What Is 20% Matrixyl Collagen Serum? Benefits & Uses

This is the research page for the two peptides inside Matrixyl 3000: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. Instead of repeating what a 20% Matrixyl serum is and how to use one, which our Top 20% Matrixyl Collagen Serum: Complete Guide covers, this page summarizes what the manufacturer's studies actually tested: the model, the concentration, the number of volunteers, the length of the study and the measured result. Where a number was not published, we say so.

The Two Peptides in Matrixyl 3000

Matrixyl 3000 is made by Sederma, part of Croda. Its full INCI is Glycerin, Aqua (Water), Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. It is water-soluble and supplied as an opaque gel. The manufacturer's test level is 3%.

A note on names: the GHK sequence in Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is the same three amino acids found in copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu). The two are different ingredients. In Matrixyl 3000 the GHK carries a palmitic acid tail and no copper. GHK-Cu has a large research literature of its own, reviewed by Pickart and Margolina in 2018.

How to Read the Studies Below

• In vitro means cells in a dish. It shows a mechanism, not a visible result on a face.
• Ex vivo means skin samples kept alive in the lab after surgery. Closer to real skin, still not a person.
• In vivo means volunteers using the product. These are the results that matter most for how skin looks.
• Versus T0 means compared with the same volunteers at the start. Versus placebo means compared with an identical cream without the peptide, which is the stronger comparison.
• p<0.01 means the result is statistically significant at the 1% level.

All studies summarized here are the manufacturer's own data. They have not, to our knowledge, been published as independent peer-reviewed trials. A 2017 peer-reviewed review of topical peptides by Schagen describes a 28-volunteer, half-face Matrixyl 3000 study and cites it to Sederma's patent filing.

Study 1: Cell Aging Markers (In Vitro)

What it tells you: in aged skin cells, the complex lowered two laboratory markers associated with cell aging. Fibroblasts are the dermal cells that make collagen. This is a mechanism finding in cells, not a visible result.

Study 2: Skin Explants (Ex Vivo)

Sederma tested the complex on human skin explants from 10 donors aged 30 to 66 and measured proteins of the dermis and of the dermal-epidermal junction: collagen I, IV, VII and XVII and nidogen I. The supplier document shows the percentage changes in a chart but does not state the exact values in its text, so we do not quote numbers here.

What it tells you: the measurement targets were the structural proteins that give skin its support, the same family of proteins the in vivo studies were designed to reflect visually.

Study 3: Wrinkles on the Face (In Vivo)

What it tells you: this is the core visible result. Over two months, the side that received the peptide complex measured fewer, shallower and smaller wrinkles, while the placebo side did not improve. Note the concentration: these results came from 3%, which is the bottom of the 3 to 8% range Skin Perfection lists for its booster.

Study 4: Skin Density and Fiber Network (In Vivo)

The supplier also reports an "estimated age reduction" of 3.8 years for the inner forearm and 5.5 years for the outer forearm. That figure is the manufacturer's model based on its density measurements, not a separately measured outcome, so read it as a way of expressing the density change.

What it tells you: in an older group, the complex was associated with higher measured skin density compared with placebo, with the larger effect on the sun-exposed outer forearm.

Do Not Confuse Matrixyl 3000 With Original Matrixyl

The original Matrixyl is a different ingredient: Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 (pal-KTTKS). Its best-known published study, Robinson and colleagues in 2005, was a split-face study in 93 women. Studies on Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 are often quoted on Matrixyl 3000 product pages, but they tested a different amino acid sequence. When you read a claim, check which INCI name was tested. For a broader overview of peptide types, see our guide Peptides in Skincare: A Cosmetic Formulator's Complete Guide and Finding the Best Peptides for Anti Aging Skin.

What the Research Does Not Tell You

• It does not test a 20% serum. All in vivo results above used 3% Matrixyl 3000. A 20% Matrixyl serum is a total peptide complex, so its other ingredients have their own separate data.
• It does not test longer than two months. Results beyond that are not covered by these studies.
• It does not compare Matrixyl 3000 head to head with retinol. No such trial appears in the supplier data we reviewed.
• The study groups were women. Results in men were not reported.
• It is manufacturer data. It is useful and specific, but independent replication would make it stronger.

Putting the Research Into a Formula

If you blend your own serum, use the Matrixyl 3000 Serum Booster at 8%, the top of its range: 72 drops or 2.4 g per 1 oz of a water-based base, using Skin Perfection's house rate of 9 drops = 1% per fluid ounce. The booster is water-soluble, so it does not blend into oils. If you prefer a finished product, the 20% Matrixyl 3000 Collagen Serum is already blended. In both cases, apply twice daily, as in the studies, and judge results at the two-month mark the studies used.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which peptide in Matrixyl 3000 does what?

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is associated with the look of firmer, better-supported skin. Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 is associated with calmer, more even-looking skin. The supplier tests the two together as one complex, so the study results describe the pair, not each peptide alone.

How many people were in the Matrixyl 3000 studies?

The two in vivo studies we summarize included 23 women and 28 women. The ex vivo study used skin from 10 donors.

What concentration was tested?

3% Matrixyl 3000 in a cream for the in vivo studies, and the equivalent of 5% for the cell study.

How long did it take to see measured changes?

Both in vivo studies ran for two months with twice-daily application, and the results reported are at the two-month point.

Is Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 the same as copper peptide?

No. Both contain the GHK sequence, but Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 has a palmitic acid attached and no copper, while GHK-Cu is bound to copper. They are separate ingredients with separate research.

Sources

• Sederma (Croda). Matrixyl 3000 technical document: INCI, recommended test level, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo results. Supplier data sheet (PDF)
• Schagen SK. Topical peptide treatments with effective anti-aging results. Cosmetics. 2017;4(2):16. doi:10.3390/cosmetics4020016
• Robinson et al. Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2005. PubMed 18492182
• Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2018;19(7):1987. PubMed 29986520

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.