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Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 & Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 Research reference — not for sale
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 & Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Clead outcome
Topical: appearance of fine lines / firmness…
grades vary by outcome ↓
Peptide
also called — - Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 = Pal-GHK (palmitoylated Gly-His-Lys) · trade name Biopeptide CL · trade name SYN-COLL (DSM).
- INCI: as named. (Both are cosmetic INCI ingredients.)
skin appearance (cosmetic)fine lines & firmness(reference:) collagen/ECM signalling
Cosmetic signal peptides — the "collagen-signal" archetype (like Matrixyl #28), with the same claim trap. Two related but distinct collagen-signalling peptides. Mechanistically among the better-grounded cosmetic peptides and very well tolerated — but the standalone human evidence is mostly manufacturer/in-vitro, and the "collagen boosting" claim is the structural-claim trap.
In brief
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (Pal-GHK) and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 (Pal-KVK / SYN-COLL) are signal peptides proposed, like Matrixyl, to tell skin fibroblasts to make collagen — Tripeptide-1 as a GHK matrikine, Tripeptide-5 by activating TGF-β. They are mechanistically plausible and very well tolerated, but the standalone human evidence is mostly manufacturer/in-vitro (thinner than Matrixyl's single split-face RCT), and most of the human data for Tripeptide-1 is actually for the Matrixyl 3000 combination, not the peptide alone. They are cosmetic ingredients only.
Legal standing, by region
European Union
Lawful cosmetic
lawful cosmetic ingredients (EU Regulation (EC) 1223/2009; US cosmetic law), sold over-the-counter worldwide. No injectable/research lane. Sellable as cosmetics — the constraint is the claims.
An honest grade per outcome — drawn from the evidence, not any catalogue. Hype and undemonstrated marketing claims grade low.
OutcomeEvidence base · effectGrade
Topical: appearance of fine lines / firmness — Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Standalone human RCT is thin; most human data is for the Matrixyl 3000 combo, not the peptide alone
Mechanistic (GHK matrikine, TGF-β) + Matrixyl 3000 combination studies · Plausible improvement
CTopical: appearance — Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 (SYN-COLL)
Manufacturer-dominated; preliminary
Manufacturer studies + TSP-1/TGF-β mechanism · Preliminary improvement
CCollagen / ECM stimulation (both)
In vitro; reported magnitudes are largely manufacturer-derived
In-vitro (TGF-β pathway; collagen I/III, fibronectin) · Stimulates in vitro
C"Collagen-boosting" / "rebuilds collagen" structural claim
The controlled human endpoints are appearance-based — fine lines, wrinkle depth, scored firmness. Collagen synthesis was never measured in human skin; the collagen data are in-vitro fibroblast assays with largely manufacturer-derived magnitudes.
Marketing claim
DSafety (both, topical)
Good safety; no photosensitivity; suitable for sensitive skin
Broad cosmetic use · Well tolerated, non-irritating
—Disclosure
Vallydia sells its own cosmetic serums, and some ingredients graded here belong to the same categories as those products. Grades are drawn from the published evidence by the method we publish, and applied to our own ingredients on the same terms — our copper-peptide serum is graded no more kindly than the peptides it competes with. We disclose the interest so you can weigh it.
Trade names shown here (for example Matrixyl, Argireline, Syn-Ake) are the property of their respective owners and are used only to identify the ingredient under discussion. Their appearance implies no affiliation with, or endorsement by, the proprietor.
Evidence changes
Get notified if this changes
We track new research and update these grades as the evidence moves. Leave your email and we'll tell you if the evidence for Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 & Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 changes - nothing else.
Cosmetic claims boundary
✓ Allowed (appearance / feel)
- for the **appearance** of firmer, plumper, smoother skin
- helps reduce the **look** of fine lines.
✕ Not allowed (medicinal)
- boosts / stimulates / increases **collagen**
- collagen-boosting
- activates TGF-β
- rebuilds collagen
- by function
The medicinal-sounding science stays in the reference section; product copy speaks only to appearance/feel (Reg 655/2013). Different fields, never merged.
Identity
two synthetic palmitoylated tripeptide signal peptides (3 aa + C16 palmitoyl tail; < 40 aa → peptides), each proposed to signal fibroblasts to build extracellular matrix — but by different routes:
- Tripeptide-1 (Pal-GHK): a matrikine — the GHK sequence derives from the C-terminal region of the α2 chain of collagen I and acts as a repair signal via the TGF-β pathway.
- Tripeptide-5 (Pal-KVK): a TGF-β activator — mimics the KRFK sequence of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), which activates latent TGF-β.
Development & history
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 was developed by Sederma (France) as part of its Matrikine platform (late 1990s; "Biopeptide CL"), and became prominent as a component of Matrixyl 3000 (launched ~2003), paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (Pal-GQPR / Rigin), an anti-inflammatory peptide.
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 was developed by DSM (Pentapharm) as SYN-COLL.
- Both have only ever been cosmetic ingredients, never drugs.
Mechanism (as proposed)
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1: the GHK matrikine is proposed to bind fibroblast receptors (TGF-β / integrin signalling) and upregulate collagen I/III, fibronectin and elastin — mimicking the collagen-degradation repair signal without actual degradation.
- Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5: proposed to mimic thrombospondin-1 and activate latent TGF-β, which in turn signals procollagen synthesis; also reported to reduce MMP activity.
- In both, the palmitoyl tail aids skin penetration; most characterisation is in vitro, and the in-vivo effect is modest.
Related reading
These collagen-signal peptides sit alongside the soothing, redness-calming peptides — including the Matrixyl 3000 partner Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 — catalogued in our anti-inflammatory peptides reference list. For where these signal peptides rank among the cosmetic peptides by evidence, see cosmetic peptides ranked by evidence and the Matrixyl explainer, whose 3000 blend they belong to.
Sources — 4 cited
01Sederma / Croda — Matrixyl 3000 (Pal-GHK + Pal-GQPR) technical and clinical documentation.
02DSM — SYN-COLL (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5) documentation.
03Pickart L, et al. — foundational GHK matrikine research (mechanistic grounding for Pal-GHK).
04Robinson LR, et al. (2005) — the class-defining signal-peptide RCT (Matrixyl / Pal-KTTKS).
Updated 2026-07-20
Grades reflect the published evidence, not our interest. No dosing, reconstitution, or administration is published for research compounds — that restraint is deliberate.
VallydiaA neutral reference and a lawful-lane shop. Information for those who seek it — never promotion.
Region — International
This site provides neutral scientific reference and sells only products lawful in your region. Nothing here is medical advice, a recommendation, or an offer to supply unapproved medicines. No dosing or administration is published for research compounds. Cosmetic peptides per Regulation (EC) 1223/2009. Unapproved injectable peptides are neither sold nor advertised in the EU (Directive 2001/83/EC, Title VIII). © 2026 Vallydia.