Ar
Argireline
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8Active
A peptide sold as a cream alternative to wrinkle injections. Its effect on expression lines is subtle, and independent evidence is thin.
What it does
In lab tests it blocks the nerve signals that make muscles tighten, which is where the injection comparison comes from. On real skin it gets in poorly and the effect, where there is one, is subtle. Brand-funded studies report slightly shallower expression lines over 8–12 weeks; independent repeats are few.
The evidence, graded
strongPal-KTTKS (Matrixyl) has the most trials. A placebo-controlled study applied 0.005% around one eye twice daily for 28 days: fold depth down 18%, fold thickness down 37%, by profilometry. A 12-week split-face trial of 3 ppm reduced wrinkles and fine lines, and a four-month study improved roughness and wrinkle depth. Copper peptide (GHK-Cu) reaches Drop through a review; its placebo-controlled studies all ran 12 weeks, and its one earlier measurement is collagen in thigh biopsies at a month.Robinson 2005 · International Journal of Cosmetic Science ↗
emergingFine together for your skin; the only question is whether the acid's low pH makes the peptide less effective. To rule it out, use the acid in the morning and the peptide at night. The only stability test here found the peptide intact down to pH 4.5; a vitamin C or AHA layer sits below that, which nobody has tested, and no study Drop has read applied the two in one step.Errante 2020 · Frontiers in Chemistry ↗
emergingFine together — peptides (short chains of amino acids) such as palmitoyl tripeptide-1 are thought to work differently from retinol.Mukherjee 2006 · Clinical Interventions in Aging ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Also known as
acetyl hexapeptide-3
Pairs worth knowing
Browse all 1238 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.
This page is public so a shared ingredient card always has its sources behind it — and so you can check them without an account.
Want more like this?
Every evidence-based flag cites its source, Drop tells you when your routine is complete, and it helps you simplify — instead of selling you more. The app launches on iOS and Android in October 2026. Rate my routine works today at /rate — no sign-in.