Matrixyl 3000

Matrixyl 3000 is an amino acid complex built from two sequences — palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 — carried in a glycerin and water gel. Cosmetic formulators use it at 3 to 8 percent to help skin look firmer and to soften the look of fine lines. It is water-soluble and blends into most serum bases.

That paragraph is the whole answer. Everything below is the detail almost nobody publishes: the full ingredient list, the exact usage rate, and exactly how much to add to a base you are holding.

Fast facts

What Matrixyl 3000 actually is

Two amino acid sequences, working on different signals.

• Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (pal-GHK) — the sequence most often associated with the look of firmer, better-supported skin.
• Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (pal-GQPR) — the sequence associated with skin that looks calmer and more even.

Sederma describes both as matrikines: messenger sequences that communicate with skin cells. The palmitoyl part is a fatty acid attached to each one so the sequence can travel through the skin's outer layer instead of sitting on top of it.

The original Matrixyl, released in 1999, was a single sequence — palmitoyl pentapeptide-4. Matrixyl 3000 is the two-sequence version that replaced it.

Here is the part worth understanding: the 3 to 8 percent figure refers to the whole gel, not the amino acids alone. Most of what is in the bottle is glycerin and water. That is normal and it is how the raw material is supplied — peptides work at very low concentrations. Any brand quoting a percentage is quoting the complex.

How much to use

This is the question we get more than any other, so here is the full answer rather than a vague one.

Weigh it. A drop is not a fixed amount — its size changes with how thick the liquid is, the shape of the dropper, and the temperature. Matrixyl 3000 is a thick gel, so it drops considerably larger than a thin peptide solution. Percentages and grams are exact, and a small digital scale removes all the guesswork.

A 1 ounce base weighs about 30 grams. A 2 ounce base weighs about 60 grams.

The formula: base weight in grams × percentage ÷ 100 = grams of active. So 8% into a 1 ounce base is 30 × 8 ÷ 100 = 2.4 grams.

Going above 8 percent does not give you more. You are mostly adding glycerin and water to your base at that point, and thinning everything else in the formula.

Working in drops instead? See the serum booster conversion chart for approximate drop counts and the rates for every other active we sell.

Matrixyl 3000 compared to the peptides people ask about next

If you only pick one, pick Matrixyl 3000. It is the broadest of the group and the easiest to formulate around. Matrixyl Synthe-6 is the one to add second if your concern is a specific line rather than overall firmness.

Two ways to use it

Blend it yourself

The Matrixyl 3000 Serum Booster is the raw material at full strength. You choose the percentage and you choose the base.

1. Pick your base. Hyaluronic acid serum is the usual choice — it is water-based, so the two mix cleanly, and it carries well.
2. Weigh in the amount from the table above.
3. Cap it and shake well.
4. Refrigerate what you are not using. The blue glass keeps light out; the cold keeps the blend stable.
5. Apply to a clean, dry face and neck, morning and night. Moisturiser over the top. Sunscreen in the morning.

Do not apply the booster undiluted. It is a formulation ingredient, not a finished serum.

Or skip the mixing

The 20% Matrixyl Collagen Serum is already blended and ready to use. The name is the disclosure: 20 percent of the finished serum is Matrixyl 3000 complex. We put the number on the label because you should not have to guess.

Questions we actually get asked

How much Matrixyl 3000 for an 8% blend in 1 ounce?
2.4 grams, which is 2.37 ml. At 5 percent, 1.5 grams. At 3 percent, 0.9 grams.

Why do you recommend weighing instead of counting drops?
Because a drop is not a fixed amount. Matrixyl 3000 is a thick gel and forms a much bigger drop than a thin peptide solution, so the same drop count gives a different concentration depending on the product. Weight does not have that problem.

Can I use it with retinol?
Yes. Many people prefer Matrixyl 3000 in the morning and retinol at night, simply because retinol can be drying and splitting them up is gentler on the skin.

Can I add it to a vitamin C serum?
Yes. Both Matrixyl 3000 and Matrixyl Synthe-6 blend into a vitamin C serum without trouble.

Can I use it with copper peptide?
Yes. They are compatible. Note that copper peptide itself should not be combined with vitamin C.

Can I use it with Argireline?
Yes. Argireline works on the look of expression lines and Matrixyl 3000 on overall firmness, so they layer well.

Can I add it to my facial oil blend?
No. Matrixyl 3000 is water-soluble, so it will not incorporate into jojoba, argan, coconut, or rosehip. Use a water-based serum or gel as your base instead.

Can I use both Matrixyls together?
Yes. Matrixyl 3000 for the look of firmness across the whole face, Matrixyl Synthe-6 on the specific lines. Apply two minutes apart so each one absorbs.

Can I use it with a derma roller?
Blend it into a hyaluronic acid base first. Never apply the undiluted booster.

How long before I see a difference?
Sederma's efficacy work reports visible change in the look of wrinkle depth and skin suppleness over two months of twice-daily use. Most people notice the look of hydration and plumpness earlier than they notice the look of lines.

How long does it keep?
8 months from opening. The label carries an open-jar symbol with an 8 in it. Refrigerate on arrival.

Does it suit sensitive skin?
It is generally well tolerated and it is fragrance-free and paraben-free. As with any new active, patch test first. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a dermatologist's care, ask your own provider before adding anything new.

Do I need to keep using it?
Yes. The visible benefits depend on continued use, the same as any cosmetic active.

A note from the bench

I have been formulating with Matrixyl 3000 for most of the twenty years I have been a cosmetic formulator, and the thing that still bothers me is how hard it is to find out how much of it is in anything.

Walk down any shelf. You will find dozens of products naming this ingredient. Almost none of them will tell you the concentration. "Proprietary blend" does a lot of work in this industry, and what it usually means is that the number would disappoint you.

So we publish ours. The percentage is on the label, the ingredient list is printed in full with real INCI names, and the arithmetic is on this page so you can check it. If you are going to put something on your face twice a day, you are entitled to know what is in it and how much.

That is the whole reason this page exists.

— Kari Thomas, Founder and Cosmetic Formulator, Skin Perfection. Certificate of Natural Preservation. Author of 5-Minute Anti-Aging Formulas.

This page has been reviewed by Dr. Jen Haley, a board-certified dermatologist.

References

• Sederma (Croda). Matrixyl 3000 Efficacy Dossier, 2005.
• Maquart FX, Pickart L, Laurent M, Gillery P, Monboisse JC, Borel JP. "Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine." FEBS Letters, 1988; 238(2): 343–346.
• Katayama K, Armendariz-Borunda J, Raghow R, Kang AH, Seyer JM. "A pentapeptide from type I procollagen promotes extracellular matrix production." Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1993; 268(14): 9941–9944.
• Schagen SK. "Topical Peptide Treatments with Effective Anti-Aging Results." Cosmetics, 2017; 4(2): 16.
• EWG Skin Deep ingredient database

Cosmetic use only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Shop Matrixyl 3000

Matrixyl 3000 Serum Booster to blend yourself, or the 20% Matrixyl Collagen Serum ready to use. More options in Serum Boosters and Anti-Aging Peptides.