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GUIDE

Peptides for Skin and Hair Research

Covers cosmetic peptides, supplement-adjacent products, and research compounds.

What to ask your clinician

Which claims are label-based, which are investigational, and which safety warnings apply to your situation?

Evidence distinction

Human randomized data, observational reports, animal studies, and marketing claims are ranked separately.

Regulatory distinction

Approved medications, supplements, cosmetic ingredients, compounded products, and RUO compounds are not equivalent.

Plain-English guide

Covers cosmetic peptides, supplement-adjacent products, and research compounds.

Use this guide as a map, not a recommendation list. Start by separating approved product labels from research-only, supplement, cosmetic, and marketing claims. Then compare evidence grade, route, safety score, and source quality before reading individual peptide profiles.

For any peptide with an approved product context, the official label is the primary source for indications, warnings, contraindications, and adverse reactions. For investigational or research-use-only entries, treat the profile as a source-review starting point rather than proof of safety or effectiveness.

Ranked entries

Acetyl tetrapeptide-3

Topical hair and skin-care ingredient context

CCosmetic

Adrenomedullin

Cardiovascular and vascular biology research

CInvestigational

Adropin

Energy homeostasis and vascular research

CUnknown

Alpha-MSH

Pigmentation, inflammation, and melanocortin pathway research

CInvestigational

Amylin

Satiety and glucose-regulation research

CUnknown

AOD-9604

Metabolic and body-composition research

CInvestigational

Apelin

Cardiovascular and metabolic pathway research

CInvestigational

Argireline

Topical cosmetic expression-line ingredient context

CCosmetic

Atrial natriuretic peptide

Cardiovascular and fluid-balance research

CUnknown

Aviptadil

Pulmonary and critical-care research

CInvestigational

Beta-endorphin

Pain, stress, and neuroendocrine research

CInvestigational

Biotinoyl tripeptide-1

Topical hair-care ingredient context

CCosmetic

BPC-157

Tissue repair and gut pathway research

DResearch Use Only

Bradykinin

Inflammation, vascular permeability, and angioedema pathway research

CInvestigational

Cagrilintide

Weight management and metabolic research

CInvestigational

Calcitonin gene-related peptide

Migraine, vascular, and sensory signaling research

CUnknown

Cilengitide

Oncology research

CInvestigational

CJC-1295

Growth hormone pathway research

CInvestigational

Collagen peptides

Skin, joint, and nutrition supplement context

CSupplement

Creatine

Sports nutrition comparison item

BNot Approved

CRH

Stress-axis and endocrine research

CUnknown

C-type natriuretic peptide

Bone growth and cardiovascular research

CUnknown

Dalbavancin

Skin and soft tissue infection medication context depending on product label

AApproved

Dermaseptin

Host-defense peptide research

DResearch Use Only

DSIP

Sleep and neuroendocrine research

EInvestigational

Dynorphin

Pain, reward, and stress-pathway research

CUnknown

Elamipretide

Mitochondrial disease and Barth syndrome research or regulated context depending on jurisdiction/date

CInvestigational

Emerging peptide placeholder

Placeholder for future source-backed peptide entries

EUnknown

Enkephalin

Pain and reward-pathway research

CUnknown

Enlicitide decanoate

Hypercholesterolemia research

CInvestigational

Epitalon

Aging and telomere pathway research

EInvestigational

Galanin

Appetite, pain, mood, and neuroendocrine research

CUnknown

GHK-Cu

Cosmetic skin-care ingredient and wound/skin biology research

CCosmetic

Ghrelin

Appetite, metabolism, and growth hormone pathway research

CInvestigational

GLP-2

Intestinal adaptation and gut physiology research

CUnknown

Hexapeptide-11

Topical skin-care ingredient context

CCosmetic

Humanin

Aging, metabolism, and cellular stress research

CUnknown

Ipamorelin

Growth hormone secretagogue research

DInvestigational

Kisspeptin

Reproductive endocrinology and GnRH-axis research

CInvestigational

KPV

Inflammatory and gut pathway research

DResearch Use Only

Lactoferricin

Antimicrobial and immune research

DResearch Use Only

LL-37

Innate immunity and antimicrobial pathway research

DResearch Use Only

Lunasin

Nutrition and cell-signaling research

DResearch Use Only

Magainin

Host-defense peptide research

DResearch Use Only

Matrixyl

Topical cosmetic skin-care ingredient context

CCosmetic

Mazdutide

Obesity and type 2 diabetes research

CInvestigational

Melanotan II

Pigmentation and melanocortin pathway research

XResearch Use Only

MOTS-c

Metabolic and aging-pathway research

DInvestigational

Nesfatin-1

Appetite and metabolic research

CUnknown

Neuropeptide Y

Appetite, stress, vascular, and nervous-system research

CInvestigational

Neurotensin

Nervous-system and gastrointestinal signaling research

CUnknown

Nisin

Food preservation and antimicrobial research context

DResearch Use Only

Orexin-A

Sleep, arousal, appetite, and neurobiology research

CUnknown

Oritavancin

Skin and soft tissue infection medication context depending on product label

AApproved

Oxyntomodulin

Metabolic and appetite-regulation research

CInvestigational

Oxytocin

Obstetric medication context and neuroendocrine research

AApproved

Palmitoyl oligopeptide

Topical skin-care ingredient context

CCosmetic

Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7

Topical skin-care ingredient context

CCosmetic

Palmitoyl tripeptide-1

Topical skin-care ingredient context

CCosmetic

Paltusotine

Acromegaly medication/research context depending on product status

CInvestigational

Pemvidutide

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and obesity research

CInvestigational

Peptide YY

Appetite and gut-brain axis research

CInvestigational

PNC-27

Preclinical oncology research

DResearch Use Only

Retatrutide

Obesity and metabolic disease research

CInvestigational

Saralasin

Renin-angiotensin research and historical pharmacology context

DResearch Use Only

Selank

Anxiety, cognition, and neuropeptide research

CInvestigational

Semax

Cognition and neurological research

CInvestigational

Sermorelin

Growth hormone pathway research and historical diagnostic/therapeutic contexts

CInvestigational

SHLP-2

Metabolism and aging research

CUnknown

Somatostatin

Endocrine and gastrointestinal signaling research

CUnknown

Substance P

Pain, inflammation, and neuroimmune research

CUnknown

Survodutide

Obesity and metabolic liver disease research

CInvestigational

TB-500 / Thymosin beta-4 fragment

Tissue repair and cell migration research

DResearch Use Only

Tesofensine peptide-adjacent comparison

Weight-management research comparison context

CInvestigational

Thymopoietin

Immune signaling research

DResearch Use Only

Thymosin alpha-1

Immune and infectious-disease research; approved in some non-US jurisdictions

BInvestigational

Thymulin

Immune and endocrine research

DResearch Use Only

Thymus peptides

Immune supplement and research-adjacent context

ESupplement

TRH

Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis research

CUnknown

Tripeptide-29

Topical skin-care ingredient context

CCosmetic

Ularitide

Acute heart failure research

CInvestigational

Urocortin

Stress-axis and cardiovascular research

CUnknown

VIP

Pulmonary, vascular, and neuroimmune pathway research

CInvestigational