Argireline
A cosmetic cream peptide marketed as "topical Botox." Small studies suggest it softens expression lines a little.
- Evidence
- Limited human research
- Half-life
- Topical
- Sources
- 2 cited
Is argireline FDA-approved?
Cosmetic ingredient. Not an FDA-approved drug.
Overview
Argireline is a short piece of SNAP-25, a protein nerve endings use to tell muscles to contract. In theory it slightly dampens the muscle pulls that create expression lines. A few small studies found modest wrinkle reduction; the effect is much weaker than Botox injections.
How it works
It competes with SNAP-25 in the machinery nerves use to release their signal, which may slightly reduce muscle contraction in the skin.
How long does argireline stay in the body?
Not applicable for topical use.
What it's studied for
- Expression lines and crow's feet
Related: AHK-Cu, Matrixyl, GHK-Cu, Vitamin B12.
Sources
The studies and prescribing labels this page is written from.
- A synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) with antiwrinkle activity. Int J Cosmet Sci, 2002 PubMed
- Double-blind, randomized trial of acetylhexapeptide-3 cream and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 cream for crow's feet. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol, 2023 PubMed
