Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as Neutrazen
A skin-calming ingredient built from three residues of a natural anti-inflammatory hormone, backed mainly by supplier tests.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It goes into creams for sensitive, reddened or irritated skin. In the supplier's cell tests it lowered the inflammatory signal IL-8, and in 8 to 13 volunteers it reduced redness and heat after a chemical irritant. Independent evidence is limited to one stinging study and one multi-ingredient product trial without a control group.
Palmitoyl tripeptide-8 is His-D-Phe-Arg, the core of the hormone alpha-MSH, with a palmitic acid tail and an amide end. It switches on the MC1 melanocortin receptor, one of the ways skin cells damp inflammation. French CNRS researchers patented it in 2004; Lucas Meyer Cosmetics sells it as Neutrazen, and Clariant has owned Lucas Meyer since April 2024.
What it's used for
A cosmetic ingredient in soothing creams and serums for sensitive or reactive skin, after-sun and post-procedure care.
How does Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 work?
What it does in the body, and where.Palmitoyl tripeptide-8 mimics alpha-MSH, a fragment of the skin's own pro-opiomelanocortin hormone.
- 01The receptorHis-Phe-Arg is the core of alpha-MSH. With the phenylalanine in mirror-image form, the patent reports stronger MC1 receptor signalling than alpha-MSH itself in melanoma cells (half-maximal at 2.3 against 8.1 nanomolar).
- 02Calming signalsMC1 receptor activation damps inflammatory signalling. In the supplier's tests, UVB-stressed skin cells released about 32% less IL-8, and irritated fibroblasts about 64% less.
- 03Fat tailThe palmitic acid tail is meant to help it into the outer skin; no penetration data have been published.
A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.
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.
Supplier tests
Supplement or cosmetic- Lab studySkin cells stressed with UVB or IL-1 released 32 to 64% less IL-8.
- Lab studyIn 4 donated skin samples exposed to substance P, swelling fell about 60% and dilated vessels about 30%.
- No data8 and 13 volunteers: less heat and redness after a detergent irritant; no p-values, and one result is given as an impossible '-112%'.
Independent studies
Early research- Human trialA 2016 study in sensitive-skin volunteers found a POMC-mimicking peptide reduced capsaicin stinging against vehicle.
- Human observationAn uncontrolled 25-person study of a serum with five actives reduced post-rosacea redness; the peptide's share cannot be separated.
Lucas Meyer Cosmetics is now part of Clariant, not IFF. GSRS lists a wrong synonym with alanine in place of arginine, and some vendors call it palmitoyl tetrapeptide-8; it is a tripeptide. The IL-8 results are from cells, not 'in vivo'. The supplier's '-112%' temperature reduction cannot be right as a percentage. 'Clinically proven' rests on two supplier tests of 8 and 13 people, one independent study and one uncontrolled multi-ingredient study. Claims that the Cosmetic Ingredient Review confirmed its safety have no source; its 2018 peptide report covered other peptides. 'Neutrazen' is a trade name for one supplier's blend, not a generic name for the peptide.
The published record
Papers and trials about Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
2 papers tagged human · 2 not reviews or lab · 0 clinical trial publications
Furthest stage reached: No clinical trial on record
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-8
Evidence
Cosmetic
Category
Skin and cosmetic
Common vial
Varies
Half-life
Not applicable (topical)
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.Serum or cream, per product, daily. Daily use Community practice
Applied daily like other cosmetic actives. The supplier's preventive test used it three times a day for 8 days.
Not applicable (topical)No figure
Applied to the skin. No skin penetration or blood-level data have been 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.Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 is not injected
It is taken on the skin (cream or serum). The supplier's volunteer tests used about 4 micromolar of the peptide, roughly 2.8 ppm (0.00028%) of the finished formula. Resellers cite 2 to 8 ppm; Lucas Meyer's recommended level for Neutrazen is not public. The patent covers 0.01 micromolar to 1 millimolar, preferring 0.1 to 10 micromolar. Applied as a cosmetic; there is no injected dose.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature, out of light. Cap it tight after each use.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-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.Who should avoid it
- Injecting it: it is sold and tested only as a skin-care ingredient
- Known sensitivity to a product that contains it
Stop and get help
- Redness, burning, itching or a rash where it is applied
Common effects
- No irritation or sensitisation data have been published, and no Cosmetic Ingredient Review assessment was found
- Whether it darkens skin is unresolved: it activates the pigment receptor in melanoma cells, and the supplier says it showed no tanning effect without showing the data
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Not as a medicine. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-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 (cream or serum)
- Checked13 October 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.
