Compound Type
Cosmetic Peptide
Last updated
A peptide formulated for application to the skin rather than for injection. These are usually short, two to six amino acids, and often chemically modified so they survive in a cream and stand a better chance of penetrating. The type sits beneath Peptide. The label describes the intended formulation, so a molecule can be a cosmetic peptide in one product and be studied by a different route elsewhere.
Why it matters here
These records turn on the vehicle. The same peptide in an aqueous serum, a cream base and a liposomal carrier behaves differently, so the formulation field carries more weight here than the stated concentration does.
What it is not
A cosmetic peptide is not simply an injectable peptide put into a cream: the modifications that make a peptide usable on skin, such as a fatty-acid tail or an acetyl cap, change the molecule, so evidence for the unmodified parent does not transfer. Penetrates the skin in supplier data also usually means the outer dead layer, not the living dermis where collagen is made.
Also called
- cosmetic peptide
- topical peptide
- skin peptide
Topical peptide and skin peptide are used interchangeably in ingredient lists. Neither says anything about whether the molecule reaches the layer it is claimed to act on.
Where it sits
- Broader term
- Peptide
Compounds carrying this term
None on file yet. This term is in the controlled vocabulary but no compound record currently uses it — which is a statement about our coverage, not about the term.