Eye-area cream (trial)
Trial- Dose
- Cream with “10%” Argireline (as reported)
- How often
- Twice daily
- How long
- 4 weeks
Wang 2013, 60 adults: wrinkle grading improved in 48.9% vs 0% on placebo, and skin-replica roughness fell.
Human studiesCosmetic anti-wrinkle peptide
Argireline
Acetyl hexapeptide-8 (INCI name), acetyl hexapeptide-3
- Common dose
- Topical, twice daily (trials)
- Cycle
- Continuous
- Vial sizes
- 10 mg
A 6-amino-acid cosmetic peptide copied from SNAP-25, a protein nerves use to signal muscles. In lab tests it weakly blocks that signal, so it’s marketed to soften expression lines; SNAP-8 is a longer version of it.
Evidence. Small trials: in 60 Chinese adults, 4 weeks of twice-daily use improved eye wrinkles in 48.9% vs 0% on placebo, and in 24 people with eyelid spasm it slightly, but not significantly, extended the effect of botulinum toxin. In lab tests on donor skin, almost none of it got past the outer layer.
Status
- Approval
- Not approved as a drug in the US or EU; used as a cosmetic ingredient.
- US compounding
- Nominated for outsourcing facilities (503B), but FDA lists acetyl hexapeptide-3 in Category 3, nominated without adequate support (March 2025). Not on FDA’s 503A lists (May 2026).
- Sport (WADA 2026)
- Not banned in sportNot named on the 2026 list. It’s a topical cosmetic ingredient; USADA lists similar cosmetic peptides, such as palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, as not prohibited.
Category 2 is FDA’s list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. The 503A bulks list adds substances that pharmacies may compound with. Advisory committee votes are advice; FDA makes the final decision. Sport status follows the WADA Prohibited List in force since January 1, 2026; athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization. Checked October 5, 2026. Status of every compound.
How it works
Argireline copies the starting segment of SNAP-25, a protein nerve endings use to release the chemical signals that make muscles contract. In lab tests it disrupted the SNARE complex, the machinery behind that release, and reduced signal release; it acted at concentrations similar to botulinum toxin A, but its effect was much weaker. In donor-skin tests almost none got past the outer layer.
AnimalMainly from cell and animal studies; not shown in people.
Not known
Whether it reaches nerve endings or muscle in living skin, and whether trial wrinkle changes come from nerve effects or from surface effects such as moisture, are unknown.
Protocol
Trial
Wang 2013
Cream with “10%” Argireline (as reported), twice daily around the eyes for 4 weeks.
Trial
Blanes-Mira 2002
Emulsion with “10%” Argireline, twice daily for 30 days; wrinkle depth fell by up to 30%.
- Frequency
- Twice daily (topical)
- Route
- Topical only
- Cycle
- Continuous; trials judged results at 4 weeks to 2 months.
Continuous, shown over 26 weeks
Common protocols
The ways Argireline is most often run, each tagged with where it comes from.
Alongside botulinum toxin (trial)
Trial- Dose
- Acetyl hexapeptide-8 cream (strength not given in the abstract)
- How often
- Daily
- How long
- From a toxin injection until symptoms returned (about 3–7 months)
Lungu 2013, 24 people with eyelid spasm: the toxin’s effect lasted 3.7 vs 3.0 months, a trend that wasn’t significant.
Taking it
Where it goes
Applied to clean skin over expression lines, such as around the eyes and forehead. Topical only; never inject it.
If you miss a dose
Nothing special. Skip it and use the next application as usual.
What to expect
- 30 days
First human test, by the team that designed it: wrinkle depth up to 30% lower in a small group of women.
Trial - 4 weeks
In 60 Chinese adults, wrinkle grading improved in 48.9% vs 0% on placebo, and skin-replica roughness fell (Wang 2013).
Trial - 2 months
In a 24-person study, wrinkle-related roughness and water loss through the skin fell more with the peptide than without it (Raikou 2017).
Trial
Side effects and what to do
Skin irritation or redness
Patch-test first. Stop if it doesn’t settle.
No significant side effects in the eyelid-spasm trial (Lungu 2013)
Trials were small and short, so rare reactions can’t be ruled out.
Eye irritation
Keep it out of the eyes. Rinse with water if it gets in.
Stop and get medical help
Stop and see a doctor for a spreading rash, swelling, blistering or hives, or eye pain after contact.
Who should avoid it
No product label covers Argireline, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. Most important first.
- Anyone thinking of injecting it
- PrecautionIt isn’t botulinum toxin, and cosmetic-grade peptide isn’t made or tested for injection.
