Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as Matrixyl Synthe'6, Matrixyl synthe 6, Matrixyl Synthe6, Synthe'6, Pal-KMO2K, Pal-Lys-Met(O2)-Lys, Palmitoyl tripeptide 38
The peptide behind Matrixyl synthe'6, a topical anti-wrinkle ingredient from Sederma.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
1 of 1 listings we track are vials from research sellers, not finished skincare or hair products.
What is Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
A three-amino-acid fragment modelled on a motif from collagen VI and laminin, sold to formulators as a dilute solution for anti-wrinkle creams. The supplier's own study reported shallower crow's feet after two months. No peer-reviewed trial has tested the peptide on its own.
Palmitoyl tripeptide-38 is the active peptide in Sederma's Matrixyl synthe'6: palmitoyl-lysine-methionine(O2)-lysine, with the methionine oxidised to a sulfone for stability and a fatty tail to cross the skin barrier.
What it's used for
A topical skincare peptide in serums and creams aimed at wrinkles. The '6' is the six skin-matrix components the supplier says it stimulates, not six peptides.
How does Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 work?
What it does in the body, and where.Palmitoyl tripeptide-38 is a matrikine mimic: a scrap of a matrix protein that, the supplier says, signals skin cells to build more matrix.
- 01A fragment from collagen VI and lamininThe lysine-methionine-lysine motif it copies occurs in collagen VI and in laminins. The idea is that skin cells read the fragment as a sign of matrix breakdown and respond by making more.
- 02Six targets, in cell cultureSederma's own assays report more collagen I, III and IV, fibronectin, hyaluronic acid and laminin-5 from fibroblasts and keratinocytes at 2% of its solution. These are supplier figures, not peer-reviewed.
- 03Palmitoyl tail and a stabilised methionineThe fatty acid helps the water-loving peptide cross the skin barrier. The methionine is oxidised to a sulfone so it does not degrade in the bottle.
Where this compound is thought to act.
What else is it used for?
Each group 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.
Wrinkles
Early research- Human trialSupplier study, 25 women, two months, 2% solution twice daily: crow's feet wrinkle volume fell 21.1% and the surface of deep wrinkles 28.5% versus placebo. Forehead wrinkle volume fell 31% versus baseline, at p=0.055. Published only in Sederma's brochure.
- Human trialPeer-reviewed study, 35 women, 56 days, open label with no vehicle arm: periorbital roughness fell 8 to 9%. The serum also carried 15% vitamin C, so the peptide's share is unknown.
- No dataNo vehicle-controlled, randomised, blinded trial of palmitoyl tripeptide-38 on its own has been published. Every peer-reviewed study used it inside a multi-active product, and every author team had ties to the manufacturer.
Matrix building in cell culture
Early research- Lab studySupplier assays on human fibroblasts and keratinocytes at 2% solution: collagen I +105%, collagen III +104%, hyaluronic acid +174%, laminin-5 +75%, with further rises reported for collagen IV, fibronectin and the chaperone HSP47. Not peer-reviewed.
Matrixyl synthe'6 is routinely called "Matrixyl". Matrixyl is palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (Pal-KTTKS), a five-residue peptide with its own data; Matrixyl 3000 is two other peptides. The "6" counts skin-matrix components, not peptides: there is one peptide in the product. The "31% wrinkle reduction" comes from the supplier's unpublished 25-woman study, is measured against baseline rather than placebo, and carries p=0.055. Products labelled 2% or 10% contain the glycerin-water solution at that level; the peptide itself sits at about 5 parts per million. Vendor sheets that say it stimulates collagen II are wrong; collagen II is cartilage collagen and the supplier claims I, III and IV.
The published record
Papers and trials about Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
3 papers tagged human · 2 not reviews or lab · 1 clinical trial publications
Counted 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 Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Evidence
Cosmetic
Category
Skin and cosmetic
Common vial
Varies
Half-life
Not measured, and not the right question
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.Serum or cream, per product, twice daily (supplier study). Not cycled Community practice
Used daily as part of a routine. Whatever effect it has depends on continued use, 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 it is not meant to reach the bloodstream in meaningful amounts. No skin-penetration data have been published for it either.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
What does it cost?
Typical dose and cost, in plain numbers.Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 is not injected
It is taken on the skin (topical). Applied as a topical product. Sederma recommends 2% of its Matrixyl synthe'6 solution in a finished cream; the solution's peptide content is not disclosed, but a Coty patent equates that 2% with 0.0005% peptide (5 parts per million), and the one journal study to state a figure used 5 ppm. Retail labels saying 2% or 10% refer to the solution, not the peptide. There is no injected dose.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 starts at $175.00 across 1 vendor.
