Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (Matrixyl) is a skin rejuvenation compound developed by Sederma corporation in collaboration with Proctor & Gamble. It was originally named palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 and later renamed to palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 to reflect a correction in the data on its molecular structure. It has been included in a variety of commercial skin care formulas under the trademark Matrixyl.
The proponents claim that palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is at least as effective against wrinkles as retinol but does not cause skin irritation, which is a common side-effect of retinoids.
So, is there any science under the hype? Chemically speaking, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (Pal-KTTKS) is a relatively small molecule. It consists of five amino acids linked together and attached to a fatty acid to enhance oil solubility for the sake of better skin penetration. It is structurally related to the precursor of collagen type I (a.k.a. pro-collagen type I). Researchers found that when added to the culture of fibroblasts (the key skin cells), palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 stimulated the synthesis of the key constituents of the skin matrix]
So far, clinical data are encouraging. One study demonstrated that palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 was as effective as retinol in repairing sun-damaged skin but was devoid of side-effects. Most other studies showed at least some improvement in various objective and subjective measures of wrinkles. No side effects have been reported.* Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 may be considered as a nonirritating fall back option for people who develop skin irritation in response to retinoids or alpha-hydroxy acids.
If you decide to try palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, keep in mind that its concentration in a product should be sufficiently high (as used in clinical trials).*
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