- Anyone mixing pure powder at high strength
- PrecautionA cosmetic ingredient review panel backed it only at the low strengths used in finished products and said data were too limited to judge stronger mixes.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- PrecautionNo human safety data exist.
Interactions
No interaction studies have been published, and no product label lists any. In a small trial in eyelid spasm, adding it to botulinum toxin injections didn’t significantly lengthen the toxin’s effect.
Precaution: follows from how it works or from a related drug, and hasn’t been tested. This isn’t a complete list: a pharmacist or doctor can check a specific medicine or condition.
Tracking and pairing
Worth tracking
- Skin irritation or rash
Often paired with
Usually run on its own.
Human studies
5 key published human studies, with how many people took part. Animal studies aren’t listed here.
-
Wrinkle grading improved in 48.9% vs 0% on placebo, and all skin-replica roughness measures fell (p<0.01) with no change on placebo.
- Design
- Randomized placebo-controlled trial (3:1 split; blinding not described in the abstract)
- Dose
- Argireline cream (reported as 10%) twice daily on eye wrinkles, vs placebo
- Length
- 4 weeks
Wang et al., Am J Clin Dermatol 2013, PMID 23417317
-
The toxin’s effect lasted 3.7 vs 3.0 months, a trend that wasn’t significant; 4 of 12 on the peptide had a much longer effect (3.3–7.1 months); no significant adverse events.
- Design
- Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial in blepharospasm (eyelid spasm) treated with botulinum toxin
- Dose
- Daily topical acetyl hexapeptide-8, started with a toxin injection
- Length
- Until symptoms returned (about 3–7 months)
Lungu et al., Eur J Neurol 2013, doi:10.1111/ene.12009
-
Only the peptide creams changed skin mechanics, making facial skin more uniform in different directions (lower anisotropy); elasticity didn’t change, and all creams raised skin moisture.
- Design
- Controlled study of creams with and without the peptide (randomization not described)
- Dose
- Cream with acetyl hexapeptide-3 vs the same cream without it, daily on face and forearm
- Length
- 4 weeks
Tadini et al., Braz J Pharm Sci 2015, doi:10.1590/S1984-82502015000400016
-
Acetyl hexapeptide-3 cut wrinkle-related roughness and water loss through the skin more than no peptide at some time points (for example p=0.022 at day 20); groups were very small.
- Design
- Randomized controlled study, four groups: acetyl hexapeptide-3, tripeptide-10 citrulline, both, or neither
- Dose
- Acetyl hexapeptide-3 alone or with tripeptide-10 citrulline
- Length
- 60 days
Raikou et al., J Cosmet Dermatol 2017, PMID 28150423
-
Wrinkle depth fell by up to 30% on skin-surface imaging.
- Design
- Small placebo-controlled test in healthy women by the team that designed it (randomization not described)
- Dose
- Oil-in-water emulsion with 10% hexapeptide (as reported), twice daily
- Length
- 30 days
Blanes-Mira et al., Int J Cosmet Sci 2002, PMID 18498523
Limits of the evidence
Argireline’s human evidence is a handful of small, short trials; the largest had 60 people for 4 weeks, and several didn’t describe how people were randomized or blinded. In donor-skin tests almost none passed the outer layer, so its lab effect on nerves may not apply. Use over years and strengths above cosmetic levels are untested.
Serum strength
Argireline is used on the skin, so the math is a dilution, not a syringe dose.
| Powder | Serum volume | Strength | Percent | ppm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | 20 mL | 0.5 mg/mL | 0.05% | 500 ppm |
| 10 mg | 50 mL | 0.2 mg/mL | 0.02% | 200 ppm |
| 10 mg | 100 mL | 0.1 mg/mL | 0.01% | 100 ppm |
| 10 mg | 200 mL | 0.05 mg/mL | 0.005% | 50 ppm |
On labels, “10% Argireline” means 10% of the branded ingredient, which is mostly supplied as a dilute solution, so the peptide content is far lower than 10%; studies often don’t say which they mean. For scale, 10 mg of pure peptide in 200 mL of serum is 50 ppm (0.005%).
Datasheet
- Half-life
- No reliable value has been published.
- Type
- Peptide, 6 amino acids
- Molecular weight
- 889 g/mol
- Formula
- C34H60N14O12S
- Sequence
- Ac-EEMQRR-NH2
- Storage before use
- Freezer (about −20 °C) for long-term storage, kept dry.
- After mixing or opening
- Fridge (2–8 °C); use within about 4 weeks.
