Claimed effect · Matrixyl

Does Matrixyl help with wrinkles and fine lines?

C
Grade C — weak human evidence1 split-face RCT (n=93, 12 wk) · effect size: small
Short answerWeak human evidence. 1 split-face RCT (n=93, 12 wk): enough to be interesting, not enough to count on. Where an effect is seen it is a small effect. A 12-week double-blind split-face study in 93 women aged 35–55 applied 3 ppm pal-KTTKS in a moisturiser to one side of the face and vehicle to the other. Both quantitative image analysis and expert graders found significant improvement in wrinkles and fine lines on the treated side. Split-face design controls for the person; it does not control for the sponsor, which developed and sells the ingredient.

What the studies show

A 12-week double-blind split-face study in 93 women aged 35–55 applied 3 ppm pal-KTTKS in a moisturiser to one side of the face and vehicle to the other. Both quantitative image analysis and expert graders found significant improvement in wrinkles and fine lines on the treated side. Split-face design controls for the person; it does not control for the sponsor, which developed and sells the ingredient.

“Pal-KTTKS was well tolerated by the skin and provided significant improvement vs. placebo control for reduction in wrinkles/fine lines by both quantitative technical and expert grader image analysis.”

Verbatim, from the abstractRobinson LR, Fitzgerald NC, Doughty DG, Dawes NC, Berge CA, Bissett DL. Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin. Int J Cosmet Sci, 2005;27:155–160

A few small or poorly-controlled human studies. Enough to be interesting; not enough to count on. Most of what gets called “clinically proven” online lives here.

  1. 1
    Robinson LR, Fitzgerald NC, Doughty DG, Dawes NC, Berge CA, Bissett DL. Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin.Int J Cosmet Sci, 2005;27:155–16093 women aged 35–55; 12-week double-blind split-face study of 3 ppm pal-KTTKS versus vehicle. Procter & Gamble authors.

In context

Matrixyl is palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (pal-KTTKS), a five-amino-acid fragment of type I collagen with a palmitic acid tail added so it can cross the skin barrier. Its human evidence is a 93-woman, 12-week, split-face randomised trial run by Procter & Gamble, which found significant reduction in wrinkles and fine lines against the vehicle control by both instrumental and expert-grader analysis. It is a legal cosmetic ingredient everywhere LYO covers and is not a medicine.

Matrixyl is cosmetic ingredient. Legal status differs by country — see the regulation section or the jurisdiction pages.

Questions

Is Matrixyl proven to help with wrinkles and fine lines?
No. The human evidence is weak (1 split-face RCT (n=93, 12 wk)); LYO grades it C.
What studies are behind the grade?
A 12-week double-blind split-face study in 93 women aged 35–55 applied 3 ppm pal-KTTKS in a moisturiser to one side of the face and vehicle to the other. Both quantitative image analysis and expert graders found significant improvement in wrinkles and fine lines on the treated side. Split-face design controls for the person; it does not control for the sponsor, which developed and sells the ingredient.
Is Matrixyl approved for this?
No. Matrixyl is cosmetic ingredient; it is not an approved medicine for any indication in the jurisdictions LYO covers.

Other outcomes for Matrixyl

Written and maintained by LYO Research — how pages are written and checked. Reviewed 29 October 2026. Grades count human evidence only; see how LYO grades. Not medical advice. Correct this page →