20% Matrixyl Collagen Serum Tutorial | Skin Perfection

This tutorial is the hands-on version: how to make a 20% Matrixyl collagen serum yourself, with every ingredient listed in drops and grams. If you want the background first, meaning what Matrixyl is, how a 20% serum differs from a standard moisturizer, and what the peptides inside it are studied for, read our guide What Is 20% Matrixyl Collagen Serum? The short version: Matrixyl peptides are amino acid sequences used for the look of firmer, smoother skin, and a 20% serum refers to the total peptide complex in the bottle. Here is how to build that complex at your own bench.

What "20%" Means When You Make It Yourself

A 20% Matrixyl serum is a total. It is the sum of the peptide boosters added to the base, not 20% of a single ingredient. That distinction matters for anyone mixing at home, because each Matrixyl booster has its own manufacturer range and none of them is meant to be used at 20% on its own.

Every ingredient in this tutorial goes in at the top of its manufacturer's range. Above 8%, Matrixyl 3000 mostly adds glycerin and water to your base, so pushing it higher thins the formula instead of strengthening it. To reach 20% the right way, you stack Matrixyl 3000 at its maximum with Matrixyl Synthe-6 and Argireline at theirs.

For layering a finished Matrixyl serum with a hydrating step, see how to layer Matrixyl 3000 and hyaluronic acid. For general peptide formulation basics, see our guide on how to make a peptide serum.

Prefer not to mix at all? Our finished 20% Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Serum is already blended, with the percentage on the label.

Equipment Checklist

• Digital scale that reads to 0.01 g (needed if you weigh instead of counting drops)
• A clean 1 oz or 2 oz bottle: blue or amber glass, or a 1 fl oz airless pump bottle
• Small glass beaker and a glass stirring rod or a clean mini whisk
• 70% isopropyl alcohol and lint-free wipes for sanitizing
• A preserved, water-based base. Our Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Serum is the usual choice. The Aloe Vera Gel Serum Base works if you want an aloe-forward feel.
• Labels and a pen

Do not use plain distilled water, floral water or tea as a base. The boosters are water-soluble, and an unpreserved water blend can support bacteria, yeast and mold. The bases above already contain a preservative system.

The Conversion You Will Use

Skin Perfection's house rate for serum boosters is 9 drops = 1% per fluid ounce, which is about 0.3 g per 1% in 1 oz. A 0.5 oz booster bottle holds about 300 drops.

Recipe 1: The 20% Matrixyl Peptide Serum (1 oz)

Step by step

1. Sanitize the bottle, cap, beaker and stirring rod with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Let everything air dry completely so no alcohol ends up in the serum.
2. Weigh or pour the base. Place the beaker on the scale, tare it, and add about 30 g (1 fl oz) of Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Serum.
3. Add Matrixyl 3000 first. Count 72 drops or weigh 2.4 g. It is an opaque gel, so it needs the most stirring. Stir slowly for 60 seconds until no streaks remain.
4. Add Matrixyl Synthe-6. Count 18 drops or weigh 0.6 g. Stir for 20 seconds.
5. Add Argireline. Count 90 drops or weigh 3.0 g. It is a clear liquid and blends in seconds.
6. Transfer and shake. Pour the blend into your bottle, cap it and shake for 30 seconds. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then shake again.
7. Label it "20% Matrixyl Peptide Serum: Matrixyl 3000 8%, Synthe-6 2%, Argireline 10%" with the date.

You can also mix straight in the bottle by counting drops directly into the base. Weighing in a beaker is more accurate, and it makes the formula repeatable when you scale up.

Bottle math for Recipe 1

One 0.5 oz bottle of Matrixyl 3000 (about 300 drops) makes four 1 oz batches at 72 drops each. One bottle of Argireline makes three batches at 90 drops. One bottle of Matrixyl Synthe-6 at 18 drops per batch makes sixteen.

Recipe 2: The Firming 20% Matrixyl Serum (1 oz)

This version keeps the full 20% peptide complex and adds two firming boosters for an immediate tightened feel, in the spirit of our finished collagen serum, which pairs Matrixyl with Pepha-Tight and DMAE.

Method: follow Recipe 1, then add the Pepha Tight drops. Weigh the DMAE powder last, sprinkle it over the surface of the serum in the beaker, and stir for two to three minutes until every crystal has dissolved. DMAE is water-soluble, so it dissolves into the base without extra water. Check against the light: if you still see crystals, keep stirring. Pepha-Tight forms a light film as it dries, so expect a slightly tacky finish for the first minute after application. That film is the tightened feel.

