ACETYL OCTAPEPTIDE-3

📋 Quick facts

Description: ACETYL OCTAPEPTIDE-3 — peptide, reduces appearance of expression lines (similar mechanism to Argireline).

All Functions: peptide, reduces appearance of expression lines (similar mechanism to Argireline)

Quick Facts:

• Category: active

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Acetyl octapeptide-3 is a peptide ingredient used in microneedle patch formulations for anti-aging
• Clinical studies show it was part of formulations that reduced fine lines/wrinkles and improved skin hydration
• It’s been tested in patches applied to delicate eye area and forearm skin with no reported adverse effects
• Research suggests it works as part of multi-ingredient formulas rather than alone

⚗️ Chemical Overview

See also: Acetyl octapeptide-3 (annotation moved to).

Source(s): PubChem, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Acetyl octapeptide-3 is a bioactive peptide—a short chain of amino acids—that appears in recent anti-aging skincare research as a component of hyaluronic acid-based microneedle patches (MNPs). Microneedle patches are a delivery system designed to carry active ingredients through the skin’s outer barrier more effectively than regular topical application. In a 2024 clinical study published in *Annals of Dermatology*, acetyl octapeptide-3 was combined with other ingredients (L-ascorbic acid 2-glucoside and sodium cyclic lysophosphatidic acid) in a microneedle patch and tested on 24 healthy subjects around the eye area over 28 days. Compared to placebo patches, the active formulation showed #1: improvement in eye wrinkles, #2: reduced trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL—essentially, less moisture escaping from skin), and #3: enhanced skin elasticity and lifting.

The study reported no adverse effects (*Ann Dermatol*, 2024). A 2020 study in the *Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology* evaluated a similar hyaluronic acid microneedle patch containing acetyl octapeptide-3 alongside other peptides and botanical extracts in a 12-week trial on aged skin. The formulation produced #1: a 25.8% decrease in fine lines and wrinkles, #2: 15.4% improvement in skin hydration measurements, and #3: increases in skin density (14.2%) and thickness (12.9%) in the dermis—the skin’s deeper layer (*J Cosmet Dermatol*, 2020). The product was well-tolerated with no skin reactions reported. It’s important to note that in both studies, acetyl octapeptide-3 was not tested in isolation; it was part of multi-ingredient formulations.

The researchers suggested the ingredients likely worked synergistically, meaning the benefit came from the combination rather than any single component. The research is also limited to these two clinical studies using a specific delivery method (microneedle patches), so claims about effectiveness in other product formats or at different concentrations aren’t supported by these sources.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Shin JY et al. (2024). Clinical Safety and Efficacy Evaluation of a Dissolving Microneedle Patch Having Dual Anti-Wrinkle Effects With Safe and Long-Term Activities. Ann Dermatol.
• Avcil M et al. (2020). Efficacy of bioactive peptides loaded on hyaluronic acid microneedle patches: A monocentric clinical study. J Cosmet Dermatol.

🧴 Products Containing ACETYL OCTAPEPTIDE-3

• Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream
• Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream Rich
• Clinique Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream 15 ml
• Good Molecules Anti-aging Facial Serum with Peptides and Copper Tripeptides