Cosmetic & skin

SNAP-8 (acetyl octapeptide-3)

Also called Acetyl octapeptide-3, Acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide-3, Acetyl octapeptide-1, SNAP-8

SNAP-8 is a short lab-made peptide used in anti-wrinkle creams and serums. It is a longer version of Argireline, and like Argireline it is marketed as working a bit like a 'topical Botox' on expression lines. Evidence that it works in people comes mainly from the manufacturer; no independent, peer-reviewed human trial was found.

Preclinical onlyStudied in cells or animals only. Effects in people are unknown.

All printable flashcards

Drawn from its published sequence: 8 residues, one bead each.

Overview

How it works

Proposed, not established in people. SNAP-8 mimics part of SNAP-25 and is thought to compete for a place in the SNARE complex, the protein machinery nerve endings use to release the chemical signal that makes muscles contract ²³. In theory, weakening that signal would relax the small facial muscles that form expression lines. Whether enough peptide passes through the skin to reach nerve endings in muscle has not been shown; for its close relative Argireline, skin-penetration studies suggest very little gets through ⁴.

What research shows

No independent, peer-reviewed randomized human trial of SNAP-8 was found in this review; efficacy claims trace mainly to the supplier's product information ²³.
A 2023 nanoparticle-delivery paper cites a study in which a 10% SNAP-8 cream used twice daily for 4 weeks reduced wrinkle depth by about 35%, but the original reference is incomplete and could not be verified ³.
Ji et al. 2020 developed a lab method (LC-MS/MS) to measure acetyl octapeptide-3 in products, confirming its identity and mass; it did not test efficacy ².
For the related peptide Argireline, a 2025 review found very low skin penetration and concluded it likely does not reach muscle-level depth ⁴; similar data for SNAP-8 were not found.

Doses studied in people

No drug-style dosing exists; it is a topical cosmetic ingredient, and no peer-reviewed human trial concentrations could be verified.

Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.

Vial math

Many research vials hold 5 or 10 mg of powder. This table shows how much ends up in each mark on a U-100 insulin syringe for common amounts of added liquid. It is arithmetic only, not a dose.

Vial	Liquid added	Concentration	Per unit (0.01 mL)
5 mg	1 mL	5 mg/mL	50 mcg	Open in calculator
5 mg	2 mL	2.5 mg/mL	25 mcg	Open in calculator
5 mg	3 mL	1.67 mg/mL	16.7 mcg	Open in calculator
10 mg	1 mL	10 mg/mL	100 mcg	Open in calculator
10 mg	2 mL	5 mg/mL	50 mcg	Open in calculator
10 mg	3 mL	3.33 mg/mL	33.3 mcg	Open in calculator

More sizes: all vial sizes · How this works: Syringes and units · Reconstitution guide.

Safety

No published independent human safety studies were found; it is widely used in cosmetics with no specific safety signals identified in the sources checked.
Long-term safety data and controlled trials are lacking.
Injectable or non-cosmetic 'research' forms have no safety data; for the related peptide Argireline, a skin infection (Mycobacterium abscessus) was reported after injection into the skin ⁴.
Not a substitute for botulinum toxin; no head-to-head trials exist.

Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Legal status

FDA: Not an FDA-approved drug. Sold as a cosmetic ingredient; FDA says products intended to change skin structure or function, such as removing wrinkles or increasing collagen, are drugs, and it is concerned about such claims on cosmetics ⁵.
Compounding: Not applicable (cosmetic ingredient); not named on FDA's 503A Category 2 page or withdrawn-nominations table (current as of 04/22/2026), nor on FDA's 503A nominations list as retrieved ⁶⁷.
Sports (WADA): Not named on the 2026 Prohibited List ⁸.
Other: Listed in FDA's substance registration system (UNII 8K14HJF88S) as acetyl octapeptide-3, with synonyms including acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide-3 ¹.

Rules change often. See Legal status of peptides for how these categories work.

History

SNAP-8 was developed and is supplied by the Spanish cosmetic-ingredient company Lipotec (Barcelona) as a follow-up to Argireline, its earlier six-residue anti-wrinkle peptide ². It is now a common ingredient in 'peptide' serums. FDA's substance registry lists it under several names, including acetyl octapeptide-3 and acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide-3 ¹.

Common questions

Does SNAP-8 work like Botox?

It is designed to interfere with the same nerve-signaling machinery that Botox targets, but there is no good evidence that enough gets through the skin to relax muscles, and no head-to-head trials exist ³⁴.

What does the human evidence show?

Wrinkle-reduction figures come mainly from the supplier, and no independent peer-reviewed randomized trial was found ²³.

How is SNAP-8 different from Argireline?

SNAP-8 is described as an elongated form of Argireline: eight amino acids instead of six, ending in Ala-Asp ¹³. Both come from the same Spanish supplier, Lipotec ².

Is SNAP-8 FDA-approved?

No. It is sold as a cosmetic ingredient, and FDA treats products that claim to change skin structure, like removing wrinkles, as drugs ⁵.

Related compounds

Cosmetic & skinEarly human dataFlashcard

Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8)

acetyl hexapeptide-8 · acetyl hexapeptide-3 (older INCI name)

Argireline is a short lab-made peptide used in anti-wrinkle creams and serums.

Cosmetic & skinPreclinical onlyFlashcard

AHK-Cu

L-alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu(II) · Ala-His-Lys-Cu

AHK-Cu is a tiny three-amino-acid peptide (alanine, histidine, lysine) bound to copper.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-26 · How we research · Found an error? See our corrections policy.