SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as acetyl octapeptide-3, SNAP-8, SNAP
A stronger topical wrinkle-smoothing peptide for forehead and eye lines.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
89 of 93 listings we track are vials from research sellers, not finished skincare or hair products.
What is SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
Put on the skin, it relaxes the tiny muscles under expression lines. That softens forehead and eye wrinkles.
SNAP-8 (acetyl octapeptide-3) is a longer cousin of Argireline used in skincare.
What it's used for
A stronger cousin of Argireline in skincare, used to soften forehead and eye wrinkles.
How does SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3) work?
What it does in the body, and where.SNAP-8 is Argireline extended by two amino acids, on the theory that a longer fragment binds its target better.
- 01Same SNARE mechanism as ArgirelineInterfering with the release of the muscle-contraction signal.
- 02The longer chain is claimed to work betterA manufacturer claim. There is no independent head-to-head study establishing it.
- 03The same penetration problem appliesAnd it is worse for a larger molecule, since size is the main barrier to crossing skin.
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 forehead and eye wrinkles, applied to the skinSupplement or cosmetic
The published record
Papers and trials about SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)
Searched: acetyl octapeptide-3, acetyl octapeptide 3, acetyl-octapeptide-3, SNAP-8 peptide.
1 papers tagged human · 1 not reviews or lab · 1 clinical trial publications
Furthest stage reached: Published trials only, 1 clinical trial publication, no phased trial registered
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 SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)
Evidence
Cosmetic
Category
Skin and cosmetic
Common vial
10 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. Some sites publish injection protocols for it. We found no trial of injected SNAP-8. The closest published work delivers it through microneedle patches (PMID 31134751).
SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3) starts at $19.99 across 86 vendors, typically $1.90 – $4.60 per mg.
93 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.
SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3) 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: 88% charged residues, 25% 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
- Safety data is limited to cosmetic topical use
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3) approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Not as a medicine. SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3) 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.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)?
Others in Skin and cosmetic, side by side.If you're weighing SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3), it's worth reading AHK-Cu, GHK (copper-free), and Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8) in the same class.
A stronger topical wrinkle-smoothing peptide for forehead and eye lines.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
GHK-Cu's less-studied cousin, sold mainly for hair.
- Dose
- On the scalp: per product. Injected: no established amount
- How often
- Daily
The same tripeptide as the copper peptide, without the copper, and a different proposition because of it.
- Dose
- 1 to 2 mg per day injected (community practice). On the skin: per product
- How often
- Daily
A topical Botox-like peptide that softens fine lines, needle-free.
- Dose
- Serum, 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
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, 2 records are indexed. Browse the records