Reading an INCI peptide name
- The prefix names what is attached to the chain. "Acetyl" is an acetyl group on the first amino acid; "Palmitoyl" is a 16-carbon fatty acid chain; "Copper" is a bound copper ion.
- The middle gives the length: a tripeptide has three amino acids, a tetrapeptide four, a pentapeptide five, a hexapeptide six, an octapeptide eight.
- The number at the end tells one registered sequence from another of the same length. It is not a strength, a grade or a generation.
Two names one word apart can therefore be different substances. Tripeptide-1 is GHK; Copper Tripeptide-1 is GHK holding copper; Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is GHK with a fatty acid chain and no copper.
The glossary
| INCI name | Known as | What it is | From us |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Tripeptide-1 | GHK-Cu, copper peptide | Gly-His-Lys bound to a copper(II) ion | Yes: GHK-Cu |
| Acetyl Octapeptide-3 | SNAP-8 | Eight residues, Ac-Glu-Glu-Met-Gln-Arg-Arg-Ala-Asp-NH₂ | Yes: Acetyl Octapeptide-3 |
| Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 | Argireline | Six residues, acetylated at the N-terminus | No |
| Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 | Matrixyl | Five residues with a palmitoyl chain | No |
| Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 | Pal-GHK, one of the two peptides in Matrixyl 3000 | GHK with a palmitoyl chain | No |
| Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 | Pal-GQPR, the other peptide in Matrixyl 3000 | Gly-Gln-Pro-Arg with a palmitoyl chain | No |
| Tripeptide-1 | GHK | The tripeptide without copper | No |
Argireline and SNAP-8 are trade marks of Lubrizol. Matrixyl and Matrixyl 3000 are trade marks of the Croda group, whose company Sederma markets them. We name them only so that you can match a trade name to its INCI name; we do not sell those branded ingredients.
Pure peptide or a supplier's solution
Most trade-named peptides are sold as dilute solutions, and the maker's use level refers to the solution, not to the peptide in it. Sederma's data sheet for Matrixyl 3000, for example, describes 100 ppm of Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and 50 ppm of Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 in a preservative-free hydroglycolic solution. Its INCI listing reads Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate-20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7.
That matters twice over for an Egyptian factory:
- The composition form grows. The EDA asks for every substance with its percentage and function, so a solution brings its carrier, thickener and any preservative into your formula and onto your ingredient list.
- A gram of solution is not a gram of peptide. 3% of Matrixyl 3000 puts 3 ppm of Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and 1.5 ppm of Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 into the finished product.
Our two peptides are supplied as the pure peptide powder in vials, with no carrier or preservative. You add the peptide your formula specifies, corrected for the peptide content on the certificate of analysis, usually after dissolving it in part of the formula's water. The other side of that: a use level published for a solution does not transfer to a powder. Work from the peptide content you want in the finished product.
Use levels as the makers publish them
| Ingredient as sold | Maker | Published use level | From the data sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matrixyl 3000 | Sederma (Croda group) | 3% | pH 3.0 to 9.0; add to an emulsion at 25 to 50 °C, or up to 80 °C for no more than 2 hours; water soluble |
| SNAP-8 peptide solution C | Lubrizol | 3 to 10% | A solution of Acetyl Octapeptide-3 in water with caprylyl glycol |
| Copper Tripeptide-1 | Reported by the CIR Expert Panel, 2018 | Typical use below 10 ppm | A survey of use in products, not a maker's recommendation |
For our own grades the manufacturer's technical data sheet is available on request, where it issues one, and we add no use level of our own.
Formulation points that apply to most peptides
- pH. Stay inside the range on the maker's data sheet: Sederma's for Matrixyl 3000 allows 3.0 to 9.0. Copper peptides need more care, set out in copper peptides: a guide for formulators.
- Heat. Add peptides in the cool-down phase unless the data sheet allows more.
- Preservation. Some trade-named solutions are sold preservative-free, as Sederma describes Matrixyl 3000, so the formula's own preservative system has to protect them.
- Stability. Test the finished product, not only the raw material: assay the peptide and record the appearance at each time point.
What a formulator should check before ordering
- The INCI name on the specification is the one you will print on the label and enter on the EDA form.
- The certificate of analysis is for the batch you will receive. How to read a certificate of analysis
- The form: pure peptide or solution, and for a solution, its peptide content.
- The grade: cosmetic grade for products applied to the skin. Research grade is a laboratory product and is not sold for cosmetic manufacturing.
- The EU annexes. The EDA's 2023 notification guide adopts Annexes II to VI of EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009: prohibited and restricted substances, colorants, preservatives and UV filters. Check every ingredient in the formula against them.
Peptides under the EDA's rules
A peptide cream or serum is a cosmetic in Egypt when it is applied to the external parts of the body to clean, perfume, protect, keep in good condition or change their appearance. On the pack, the EDA's 2023 guide wants the ingredient list headed "Ingredients", with INCI names as in the EU's common ingredient nomenclature, in descending order of weight; ingredients below 1% may follow in any order. Claims on the outer pack need a scientific reference or studies behind them. The whole process is in registering a cosmetic product in Egypt.
Buying cosmetic peptides from us
We supply Copper Tripeptide-1 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 in cosmetic grade to factories, toll manufacturers, brands and distributors with a commercial register and tax card, and we deliver to your business address in Egypt. Prices are in US dollars, and every product is supplied to order. We do not supply individuals.