Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Status

Cosmetic ingredient. No FDA-approved drug labeling exists. Used as a cosmetic ingredient. Cosmetic availability is not FDA approval of a product's claims; disease-treatment or structure/function claims can make a product a drug.

What it is

A topical collagen-signaling peptide common in serums.

What published research measured

Palmitoyl tripeptide-1, a palmitoylated form of the glycyl-histidyl-lysine sequence, designed so that the fatty acid chain carries the peptide through the skin barrier that unmodified GHK struggles to cross. The underlying tripeptide has the better-developed literature — GHK and its copper complex have documented effects on collagen synthesis, metalloproteinase regulation and wound healing in cell and animal work, with some controlled topical studies in humans. Evidence specific to the palmitoylated derivative is mostly supplier-generated and appears in combination products rather than alone, so its individual contribution is difficult to isolate from published data. The references attached to this entry do not establish a treatment period for topical palmitoyl tripeptide-1.

Source

Wang C et al. 2026 — Targeting Circadian Rhythm for the Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism

Sources

No linked primary source is on file for this entry yet.

Educational use only, never medical advice. No doses.