Ingredient guide

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7.

These two palmitoylated peptides are used as a pair — one associated with the appearance of firmness and smoothness, the other with the look of calm, resilient skin. Morren documents the pair under the name DUAL-MATRIKINE™ and lists both on the INCI panel of the Renew Complex serums. This guide covers what each one is and how much is in each formula.

What are these two peptides?

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 — written Pal-GHK — is a three-amino-acid peptide (glycine, histidine, lysine) carrying a palmitic acid tail. The tail is what makes the peptide oil-friendly enough to be used in a topical formula rather than sitting on the surface.

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 — written Pal-GQPR — is a four-amino-acid peptide (glycine, glutamine, proline, arginine) with the same fatty tail, used for its conditioning and appearance-supporting properties.

The two are almost always formulated together rather than separately. That is why you will usually see both INCI names sitting next to each other, in that order, on an ingredient panel — and why the pair is often discussed as a single ingredient.

Why Morren uses them together

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is used for the appearance of firmness and smoothness. Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 supports the look of calm, resilient skin. Together they are the part of the Renew Complex formulas concerned with the appearance of firmness, smoothness and overall skin resilience — separate from the copper peptide, which is the lead active.

Which Morren serums contain this complex?

Renew Complex Daily — 0.005% of the pair (50 ppm) alongside 0.20% GHK-Cu, 0.20% PDRN and Acetyl Octapeptide-3.
Renew Complex Intensive — roughly 0.020% of the pair (about 200 ppm, 6 mg per 30 mL) alongside 1.00% GHK-Cu and 0.67% PDRN.

The two single-active copper serums — Morren Blue and Morren Blue Eight — do not contain this complex. If you want GHK-Cu with no additional peptide signals, Morren Blue is the minimal formula.

Renew Complex Daily → · Renew Complex Intensive → · Morren Blue (GHK-Cu only) →

How to read this on a label

Because the pair is treated as one commercial complex by ingredient suppliers, some brands list it by a trade name and never show the two peptides at all. The INCI panel is the tell: if Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 both appear in the ingredient list, the formula contains them, whatever name the marketing copy uses.

Morren publishes both the INCI names and its own formula name, DUAL-MATRIKINE™, and gives the percentage for the pair.

Keep reading

GHK-Cu guide → · Acetyl Octapeptide-3 guide → · Copper peptide serum guide → · Compare all four face serums →