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Home/Compounds/Matrixyl
Cosmetic

Matrixyl

Also known as: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 · Pal-KTTKS · Matrixyl 3000

Palmitoylated pentapeptide used in anti-aging cosmetics to stimulate collagen synthesis in vitro.

C
Grade C
Animal studies only
Human studies22
PubMed citations23
Routetopical
Regulatory (US)Research only
Last verified2 days ago

Mechanism of action

Palmitoyl-Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Ser. Derived from the propeptide sequence of type I collagen. Palmitoyl tail aids skin penetration; stimulates collagen and extracellular matrix protein expression in fibroblast culture.

Evidence summary

22
Human studies
23
PubMed citations
0
Clinical trials
C
Evidence grade

Evidence summary in progress. See the citations section below for the underlying research papers.

Dosing protocols

Educational information only. Consult a licensed provider before using any peptide.
Administration routes
topical

Side effects & safety

No FDA label or editorial side-effect profile is on file for this compound yet. See the clinical trials and citations sections for study-reported safety data.

Interactions

No documented drug interactions on file.

Regulatory status

United States
Not FDA approved

Not FDA approved as a drug. Cosmetic ingredient.

Compounding
Not permitted

Not available via 503A/503B compounding pharmacies.

Regulatory data last verified 4/19/2026

Clinical trials

No indexed ClinicalTrials.gov studies for Matrixyl. This usually means the compound isn't being studied under an IND — check the citations section for peer-reviewed research instead.

Citations

PMID 41953401Bjerke DL, Li J et al. · A framework for the safety evaluation of peptides in cosmetics.Current research in toxicology (2026)HumanPMID 40871567Paccola AGL, Santos TMCD et al. · Synergistic Effects of Injectable Platelet-Rich Fibrin and Bioactive Peptides on Dermal Fibroblast Viability and Extracellular Matrix Gene Expression: An In Vitro Study.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2025)HumanPMID 39694719Trashi O, Satish N et al. · Dually functionalized dendrimer for stimuli-responsive release of active ingredients into the skin.Acta biomaterialia (2025)HumanPMID 39783908Wang Z, Liu J et al. · Bioactive Glycyrrhizic Acid Ionic Liquid Self-Assembled Nanomicelles for Enhanced Transdermal Delivery of Anti-Photoaging Signal Peptides.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) (2025)HumanPMID 38850353Rasouli M, Shahghasempour L et al. · Mesenchymal stem cell therapy using Pal-KTTKS-enriched carboxylated cellulose improves burn wound in rat model.Archives of dermatological research (2024)HumanPMID 39422705Adak A, Castelletto V et al. · Self-Assembly and Wound Healing Activity of Biomimetic Cycloalkane-Based Lipopeptides.ACS applied materials & interfaces (2024)HumanPMID 31481944Gomes A, Bessa LJ et al. · Turning a Collagenesis-Inducing Peptide Into a Potent Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Agent Against Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria.Frontiers in microbiology (2024)HumanPMID 38399273Vitali A, Paolicelli P et al. · Liposome Encapsulation of the Palmitoyl-KTTKS Peptide: Structural and Functional Characterization.Pharmaceutics (2024)HumanPMID 36909866Aruan RR, Hutabarat H et al. · Double-blind, Randomized Trial on the Effectiveness of Acetylhexapeptide-3 Cream and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 Cream for Crow's Feet.The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology (2023)HumanPMID 34272744Flagler MJ, Tamura M et al. · Combinations of peptides synergistically activate the regenerative capacity of skin cells in vitro.International journal of cosmetic science (2022)HumanPMID 35950860Gomes A, Bessa LJ et al. · Boosting Cosmeceutical Peptides: Coupling Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids to Pentapeptide-4 Originates New Leads with Antimicrobial and Collagenesis-Inducing Activities.Microbiology spectrum (2022)HumanPMID 35874243Kachooeian M, Mousivand Z et al. · Matrixyl Patch vs Matrixyl Cream: A Comparative In Vivo Investigation of Matrixyl (MTI) Effect on Wound Healing.ACS omega (2022)HumanPMID 33281001Errante F, Menicatti M et al. · Susceptibility of cosmeceutical peptides to proteases activity: Development of dermal stability test by LC-MS/MS analysis.Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis (2021)HumanPMID 31618846Tałałaj U, Uścinowicz P et al. · The Effects of a Novel Series of KTTKS Analogues on Cytotoxicity and Proteolytic Activity.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2020)HumanPMID 30603464Park H, An E et al. · Effect of Palmitoyl-Pentapeptide (Pal-KTTKS) on Wound Contractile Process in Relation with Connective Tissue Growth Factor and α-Smooth Muscle Actin Expression.Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (2020)HumanPMID 31407889Castelletto V, Edwards-Gayle CJC et al. · Self-Assembly, Tunable Hydrogel Properties, and Selective Anti-Cancer Activity of a Carnosine-Derived Lipidated Peptide.ACS applied materials & interfaces (2020)HumanPMID 31829923Mortazavi SM, Kobarfard F et al. · Effect of Palmitic Acid Conjugation on Physicochemical Properties of Peptide KTTKS: A Preformulation Study.Journal of cosmetic science (2019)PMID 25033398Mohammed YH, Yamada M et al. · Microneedle enhanced delivery of cosmeceutically relevant peptides in human skin.PloS one (2015)HumanPMID 23786618Osborne R, Carver RS et al. · Practical application of cellular bioenergetics to the care of aged skin.The British journal of dermatology (2014)HumanPMID 23320752Jones RR, Castelletto V et al. · Collagen stimulating effect of peptide amphiphile C16-KTTKS on human fibroblasts.Molecular pharmaceutics (2013)Human

Showing 20 of 23 papers. View all on PubMed →