Matrixyl
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4
Matrixyl is a lab made peptide based on a small piece of the starting form of collagen, joined to a fatty acid.[1][2] A 12 week trial in 93 women found modest wrinkle improvement compared with plain moisturizer, and a few smaller studies agree.[3][2] Most studies are small, and some results were never published in scientific journals.[2]
Where the evidence stands
What it is
Matrixyl is a trade name for palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, also written pal-KTTKS. It is a chain of five amino acids (lysine, threonine, threonine, lysine, serine) joined to palmitic acid, a common fatty acid.[1]
The KTTKS piece comes from procollagen type I, the starting form of the main collagen in skin. A 1993 lab study first reported that this piece can boost production of the support material around cells.[4][2]
It is used in creams and serums sold to reduce wrinkles. Cosmetics do not need FDA approval before sale.[5]
- Name
- Matrixyl (Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4)
- Other names
- palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, pal-KTTKS
- Type
- Peptide (cosmetic ingredient)
- Sequence
- Palmitoyl-Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Ser
- CAS number
- 214047-00-4
- Formula
- C39H75N7O10
- Molecular weight
- About 802 g/mol
How it works
The idea is that small collagen pieces act as a signal that tells skin cells to make more support proteins.[2]
- In lab studies it was reported to raise production of collagen types I, III and IV, elastin, fibronectin and glycosaminoglycans, the materials that give skin firmness and bounce.[2]
- The effect seemed to come mainly from cells making more of these proteins, not from slowing their breakdown.[2]
- In human skin cells grown in the lab, it reduced the change of ordinary cells into scar forming cells called myofibroblasts.[6]
- Peptides are fairly large for skin to absorb, and how well they reach the deeper skin layer is still an open question.[2]
The lab signal is plausible, but it is not proven that this is why creams show results in people.
What the research shows
We keep animal and human evidence apart. A result in animals is a reason to study something in people, not proof that it works in people.
Animal and lab studies
Mostly lab cell studies
- A 1993 study found that the KTTKS piece of procollagen promoted production of the material that surrounds and supports cells.[4]
- Most later supporting work comes from skin cells grown in the lab, where the peptide raised collagen and other support proteins.[2]
- In human skin cells grown in lab collagen gels, a low strength of the peptide roughly halved the share of cells becoming myofibroblasts, the cells that pull wounds closed and form scars. A higher strength did not have a clear effect.[6]
- In developing chick embryos exposed directly to Matrixyl, researchers saw no obvious defects, unlike argireline at higher strengths in the same study.[7]
Limit: Cell results do not show whether a cream changes wrinkles you can see, and we found no animal studies of the cream on skin.
Human studies
A few small, placebo controlled studies show modest improvement
- In a 12 week study, 93 women aged 35 to 55 used moisturizer with the peptide on one side of the face and plain moisturizer on the other. The peptide side had fewer wrinkles and fine lines by image analysis and expert grading, and the women themselves rated it better.[3]
- The peptide was well tolerated in that study.[3]
- A placebo controlled study around the eyes over 28 days reported shallower and thinner skin folds, and two more placebo controlled studies in 42 and 35 women were reported to agree.[2]
- A four month study of 49 women reported less roughness and shallower wrinkles than the base cream, but it appeared in a trade magazine, not a peer reviewed journal.[2]
- We found no human studies of injected Matrixyl and no studies lasting longer than a few months.
Limit: Studies are small and short, often test mixed formulas, and the benefit is modest.[2]
Claims check
The most common claims about this compound, and what studies actually found. Verdicts rate the evidence, not whether you should use it.
Reduces wrinkles and fine lines
Mixed resultsIn a 12 week split face study, 93 women aged 35 to 55 used moisturizer with the peptide on one side and plain moisturizer on the other. The peptide side had fewer wrinkles and fine lines by image analysis and expert grading.[3] A few smaller controlled studies in 35 to 49 women reported similar modest results, but two tested products with several active ingredients and one appeared only in a trade publication.[2]
Boosts collagen production
Only in animalsIn skin cells grown in the lab, the peptide raised collagen types I, III and IV and other support proteins.[2][4] No human study we found measured collagen in the skin of people using the cream.
Helps wounds heal and prevents scars
Only in animalsIn human skin cells grown in the lab, the peptide cut the share of cells turning into scar forming cells roughly in half at one strength, but not at a higher one.[6] The authors noted it could also push toward scarring, and no animal or human wound study was done.[6]
Known risks and side effects
- Modest, short term results. The largest trial lasted 12 weeks, so long term benefit is unknown.[3]
- Mixed formulas cloud results. Many peptide cream studies combine several active ingredients, so effects cannot be credited to the peptide alone.[2]
- Thin independent evidence. Several cited results come from patents, trade documents or product materials rather than peer reviewed studies.[2]
- Possible scarring signal. Lab authors cautioned that the same signal that helps healing could also promote scarring, so effects on damaged skin are uncertain.[6]
- Drug claims and injected use. A product that claims to change skin structure can count as an unapproved drug. Matrixyl is not on FDA's compounding lists, and the studies tested creams, not injections, so injected use has no published safety data.[5][8][3]
Regulatory status
Sources
- FDA Global Substance Registration System. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, UNII KK181SM5JG. FDA GSRS
- Schagen SK. Topical Peptide Treatments with Effective Anti-Aging Results. Cosmetics. 2017;4(2):16. DOI 10.3390/cosmetics4020016
- 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. PMID 18492182
- Katayama K, Armendariz-Borunda J, Raghow R, Kang AH, Seyer JM. A pentapeptide from type I procollagen promotes extracellular matrix production. J Biol Chem. 1993;268(14):9941-9944. DOI 10.1016/s0021-9258(18)82153-6
- US Food and Drug Administration. Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?). FDA
- Park H, An E, Cho Lee AR. Effect of Palmitoyl-Pentapeptide (Pal-KTTKS) on Wound Contractile Process in Relation with Connective Tissue Growth Factor and α-Smooth Muscle Actin Expression. Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2017;14(1):73-80. DOI 10.1007/s13770-016-0017-y
- Nurhidayat L, Rumansara PS, Nuris SF, et al. Neurodevelopmental Responses to Argireline and Matrixyl in Chicken Embryo: An Indication of Teratogenic Potential. Jurnal Biota. 2026;12(2):228-244. DOI 10.19109/biota.v12i2.33882
- US Food and Drug Administration. Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A of the FD&C Act (category lists). Updated May 14, 2026. FDA category list
This page is educational information only. It is not medical advice and does not replace care from a licensed medical provider. Do not use this page to decide whether to take any substance. Talk to a licensed medical provider first.
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