Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Last Updated: July 2026

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (INCI; also Pal-GHK, formerly grouped under palmitoyl oligopeptide) is a topical cosmetic peptide — the GHK tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) with a palmitoyl (fatty-acid) chain attached to improve skin penetration. It is a matrikine (collagen-signaling peptide) and one of the two active peptides in the Matrixyl 3000 blend. It is a cosmetic ingredient, not an approved drug.

What is Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and how does it work?

GHK is a naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide fragment associated with tissue remodeling; palmitoyl tripeptide-1 is GHK palmitoylated for delivery, and it signals dermal fibroblasts to increase synthesis of collagen (types I, III, and IV) and fibronectin — supporting firmer, smoother-looking skin without the tissue trauma of stronger actives. It's the "synthesis" half of the Matrixyl 3000 logic.

How does it relate to GHK-Cu?

Both are built on the same GHK tripeptide, but they're different ingredients: GHK-Cu is the copper-complexed form, while palmitoyl tripeptide-1 is the palmitoylated (fatty-acid-linked) form optimized for topical penetration — so they share a peptide backbone but differ in modification, delivery, and typical use. See the GHK-Cu profile for the copper form.

What does the evidence show?

The in-vitro evidence that palmitoyl tripeptide-1 stimulates collagen and fibronectin is reasonable, and it functionally overlaps with Pal-KTTKS (Matrixyl) while accessing complementary pathways — but as a topical peptide its clinical effect is modest and much of the finished-product evidence comes as part of the Matrixyl 3000 blend rather than the isolated peptide. Evidence level: In-vitro reasonable; isolated-peptide clinical data limited; effect modest.

Is it safe, and how does Peptigrity verify the raw material?

Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 is well tolerated in topical use and pairs comfortably with other actives; as it's sold as a raw peptide for formulation, HPLC purity and mass-spec identity are the checks that confirm the correct Pal-GHK at the labeled amount. Peptigrity buys the raw peptide anonymously, tests it at independent ISO-accredited labs, and publishes the unedited COA; the trust score weights lab purity and reviews equally (50/50). See how to read lab results.

Educational information only; not medical or skincare advice. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a cosmetic ingredient, not an approved drug — patch-test before use. Peptigrity does not sell, endorse, or recommend products or vendors.