How an INCI peptide name is built
Read the name from left to right. It has three parts.
- The prefix says what is attached to the chain. Acetyl is an acetyl group on the first amino acid. Palmitoyl is a palmitic acid chain, sixteen carbons long. Copper is a bound copper ion.
- The length word counts the amino acids: a tripeptide has 3, a tetrapeptide 4, a pentapeptide 5, a hexapeptide 6, an octapeptide 8.
- The number separates one registered sequence from another of the same length. It is an index only. It says nothing about strength, grade or quality.
One word changes the substance. Tripeptide-1 is the GHK sequence. Copper Tripeptide-1 is GHK holding copper. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is GHK with a fatty acid chain and no copper. They are three substances with three entries in the inventory.
The glossary
| INCI name | Trade or common name | What it is | Function in CosIng | From us |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Tripeptide-1 | GHK-Cu, copper peptide | Gly-His-Lys with a copper(II) ion | Skin conditioning | Yes: GHK-Cu |
| Acetyl Octapeptide-3 | SNAP-8 | Eight amino acids, Ac-Glu-Glu-Met-Gln-Arg-Arg-Ala-Asp-NH₂ | Humectant, skin conditioning | Yes: Acetyl Octapeptide-3 |
| Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 | Argireline | Six amino acids, acetylated at the N-terminus | Humectant, skin conditioning | No |
| Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 | Matrixyl | Five amino acids with a palmitoyl chain | Skin conditioning | No |
| Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 | Pal-GHK, one of the two peptides in Matrixyl 3000 | GHK with a palmitoyl chain | Skin conditioning | No |
| Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 | Pal-GQPR, the other peptide in Matrixyl 3000 | Gly-Gln-Pro-Arg with a palmitoyl chain | Skin conditioning | No |
| Tripeptide-1 | GHK | The tripeptide without copper | Skin conditioning, skin protecting | No |
The functions are those the EU's CosIng inventory records, as published by Cosmetics Europe's COSMILE database.
Argireline and SNAP-8 are trade marks of Lubrizol. Matrixyl and Matrixyl 3000 are trade marks of the Croda group, sold by its company Sederma. We list them so that a trade name can be matched 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. The maker's use level then refers to the solution, not to the peptide inside it.
Sederma's data sheet for Matrixyl 3000 shows how this works. It describes 100 ppm of Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and 50 ppm of Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, carried in a hydroglycolic solution with no preservative. Its INCI listing reads: Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate-20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7.
For a factory in Iraq, two things follow.
- More ingredients on the label. The carrier, the thickener and the surfactant become ingredients of your product, and each one goes on its ingredient list. A certification body for Iraq reports that ingredients must appear in Arabic where the applicable Iraqi standard asks for them.
- Less peptide than the weight suggests. At the published 3%, Matrixyl 3000 adds 3 ppm of Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and 1.5 ppm of Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to the finished product.
Our two peptides come as the pure peptide powder in vials, with no carrier and no preservative. You weigh the amount your formula calls for, correct it for the peptide content on the certificate of analysis, and usually dissolve it in part of the formula's water first. For the same reason, a use level published for a solution cannot be applied to a powder. Start from the peptide content you want in the finished product.
Use levels as the makers publish them
| Ingredient as sold | Who publishes the figure | Use level | Notes from the same source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matrixyl 3000 | Sederma (Croda group) | 3% | pH 3.0 to 9.0; add 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 | CIR Expert Panel, 2018 | Typical use below 10 ppm, for the group it reviewed | A survey of use in products, not a recommendation |
For our own grades, the manufacturer's technical data sheet is available on request, where the manufacturer issues one. We add no use level of our own.
Points that hold for most peptides
- pH. Work inside the range on the maker's sheet: Sederma's allows 3.0 to 9.0 for Matrixyl 3000. Copper peptides need a narrower window, set out in copper peptides: a guide for formulators.
- Heat. Add peptides in the cool-down phase unless the data sheet allows more.
- Preservation. A solution sold without preservative, as Sederma describes Matrixyl 3000, relies on the preservative system of your formula.
- Stability. Test the finished product as well as the raw material. Assay the peptide and record the appearance at each time point.
Before you order: a checklist
- The INCI name on our specification matches the name on your formula sheet and your label.
- You know what to check on the certificate of analysis that comes with the batch. How to read a certificate of analysis
- The form is clear: pure peptide, or a solution with a stated peptide content.
- The grade is cosmetic grade. Research grade is a laboratory product and is not sold for cosmetic manufacturing.
- If you import, the papers for the Certificate of Conformity are in hand: certification bodies ask for a product data sheet, the lot number and dates, test reports and a certificate of origin. Importing cosmetics into Iraq
Peptide creams and serums under Iraq's rules
What we could confirm is limited, and this page says so. Cosmetics are reported to be registered with the federal Ministry of Health, but we have not found the procedure published anywhere we could read. Imported cosmetics need a Certificate of Conformity for each consignment under the Conformity Assessment Programme, which has applied since 1 January 2020; Bureau Veritas names the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (COSQC) as its authority. The Kurdistan Region has its own Ministry of Health, and Intertek describes a separate conformity scheme there. The detail, and the questions that go to an Iraqi lawyer, are in importing cosmetics into Iraq.
Buying cosmetic peptides from us
We supply Copper Tripeptide-1 in 100 mg vials and Acetyl Octapeptide-3 in 10 mg vials, ten vials to a box, in cosmetic grade. Our buyers are cosmetic companies, factories, brand owners and distributors in federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region that show a company registration certificate. We deliver to your business address in Iraq, price in US dollars and supply every product to order. We do not supply individuals.