Peptides are active molecules that send signals to your cells. Their inclusion in skincare has been one of the big breakthroughs in anti-aging and one of the best known is Matrixyl. Over the past decade Matrixyl has grown to be a family of designer peptides and they are so reliably effective that they should be on everyone’s radar. To help you appreciate why, I’m pulling together all of Truth In Aging’s reporting on the Matrixyl family so read on.
The name comes from ‘matrikines’, a term coined by a French research team in 1999. A matrikine is a small molecule composed of a short sequence of amino acids – peptides in other words – that are in the extracellular matrix (the support structure that surrounds cells”. These matrikines regulate cell activity to play an important role in the wound healing process and connective tissue remodeling. Cells use several clearly defined signalling pathways to transfer information. For example, a matrikine peptide can link to a matching cell-surface receptor that, in turn, relays information into the cell (TGF-β, PI3K in the case of collagen-1). Different matrikines trigger different messages.
Matrixyl
Matrixyl was the first in what became a series of anti-aging actives created by a company called Sederma. It is palmitoyl-pentapeptide 3 and this is a peptide that specifically stimulates collagen synthesis and skin repair. For the detail-oriented amongst you, it is five amino acids linked to a 16-carbon chain, which helps the penetration of the molecule through the lipidic structures of the skin.
In early 2013 University of Reading researchers found that Matrixyl can nearly double the amount of the protein collagen needed to give skin its elasticity. The team was led by Professor Hamley, a peptide-file who had been looking at ways to stimulate collagen for wound healing. The Reading University research was paid for by “University studentship with some additional funding by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).”
Matrixyl 3000
In 2003, Sederma launched Matrixyl 3000. This is based on two peptides: a palmitoyl tripeptide and a palmitoyl tetrapeptide. They are supposed work synergistically to mimic the appearance of this broken down collagen, causing your skin to react by producing more collagen, as well as elastin.
Matrixyl Synthe’6
Created in 2012, Matrixyl Synthe’6 is based on palmitoyl tripeptide-38. As the name implies, Matrixyl Synthe’6 stimulates six major constituents of the skin matrix and the dermal-epidermal junction, including collagen and hyaluronic acid.
Matrixyl Morphomics
In an exciting devlopment, there’s an additional member of the Matrixyl family, Matrixyl Morphomics. This is a new lipopeptide (palmitoyl tripeptide-56) and it works, according to Sederma, by activating longevigenes. All well and good, except that ‘longevigenes’ seems to be a made up word that Sederma doesn’t really explain other than it has something to do with “re-establishing the connections between the cell nucleus and the extracellular matrix”. Anyway, the exciting part is that it is supposed to work on vertical lines – labonasial folds, marionette and frown lines.
A word on concentrations
Sederma’s research and recommended concentration is at 4%. As a rule I distrust brands that claim to be using higher concentrations, particularly those that are relatively low cost and sold on Amazon. The Matrixyl actives are expensive ingredients and the numbers don’t add up – unless the claims of 20% are in fact not 20% of the entire product, but 20% of the 10% that is not water. I believe these claims are misleading.