DMAE Firming Powder carries its own caution: consult a physician before use if you are pregnant, nursing or have a medical condition.

Scaling Up to 2 oz or 4 oz

At 4 oz, weigh instead of counting. Nobody counts 576 drops accurately. Make 4 oz only if you will use it within a few months, and keep the working bottle small so you are not opening the large container every day.

How to Apply Your Finished Serum

1. Cleanse with a mild cleanser and pat dry.
2. Dispense 3 to 4 drops onto your fingertips.
3. Press across the forehead, around the eyes (not on the lids), cheeks, mouth area, neck and upper chest. Press rather than rub.
4. Wait about 60 seconds, then apply moisturizer.
5. In the morning, finish with broad-spectrum sunscreen.

Apply twice daily, morning and night. That is how the manufacturers tested these peptides, and it gives the fastest results. If you use retinol every other night, apply the serum in the morning and on the nights you skip retinol. Keep vitamin C in a separate application, and never apply the GHK-Cu Copper Peptide Serum in the same routine as vitamin C or retinol.

What the Ingredient Studies Measured

These results describe the individual ingredients in the testers' own formulas, not a blend made at home.

• Matrixyl 3000: in the manufacturer's study, 23 women aged 42 to 67 applied a 3% Matrixyl 3000 cream twice daily to half the face for two months, with placebo on the other half. Compared with the start, the surface covered by deep wrinkles measured 39.4% lower, mean wrinkle depth 19.9% lower and roughness 16% lower.
• Argireline: in the first published study, a 10% Argireline preparation was applied around the eyes of 10 women for 30 days, with about a 30% improvement reported in the look of eye-area wrinkles. A randomized, placebo-controlled study of 60 adults found 48.9% total anti-wrinkle efficacy after 4 weeks, versus 0% for placebo.
• Matrixyl Synthe-6: Sederma reported visibly smoother forehead lines and crow's feet after two months of application.

Track your own progress with photos in the same light on day one, day 28 and day 60.

Storage and Shelf Life

• Refrigerate the blue booster bottles after opening. The cold keeps the raw boosters stable.
• The finished serum can be kept at room temperature, away from sunlight and heat. Do not store it in a steamy bathroom window.
• Use the finished serum within the open period of your base, shown on its label as the open-jar symbol.
• Discard any batch that changes smell, separates permanently or shows spots or cloudiness that was not there on day one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just add 20% Matrixyl 3000 to my base?

No. Matrixyl 3000's range is 3 to 8%. Above 8% you are mostly adding the glycerin and water it comes in, which thins everything else in your formula. Use it at 8% and stack Matrixyl Synthe-6 and Argireline at their maximums to reach a 20% peptide complex.

Do I need a scale, or can I count drops?

Counting drops at 9 drops per 1% per ounce works for 1 oz and 2 oz batches. Use a scale reading to 0.01 g for DMAE powder, for 4 oz batches, or whenever you want to reproduce a formula exactly.

Can I use an oil or a face cream as the base?

Not an oil. Matrixyl 3000, Matrixyl Synthe-6 and Argireline are all water-soluble and will not blend into jojoba, argan or rosehip. A water-based lotion or cream works, but stir longer so the gel-textured Matrixyl 3000 disperses evenly.

Why did my serum turn slightly cloudy?

Matrixyl 3000 is an opaque gel, so a faint haze after mixing is normal. Sudden cloudiness days later, a sour smell or visible spots mean the batch should be discarded.

How long does one batch last?

At 3 to 4 drops twice daily, 1 oz lasts about four to six weeks.

Sources

• Sederma (Croda). Matrixyl 3000 technical document: INCI, recommended test level and in vivo results. Supplier data sheet (PDF)
• Blanes-Mira C, Clemente J, Jodas G, et al. A synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) with antiwrinkle activity. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2002;24(5):303-310. doi:10.1046/j.1467-2494.2002.00153.x
• Wang Y, Wang M, Xiao S, et al. The anti-wrinkle efficacy of Argireline, a synthetic hexapeptide, in Chinese subjects: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2013. PubMed 23417317
• Schagen SK. Topical peptide treatments with effective anti-aging results. Cosmetics. 2017;4(2):16. doi:10.3390/cosmetics4020016
• Sederma launches anti-wrinkle peptide (Matrixyl synthe'6). CosmeticsDesign Europe, January 2011. cosmeticsdesign-europe.com

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.