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Hexapeptide-9 (Collaxyl) · collagen-fragment signal active
Overview
On the INCI deck this active reads as Hexapeptide-9 — the six-residue peptide commercialised as Collaxyl. The sequence Gly-Pro-Gln-Gly-Pro-Gln (C24H38N8O9) is a signal peptide (matrikine) built on a collagen-derived motif and studied around a proposed signal to support collagen and the wider matrix, with the marketed narrative leaning on the appearance of firmness and skin repair. For a finished-product brand it is a water-soluble matrikine alternative to the lipidated Matrixyl-family peptides — the collagen-fragment story without a palmitoyl tail to manage. Pepoderma writes the Hexapeptide-9 spec for cosmetic chemists building collagen-support, firming, and repair serums and richer creams where a water-soluble matrikine drives the formulation work. The active goes into the water phase cool and late on copper-clean process water; near-neutral carriers (pH 5.5–7.0) on polyglyceryl, lecithin, or sucrose-ester emulsifiers behave well, and because there is no lipid tail it disperses without the co-solvent slurry the lipidated matrikines need — pre-dissolving in a small glycerin or propanediol slurry keeps it clean at higher loadings. Because it is a matrikine studied on a collagen-derived sequence, a brief can position it alongside the lipidated Matrixyl peptides for a layered matrix-signal claim, or pair it with a neurotransmitter peptide (SNAP-8, Argireline) and a carrier peptide (GHK-Cu) for a multi-axis anti-aging stack. 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 signal peptide (matrikine): Hexapeptide-9 (Gly-Pro-Gln-Gly-Pro-Gln) is built on a collagen-derived motif and studied around a proposed matrix signal — a water-soluble matrikine without the palmitoyl tail of the Matrixyl family.
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
Hexapeptide-9 (Collaxyl) is a matrikine like the Matrixyl family — studied on a collagen-derived sequence as a proposed matrix signal — but it carries no palmitoyl tail, so it behaves as a straightforward water-soluble peptide on the bench rather than a lipopeptide. That lets a brand run the collagen-fragment story without the oil-phase or co-solvent handling and the alkaline-hydrolysis watch-outs the lipidated matrikines require, and it can be layered with them for a broader matrix-signal claim. The framing stays at the 'studied / designed to support' level — a cosmetic firmness narrative, not an efficacy or treatment claim. Put the INCI name and CAS 1228371-11-6 on the PO; the Collaxyl trade name maps to Hexapeptide-9.
Add it to the water phase cool and late on copper-clean process water at a near-neutral pH (5.5–7.0), in anionic or non-ionic emulsions or a hydrogel; because there is no lipid tail it disperses without a co-solvent slurry, though pre-dissolving in a small glycerin or propanediol slurry keeps higher loadings clean. As with any cosmetic peptide 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 (Hexapeptide-9), 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
5-mer
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4
15-mer
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 · matrikine signal active
3-mer
Copper tripeptide-1