- SourcesFDA GSRS substance record, palmitoyl tripeptide-8 (UNII 55HZC7YQA7)Loing E, Cosmetics & Toiletries 2017 (supplier-authored)Lucas Meyer Cosmetics (Clariant), NeutrazenClariant completes acquisition of Lucas Meyer Cosmetics (Apr 2024)FR2870243A1, agonist tripeptide conjugates of MSH (CNRS)Jafarian-Dehkordi A et al., Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2016;11:484-490Baldwin H et al., Journal of Drugs in Dermatology 2014;13:326-331Resende DISP et al., Pharmaceuticals 2021;14:702SpecialChem, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 INCI page
What has happened recently
A cosmetic ingredient, not a drug. Listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) under the INCI name Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 with a skin-conditioning function and no restrictions. No Cosmetic Ingredient Review or EU SCCS safety assessment was found. One US mist is registered on DailyMed as an over-the-counter drug listing it as the active ingredient; that is a self-submitted listing, not an FDA approval. Patented by the CNRS and the Institut Europeen de Biologie Cellulaire (priority 2004); launched as Neutrazen by Atrium Innovations in 2007, then sold through Unipex and Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, owned by IFF from 2015 and by Clariant since April 2024.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8?
Others in Skin and cosmetic, side by side.If you're weighing Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, it's worth reading Progeline (Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2), Tetrapeptide-21, and GHK-Cu in the same class.
A skin-calming ingredient built from three residues of a natural anti-inflammatory hormone, backed mainly by supplier tests.
- Dose
- Serum or cream, per product
- How often
- Daily
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-8 (UNII 55HZC7YQA7)(2026)N-palmitoyl-L-histidyl-D-phenylalanyl-L-argininamide; C37H61N9O4, MW 695.94; CAS 936544-53-5. One listed synonym wrongly gives alanine for arginine.
- Loing E, Cosmetics & Toiletries 2017 (supplier-authored)(2017)IL-8 down about 32% (UVB keratinocytes) and 64% (fibroblasts); 4 skin samples: dilated vessels about 30% fewer; volunteers (8 and 13): less heat and redness after an irritant. No p-values.
- Lucas Meyer Cosmetics (Clariant), Neutrazen(2026)Trade blend of water, butylene glycol, dextran and palmitoyl tripeptide-8, sold as 'the soothing neurocosmetic'.
- Clariant completes acquisition of Lucas Meyer Cosmetics (Apr 2024)(2024)Clariant bought Lucas Meyer Cosmetics from IFF, completing on 2 April 2024.
- FR2870243A1, agonist tripeptide conjugates of MSH (CNRS)(2005)Priority 11 May 2004; covers Palm-His-(D)Phe-Arg-NH2. The US counterpart reports cAMP EC50 2.3 nM against 8.1 nM for alpha-MSH.
- Jafarian-Dehkordi A et al., Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences 2016;11:484-490(2016)Sensitive-skin volunteers, one side of the nose against vehicle for two weeks: a biomimetic POMC peptide cut capsaicin stinging, about 47% more than strontium chloride. The peptide's identity was not confirmed from the full text.
- Baldwin H et al., Journal of Drugs in Dermatology 2014;13:326-331(2014)25 people with redness after rosacea treatment, 8 weeks, no control: 24 improved on a multi-ingredient serum containing the peptide.
- Resende DISP et al., Pharmaceuticals 2021;14:702(2021)Second most-used peptide in 88 sensitive-skin products; evidence mostly in patents and supplier brochures, not randomised trials.
- SpecialChem, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 INCI page(2025)CosIng reference 83397, skin conditioning; other suppliers sell the same INCI under different trade names.
Beyond these, 6 records are indexed. Browse the records