PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-5
PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-5 is a synthetic peptide: a short sequence of three amino acids is linked to a chain derived from palmitic acid. On an ingredient list, the name does not mean palm oil or a plant extract; it identifies a molecule made for cosmetic use. The peptide sequence corresponds to a fragment related to thrombospondin I, a protein studied in cell biology.
PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-5: what it is
PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-5 is a synthetic peptide: a short sequence of three amino acids is linked to a chain derived from palmitic acid. On an ingredient list, the name does not mean palm oil or a plant extract; it identifies a molecule made for cosmetic use. The peptide sequence corresponds to a fragment related to thrombospondin I, a protein studied in cell biology.
The word “palmitoyl” refers to the bond between that fatty chain and the peptide. This is what distinguishes it from a plain tripeptide, and the chain is part of the molecule itself rather than a separate coating placed on the skin. Liquid-phase synthetic routes have been described for making this molecule, so it is regarded as a synthetic cosmetic ingredient.
PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-5: what it does in cosmetics
PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-5 is used as a skin-conditioning ingredient. In everyday terms, conditioning is the role of helping a cosmetic leave skin looking and feeling cared for during use; it is not a cleansing agent or a sunscreen. That cosmetic role explains why the ingredient may appear in facial products.
A review of peptides used in cosmetics describes PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-5 as a signal peptide and discusses laboratory hypotheses involving skin enzymes and matrix components. The same review found no efficacy study of the ingredient alone, or of the blend containing it, for rosacea or sensitive skin. That limitation does not support promises that a product containing it will treat redness, sensitivity, or wrinkles.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