1 listing, last read Sep 28, 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.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 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.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 in the four published whole-product studies, with no adverse effects attributed to the serum in a 56-day study of 35 women
- Occasional mild irritation or redness, as with any leave-on active
- Injected use has never been tested in people
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Not as a medicine. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 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)
- Checked10 October 2026
- DoseFrom product labeling and published use.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- SourcesFDA GSRS substance record, palmitoyl tripeptide-38 (UNII T7A529FB8O)Sederma, Matrixyl synthe'6 technical brochure (2010)Lintner K, Gerstein F, Solish N, J Cosmet Dermatol 2020Herndon JH et al., J Drugs Dermatol 2015 (PMID 26151786)Sederma, patent WO2010082175A2Coty, patent US9149659B2Johnson W et al., Int J Toxicol 2018, CIR safety assessment of tripeptide-1, hexapeptide-12 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7GSRS records for palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (Matrixyl, Pal-KTTKS) and palmitoyl tripeptide-1 (in Matrixyl 3000)
What has happened recently
A cosmetic ingredient, not a drug, in the US and EU. Listed in the EU CosIng database as a skin-conditioning agent with no restriction. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's 2018 report on palmitoyl peptides covers palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 and does not include this ingredient, so it has not been through a CIR safety assessment.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38?
Others in Skin and cosmetic, side by side.If you're weighing Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, it's worth reading Progeline (Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2), Tetrapeptide-21, and GHK-Cu in the same class.
The peptide behind Matrixyl synthe'6, a topical anti-wrinkle ingredient from Sederma.
- Dose
- Serum or cream, per product
- How often
- Twice daily (supplier study)
A topical peptide aimed at sagging rather than lines, borrowed from progeria research.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A topical peptide for firmer, plumper skin.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A copper peptide used in skincare and also sold in vials for injection, where far less has been studied.
- Dose
- 0.5 up to 2 mg per day injected (community practice). On the skin: per product
- 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
- FDA GSRS substance record, palmitoyl tripeptide-38 (UNII T7A529FB8O)(2026)Structure Pal-Lys-Met(O2)-Lys-OH with the methionine as a sulfone; formula C33H65N5O7S, mass 676; CAS 1101448-24-1; brand name Matrixyl Synthe'6 recorded.
- Sederma, Matrixyl synthe'6 technical brochure (2010)(2010)Supplier study: 25 women aged 42 to 70, cream with 2% Matrixyl synthe'6 twice daily for two months versus placebo. Crow's feet wrinkle volume down 21.1% and deep-wrinkle surface down 28.5% versus placebo (p<0.05). Forehead wrinkle volume down 31% versus baseline at p=0.055. In-vitro figures for collagen I (+105%), collagen III (+104%), hyaluronic acid (+174%) and laminin-5 (+75%) at 2% solution.
- Lintner K, Gerstein F, Solish N, J Cosmet Dermatol 2020(2020)Open-label, no vehicle control, 35 women, 56 days: a serum with 15% vitamin C, vitamin E and palmitoyl tripeptide-38 at 5 ppm. Periorbital roughness down 8 to 9% at day 28. All three authors consult for the manufacturer. The peptide's own effect cannot be separated from the vitamin C.
- Herndon JH et al., J Drugs Dermatol 2015 (PMID 26151786)(2015)Open-label, single arm, 37 women, 12 weeks, a moisturiser with five actives including a peptide blend containing palmitoyl tripeptide-38. Clinical grading improved from week 8. No concentrations given; the peptide's effect cannot be isolated.
- Sederma, patent WO2010082175A2(2010)Names the preferred compound as Pal-KMO2K-OH with a dioxygenated (sulfone) methionine preferred for stability; palmitoyl, acetyl or elaidoyl N-terminus; free acid C-terminus; use at a few parts per million.
- Coty, patent US9149659B2(2015)Equates 2% Matrixyl synthe'6 with 0.0005% by weight palmitoyl tripeptide-38, the only published link between the solution percentage and the peptide content.
- Johnson W et al., Int J Toxicol 2018, CIR safety assessment of tripeptide-1, hexapeptide-12 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7(2018)The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's palmitoyl-peptide report. Palmitoyl tripeptide-38 is not among the ingredients assessed.
- GSRS records for palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (Matrixyl, Pal-KTTKS) and palmitoyl tripeptide-1 (in Matrixyl 3000)(2026)Different molecules. Matrixyl is a five-residue peptide, Matrixyl 3000 a pair of peptides; neither shares a residue sequence with palmitoyl tripeptide-38.
Beyond these, 4 records are indexed. Browse the records