Matrixyl® 3000
A licensed two-peptide complex from Sederma, made up of Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, used to support firmness.
Trials report reduced wrinkle depth and improved elasticity over two months. These studies are funded by Sederma rather than independently published.
On the label: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. Also known as Matrixyl 3000, Peptide complex.
What it does for you
Supports firmness and smoother-looking texture alongside the copper peptide. It is the supporting act to VitalCopper's lead active, not a second headline.
Why we use it
We use the licensed complex rather than sourcing the two peptides separately, because the complex is the form that has actually been tested and the ratio is part of what is being licensed. We also claim it as a complex rather than making separate claims for each peptide, which would go beyond what the research supports. In Sederma's clinical study at 3% concentration, the exact dose used in VitalCopper, Matrixyl® 3000 reduced the surface occupied by deep wrinkles by 39.4% over 60 days, main wrinkle density by 32.9% and average wrinkle volume by 23.3%. Skin tone improved 15.5% and elasticity 5.5%. A separate 4-month study showed results comparable to retinol, without the irritation. VitalCopper is formulated and licensed at this studied concentration.
Mechanism
Both peptides are short fragments that mimic the signals released when skin's matrix breaks down, which is intended to prompt a repair response. Each carries a palmitic acid chain to help it cross the skin surface. Matrixyl® 3000 is a dual-peptide complex licensed from Sederma, a Croda company, and one of the most extensively studied ingredients in anti-aging skincare. It combines two matrikine peptides that work on the extracellular matrix simultaneously. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 supports the synthesis of structural collagen and elastin. Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 works the other half of the equation, reducing the inflammatory signalling (specifically interleukin-6) associated with chronic collagen breakdown. You can produce new collagen and still lose density if breakdown outpaces synthesis. That is why the licensed complex is used rather than either peptide on its own.
Use level
3% of the licensed complex in VitalCopper Renewal Face Serum, which is Sederma's recommended use level. The peptides themselves are present at parts-per-million, which is normal and correct for this ingredient class.
Commonly confused with
Matrixyl® 3000 is not the same as Matrixyl®. The original Matrixyl is palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, a different molecule with its own separate research, and the two are frequently mixed up. Claims and studies for one do not transfer to the other.
What the studies say
Face study, 23 women aged 42-67, 3% twice daily for 2 months vs placebo, compared to T0: surface occupied by deep wrinkles -39.4% (p<0.01); main wrinkle density -32.9% (p<0.01); main wrinkle average depth -19.9% (p<0.01); main wrinkle average volume -23.3% (p<0.01); roughness -16.0% (p<0.01); complexity / lifting effect -16.2% (p<0.01); skin tone +15.5% (p<0.01); elasticity +5.5% (p<0.05). Placebo was non-significant on every endpoint except wrinkle volume (-8.7%, p<0.05). Papillary dermis study, 28 women aged 51-72: subepidermal low echogenicity band thickness -9.8%/T0 (up to -23% inner forearm, -33% outer forearm); density +11.4% and +11.5%/T0 (up to +44% and +45%); age gain -3.8 years inner forearm and -5.5 years outer forearm at 2 months, -1.8 years at 1 month. Facial fibre network by confocal laser microscopy at the external eye corner +13.9%/T0, up to +54% (p<0.01), 71% of volunteers improved. Ex vivo skin explants (n=10, ages 30-66): quantification of collagen I, collagen IV, collagen VII, collagen XVII and nidogen I. No collagen III measurement anywhere in the document. In vitro senescent fibroblasts at Matrixyl 3000 eq 5%, which is above the 3% use level: SA beta-galactosidase -56% (p<0.01), progerin RNA expression -27% (p<0.05), lamin A +4% (ns). Recommended use level stated as 3%, the exact concentration used in VitalCopper. INCI: Glycerin, Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. Preservative free.
- Supplier data (unpublished)
- n = 23 women aged 42-67 (face study); 28 women aged 51-72 (papillary dermis study); 10 skin explants aged 30-66 (ex vivo)
- 2 months
Face study: 23 women aged 42-67, half-face, cream containing 3% Matrixyl 3000, twice daily, 2 months vs placebo, assessed by profilometry, cutometry and photography. Papillary dermis study: 28 women aged 51-72, same dose and duration, face and forearm vs placebo, ultrasound of the subepidermal low echogenicity band plus confocal laser microscopy of the face. Also ex vivo skin explants (n=10, ages 30-66) and in vitro senescent fibroblasts at eq 5%.
Matrixyl 3000 claim substantiation sheet v.151110 (11-2015): in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro study data Sederma / Croda., 2015
Manufacturer's own claim substantiation sheet, not peer reviewed and not published; no independent peer-reviewed clinical trial of Matrixyl 3000 could be located. CITATION TRAP: the widely circulated 45% figure appears in this document only as the maximum individual response for subepidermal low echogenicity band DENSITY on the outer forearm (+11.5% mean, up to +45%), not as a facial deep wrinkle reduction. The facial deep wrinkle figure is -39.4%. The widely circulated 'nearly 20% firmness and tonicity' figure is not in this document at all: elasticity is +5.5% and skin tone +15.5%, while -19.9% is average wrinkle depth. There is no retinol or tretinoin comparison anywhere in this document; the only comparator used in any study is placebo.
Panel concluded the ingredient family is safe at present practices of use and concentration. Reports concentration-of-use ranges: Tripeptide-1 at 0.00002 to 0.001 percent; Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 at 0.0000001 to 0.001 percent; Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 at 0.000005 to 0.0015 percent across 249 reported uses.
- Regulatory safety review
Safety Assessment of Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-12, Their Metal Salts and Fatty Acyl Derivatives, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as Used in Cosmetics Johnson W Jr, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, et al. (Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel). International Journal of Toxicology, 2018. DOI 10.1177/1091581818807863
Industry-funded expert panel, but the standard safety reference for cosmetic ingredients.