- Molecule: Calculated from the sequence; matches the SNAP-8 record (PubChem CID 76283482) minus Ala-Asp. CAS 616204-22-9, UNII L4EL31FWIL. PubChem CID 71587772 lists 887.0 because its structure is drawn with an error.
- Storage: Community Common research-peptide practice; no manufacturer stability data checked.
Every compound side by side: the half-life chart and the storage chart.
Cautions
- Cosmetic ingredient; never inject it. It isn’t botulinum toxin and acts far more weakly in lab tests.
- Don’t mix pure powder at “10%”. Label figures like “10% Argireline” refer to the branded ingredient, not pure peptide.
- Little gets into skin: in lab tests on donor skin nearly all of it stayed on the surface or in the outermost layer.
- Patch-test first and keep it out of the eyes.
Questions
What is Argireline?
A 6-amino-acid cosmetic peptide copied from SNAP-25, a protein nerves use to signal muscles. In lab tests it weakly blocks that signal, so it’s marketed to soften expression lines; SNAP-8 is a longer version of it.
How does Argireline work?
Argireline copies the starting segment of SNAP-25, a protein nerve endings use to release the chemical signals that make muscles contract. In lab tests it disrupted the SNARE complex, the machinery behind that release, and reduced signal release; it acted at concentrations similar to botulinum toxin A, but its effect was much weaker. In donor-skin tests almost none got past the outer layer. Whether it reaches nerve endings or muscle in living skin, and whether trial wrinkle changes come from nerve effects or from surface effects such as moisture, are unknown.
Is Argireline FDA-approved?
Not approved as a drug in the US or EU; used as a cosmetic ingredient. Nominated for outsourcing facilities (503B), but FDA lists acetyl hexapeptide-3 in Category 3, nominated without adequate support (March 2025). Not on FDA’s 503A lists (May 2026).
What is the usual Argireline dose?
From human studies (Wang 2013): Cream with “10%” Argireline (as reported), twice daily around the eyes for 4 weeks. Blanes-Mira 2002: Emulsion with “10%” Argireline, twice daily for 30 days; wrinkle depth fell by up to 30%. These are the amounts sources reference, not recommendations.
Who should avoid Argireline?
No product label covers Argireline, so these come from human studies and from precautions based on how it works. Anyone thinking of injecting it: It isn’t botulinum toxin, and cosmetic-grade peptide isn’t made or tested for injection. Anyone mixing pure powder at high strength: A cosmetic ingredient review panel backed it only at the low strengths used in finished products and said data were too limited to judge stronger mixes. Pregnancy or breastfeeding: No human safety data exist.
How should Argireline be stored?
Before mixing: Freezer (about −20 °C) for long-term storage, kept dry. After mixing: Fridge (2–8 °C); use within about 4 weeks. This is common practice; no product label covers it.
Is Argireline banned in sport?
No. Not named on the 2026 list. It’s a topical cosmetic ingredient; USADA lists similar cosmetic peptides, such as palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, as not prohibited.
Has Argireline been studied in people?
Yes. The human studies section lists 5 published studies. The largest, from 2013, included 60 people. Wrinkle grading improved in 48.9% vs 0% on placebo, and all skin-replica roughness measures fell (p<0.01) with no change on placebo.
Sources
- Wang et al., randomized placebo-controlled trial in Chinese adults (Am J Clin Dermatol 2013) PMID 23417317
- Blanes-Mira et al., design and first human test of Argireline (Int J Cosmet Sci 2002) PMID 18498523
- Lungu et al., topical acetyl hexapeptide-8 in blepharospasm (Eur J Neurol 2013) doi:10.1111/ene.12009
- Kraeling et al., penetration of acetyl hexapeptide-8 into donor skin (Cutan Ocul Toxicol 2015) doi:10.3109/15569527.2014.894521
For the protocol details
- Raikou et al., acetyl hexapeptide-3 with tripeptide-10 citrulline (J Cosmet Dermatol 2017) PMID 28150423
For how it works, who should avoid it and the limits of the evidence
- Kraeling et al., penetration of acetyl hexapeptide-8 into donor skin (Cutan Ocul Toxicol 2015) PMID 24754410
- Zdrada-Nowak et al., acetyl hexapeptide-8 skin permeability and efficacy, review (Int J Mol Sci 2025) PMID 40565185
- Johnson et al., Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessment of acetyl hexapeptide-8 (Int J Toxicol 2025) PMID 40673537
- Lungu et al., topical acetyl hexapeptide-8 with botulinum toxin in blepharospasm (Eur J Neurol 2013) PMID 23146065