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A cosmetic ingredient, not regulated or approved as a drug. This page is educational information only, not medical advice.
IndexedBuilt automatically from public databases on 2026-09-30. Not yet hand-reviewed by PLOBT.How this works →

Pentapeptide-18

Cosmetic ingredient

Cosmetic signal peptide

Also known as: Leuphasyl, (D-Ala2)leucine-enkephalin, Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu, H-Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-Phe-Leu-OH, (D-Ala2)-Leu-Enkephalin

Evidence score
23/ 100
Thin evidence

Very thin human evidence

  • Regulatory standing. Cosmetic ingredient, not regulated as a drug
  • Animal / preclinical only. Evidence is largely animal or in-vitro
  • No registered human trials. Nothing registered on ClinicalTrials.gov
  • 1 cited source. Includes primary / regulatory sources

Computed with the same four public criteria as every profile. The human-evidence grade on an indexed profile is set automatically and may change when it is hand-reviewed. It is not a safety score, not a purity rating, and not medical advice, and not a claim that this compound treats, cures, or prevents any condition.

What it is

Pentapeptide-18, sold under the trade name Leuphasyl, is a short synthetic peptide used as an ingredient in topical skincare products. It is designed to mimic enkephalins and is thought to reduce nerve signaling to facial muscles, which manufacturers suggest may soften expression lines when applied to the skin.

What the evidence shows

Automatic summaryAnimal / preclinical

There are no registered human clinical trials, and the small published literature consists mainly of lab work and manufacturer-linked cosmetic studies. Whether it meaningfully reduces wrinkles in people is not well established.

Key facts

Molecular formula
C29H39N5O7
Molecular weight
569.6 g/mol

Registered human trials

Live from ClinicalTrials.gov, refreshed daily.

0registered studies
Nonemost advanced phase
0completed (sample)
0recruiting (sample)

Published literature

Live from Europe PMC. This is how much has been published, not how much is proven in humans.

5papers referencing Pentapeptide-18

Tumor-cell-targeted methionine-enkephalin analogues containing unnatural amino acids: design, synthesis, and in vitro antitumor activity.

J Med Chem2006

D-tyrosine adds an anti-melanogenic effect to cosmetic peptides.

Sci Rep2020

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Incorporated with Retinol and Pentapeptide-18-Optimization, Characterization, and Cosmetic Application.

Int J Mol Sci2024

Retinol and Oligopeptide-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers as Effective Raw Material in Anti-Acne and Anti-Aging Therapies.

Life (Basel)2024

Sources

Risks, side effects and study doses are only published on hand-reviewed profiles. Want this one reviewed, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.