
- Retinol
- Retinal
- Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
- Retinyl Palmitate
- Retinyl Acetate
- Retinyl Propionate
- Retinyl Retinoate
- THD Ascorbate
- Ascorbyl Glucoside
- Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
- GHK-Cu
- Argireline
- Bakuchiol
- PDRN
- Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
- Adenosine
- Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
- Leuphasyl
- Rigin
- Matrixyl Synthe'6
- Syn-Ake
- Exosomes
- Epidermal Growth Factor
- Colostrum
- Carnosine
Can you mix Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 with
This, for every label you own
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