Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8)_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as acetyl hexapeptide-8, acetyl hexapeptide-3, Argireline
A topical Botox-like peptide that softens fine lines, needle-free.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
7 of 11 listings we track are vials from research sellers, not finished skincare or hair products.
What is Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8)?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
Applied topically, it softens fine expression lines a bit like a gentle, needle-free version of Botox.
Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8) is a cosmetic peptide that mildly limits the release of the signal muscles use to contract.
What it's used for
A topical Botox-like peptide in many anti-aging serums that relaxes fine expression lines. It is milder and needle-free.
How does Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8) work?
What it does in the body, and where.Argireline is marketed as topical Botox. The comparison is directionally right about the target and badly wrong about the magnitude.
- 01It interferes with the SNARE complexThe machinery nerve endings use to release the signal that makes a muscle contract. Botulinum toxin destroys part of the same system.
- 02Expression lines soften modestlyStudies show a measurable but small effect, and results across trials have been inconsistent.
- 03Very little of it gets through the skinOne study found under 0.2% penetrated the outer layer. A peptide cannot affect a muscle it never reaches, and this is the fundamental limit on all topical peptides.
- 04Typical formulations run 5 to 10%Which is a formulation convention rather than a dose established by trials.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Softening fine expression lines, applied to the skinSupplement or cosmetic
- Forehead and eye wrinkles specificallyEarly research
The published record
Papers and trials about Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8)
Searched: Argireline, acetyl hexapeptide-8, acetyl hexapeptide-3.
35 papers tagged human · 21 not reviews or lab · 3 clinical trial publications
7 registered trials · 2 with posted results
Furthest stage reached: Phase 3, completed, no results posted
Compare this against the whole library →
Category 3RegulatorsCounted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count.
At a glance
Four things to know about Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8)
Evidence
Cosmetic
Category
Skin and cosmetic
Common vial
200 mg
Half-life
Not measured, and not the right question
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.Serum, per product, daily. Not cycled Community practice
Used daily as part of a routine. The effect depends on continued use and returns to baseline when you stop, so there is nothing to cycle off.
Not measured, and not the right questionNo figure
This is a topical cosmetic ingredient. A blood half-life measures how fast something leaves the bloodstream, and these are not intended to reach it in meaningful amounts. What matters for a topical is how much penetrates the skin and how long it stays in the tissue, which is a different measurement and one that is rarely published.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
What does it cost?
Typical dose and cost, in plain numbers.The products priced here are not injected
The listed products are taken on the skin (topical). Applied as a topical product at the concentration the manufacturer sets. There is no injected dose.
Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8) starts at $30.00 across 10 vendors, typically $0.13 – $6.00 per mg.
11 listings, last read Oct 24, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature, out of light. Cap it tight after each use.
Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8) ships as a cream, gel, or serum. Keep it at room temperature away from sun and heat unless the label says otherwise. Refrigerating an emulsion can split the texture. Watch for color, smell, or separation changes and stop using it if any appear.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Solubility, computed: 100% charged residues, 17% hydrophobic. Water usually sufficient.
A first-pass rule from peptide manufacturers' guidance. It does not account for disulfide bridges, salt form or how the powder was dried, and it predicts what should be easy rather than what will happen in your vial.
Who should avoid it
- A known allergy to the ingredient
- Broken skin
Stop and get help
- A rash, swelling, or intense itching where applied
Common effects
- Generally well tolerated on the skin
- Occasional mild irritation, redness, or tightness
- Injected use has not been established as safe. This is a cosmetic ingredient, not a drug
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8) approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Not as a medicine. Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8) is sold without a prescription as a cosmetic ingredient, which is a different thing from being approved as a drug.
- Approval statusCosmeticSold without a prescription as an ingredient in cosmetics, such as skincare and hair products. The FDA does not approve cosmetics before they are sold, and being easy to buy says nothing about whether it works.
- RouteOn the skin (topical)
- Checked22 July 2026
- DoseFrom the concentration range manufacturers formulate at. This is a product strength, not a dose set by a regulator or a trial.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- SourcesNone traced yet.
What has happened recently
We have not yet written a full regulatory note for this compound. The status above is current as of the date shown.
What regulators say
From official documentsCategory 3
Listed as Acetyl Hexapeptide-3
Checked 11 September 2026FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B (interim categories 1, 2, 3), updated March 21, 2025
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8)?
Others in Skin and cosmetic, side by side.If you're weighing Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8), it's worth reading Matrixyl (Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4), PTD-DBM, and SYN-AKE in the same class.
A topical Botox-like peptide that softens fine lines, needle-free.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A topical collagen-boosting peptide that firms skin over time.
- Dose
- Per finished product instructions
- How often
- Daily
A hair-regrowth peptide from a single Korean lab, tested only in mice.
- Dose
- Topical, per product
- How often
- Daily
A snake venom mimic sold as a topical alternative to injectables, with an evidence problem worth knowing.
- Dose
- Serum or cream, typically 4% of a supplied 200 mg batch
- How often
- Daily
Guides for this compound
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
No primary source has been traced for this compound yet. Treat everything on this page as unverified until one is. How we grade evidence
Beyond these, 71 records are indexed. Browse the records