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Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester (Calmosensine) · soothing signal active
Overview
On the INCI deck this active reads as Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester — the lipidated dipeptide commercialised under names such as Calmosensine. It is a lipopeptide built on a tyrosine-arginine dipeptide carrying an N-acetyl group and a cetyl (hexadecyl) ester (C29H50N4O4, MW 518.74), and is studied around proposed sensory-comfort and 'well-being' signalling — which is why the marketed narrative is soothing and skin-comfort rather than wrinkle relaxation or matrix building. For a finished-product brand it is the active that lets a comfort serum or sensitive-skin moisturiser carry a calming story framed at the 'designed to support' level. Pepoderma writes the Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester spec for cosmetic chemists building soothing serums, sensitive-skin moisturisers, and comfort-focused essences where a lipid-modified dipeptide drives the formulation work. The cetyl-ester tail makes the molecule lipophilic, so it rewards oil-phase or co-solvent loading rather than a straight water add — pre-disperse in a polysorbate or polyglyceryl blend at moderate temperature, then carry it in on the cool-down train, and hold pH in the 5.0–7.0 band so the ester and amide linkages stay intact. Because it sits in the soothing lane, a brief can position it as the comfort arm alongside another soothing peptide (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8), a signal peptide (Matrixyl), or a copper carrier (GHK-Cu) in a calming or recovery SKU. Sample fills of 10 mg and 100 mg cover bench iterations and pilot work; kilo-scale runs on the standard OEM cycle once a carrier is locked. INCI and CAS appear on the SDS for CPNP and equivalent cosmetic notifications, with an allergen and trace-impurity sheet per lot.
Who buys this, and why
Anti-aging peptide actives — Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu), Acetyl Octapeptide-3 (SNAP-8), Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 (Matrixyl) — ship primarily to indie beauty brand founders building retail serums, established skincare R&D chemists extending an existing anti-wrinkle line, and med-aesthetic brand OEMs developing back-bar retail products. The defining formulation considerations are use-level optimisation (lower is often better at the working pH), carrier selection (aqueous vs. lipid-encapsulated), and chelator-free preservative systems. The data packet ships with guidance on all three on the lot report.
Primary buyer fit: med-aesthetic brand R&D + back-bar retail OEM and regional cosmetic-active distributors serving brand programmes.
Applications & formulation fit
A lipidated dipeptide: a tyrosine-arginine core carrying an N-acetyl group and a cetyl (hexadecyl) ester, studied around proposed sensory-comfort and 'well-being' signalling — a soothing, skin-comfort active.
Use levels, pH window, and carrier compatibility are covered in the Journal — verify them against your own base:
Specifications
Documentation available on request
Regulatory note
Supplied as a cosmetic-grade peptide active under the EU EC 1223/2009 cosmetic regulation, NMPA cosmetic ingredient framework, FDA OTC monograph framework (where applicable), and equivalent regimes elsewhere. NOT a finished cosmetic product. Brand registration, finished-product safety substantiation, claim documentation, and notification (CPNP for EU, equivalent registries elsewhere) remain the responsibility of the brand owner. INCI naming and CAS are supplied with the SDS that ships with every lot.
Frequently asked questions
It is a lipid-modified dipeptide (a tyrosine-arginine core carrying an N-acetyl group and a cetyl ester) studied around proposed sensory-comfort and 'well-being' signalling, which is the basis for its calming, sensitive-skin narrative. That places it in a different lane from the matrix-signalling matrikines and the expression-line neurotransmitter peptides, so a brand can use it as the comfort arm of a soothing or recovery SKU rather than a duplicate active. The framing stays at the 'studied / designed to support' level — a cosmetic comfort narrative, not a treatment claim. Put the INCI name and CAS 196604-48-5 on the PO; the Calmosensine trade name maps to Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester.
The cetyl (hexadecyl) ester makes the molecule lipophilic, so treat it like a lipidated peptide: pre-disperse in a small polysorbate or polyglyceryl co-solvent slurry at moderate temperature to avoid agglomerates, then carry it into the batch on the cool-down. Hold pH 5.0–7.0 so the ester and amide linkages stay intact over shelf life. It does not self-preserve, so the preservation system has to hold the whole product. Use-level and pH specifics are best verified against your own base; our emulsion-stability guide covers the carrier work rather than us restating a single figure here.
Sample fills are 10 mg for first-pass bench iterations and 100 mg once a carrier is selected and stability work begins; brand programmes scale to kilo lots on the standard OEM cycle. Every shipment carries the INCI name (Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester), the CAS, an allergen and trace-impurity statement for CPNP and equivalent cosmetic notifications, and a formulation-notes card. We supply the cosmetic-grade ingredient and its ingredient-level documentation; finished-product registration and claims substantiation remain the brand owner's responsibility.
Related peptides
15-mer
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 (Neutrazen) · soothing neuropeptide active
5-mer
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4
3-mer
Copper tripeptide-1
