Dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate
Neuromuscular-relaxing peptide
Also Syn-Ake, Synake, Snake venom peptide, Waglerin-1 mimetic
- Evidence
- DNo meaningful data
- FDA status
- Cosmetic ingredientas of 2026-10-26
- Route
- Topical
- Studies cited
- 1 human0 animal or cell
It is put in face creams to smooth wrinkles, and is sold as a snake-venom-style peptide. The only tests come from the maker and one study of a mixed product.
Sold for
Sold as 'Syn-Ake', a synthetic snake-venom peptide claimed to relax expression lines the way a muscle-blocking injection would, but in a cream.
Studies say
The only human evidence is manufacturer testing and a combination-product study, which is a D on our scale.
Why grade D. The human data for wrinkle reduction are a supplier-run test of a cream in small volunteer groups (15 per arm, by the manufacturer's own brochure) and one peer-reviewed study of a serum that combined this peptide with acetyl hexapeptide-8, so the ingredient's own effect cannot be isolated. No independent trial of the peptide alone has been published. 34
FDA. A cosmetic ingredient, not a drug. It is used in creams and serums marketed in the US under cosmetic rules, which do not require FDA approval before sale, and it has never been reviewed or approved by the FDA for any therapeutic use. 1
Written from 4 cited sources. Fact-checked 2026-10-27: 11 claims checked, 4 corrected, 1 sources unreachable. Last refreshed 2026-10-27. Not physician reviewed.
What this means for you
- What people take it for
- Smoothing wrinkles
- Can a US doctor prescribe it?
- No prescription; it is a cosmetic ingredient.
- Properly tested in people?
- No meaningful testing published; the maker's test had 15 people per group.
Evidence checklist
- Randomised controlled trial Maker test, 15 per arm; no independent RCTno
- Human study over 100 people Largest group was 15 volunteersno
- More than one research group Supplier data and one combination studyno
- Clinical outcomes, not surrogate markers Wrinkle depth measures onlyno
- Human safety data beyond case reports No published safety studyno
Drawn from the cited studies below. A dash means the sources give no information.
What it is
Dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate is a small synthetic molecule modeled on waglerin-1, a peptide in the venom of the temple viper. It was introduced to the cosmetics trade by the Swiss supplier Pentapharm in 2005 under the trade name Syn-Ake and is now sold by DSM-Firmenich. 1
It reached consumers in 2007 through 'snake venom' anti-ageing creams launched in the UK, and the venom framing has driven its marketing ever since. The ingredient is a laboratory-made peptide; no snake is involved in producing it. 2
How it works
Waglerin-1 blocks the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor at the junction between nerve and muscle, which is how the venom paralyzes prey. The cosmetic peptide is claimed to do the same thing weakly and reversibly in facial muscles after being applied to the skin, reducing the contractions that fold the skin into expression lines. The supporting data for that claim come from the supplier's cell assays and its own volunteer tests; whether a water-soluble peptide applied to intact skin reaches the neuromuscular junction in meaningful amounts has not been shown independently. 4
What human research shows
The supplier's brochure describes a 28-day test of a cream containing the peptide applied to the forehead, with 15 volunteers per group aged 40 to 60, and reports wrinkle reductions of up to 52% after 28 days; its chart of the placebo comparison shows smaller differences, 15% to 21% across three skin-roughness measures. That is company data, not a peer-reviewed study. 4
A 2026 study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, run by L'Oréal researchers, tested a serum that combined this peptide with acetyl hexapeptide-8 (another 'neuromuscular' cosmetic peptide), gluconolactone, niacinamide and a seaweed extract. It used an ex vivo skin model and two clinical studies of 50 and 42 volunteers, and reported improvements in clinical wrinkle scores over 12 weeks. Because five actives were tested together, the result does not tell us what this ingredient does on its own. 3
| Study | Model | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier in vivo test (DSM brochure) | Humans, 15 volunteers per group, 28 days, forehead application | The supplier reports up to 52% wrinkle reduction after 28 days and 15% to 21% better roughness scores than placebo; the data are unpublished company results. 4 |
| Combination serum study, Int J Cosmet Sci 2026 | Ex vivo skin plus two clinical studies (n=50 and n=42), 12 weeks, serum with this peptide, acetyl hexapeptide-8 and three other actives | Static wrinkle scores improved 35% to 69% and dynamic wrinkle scores 10% to 13% from baseline; the peptide's individual contribution cannot be separated out. 3 |
Safety
As a cosmetic ingredient it has been on the market for about two decades without published reports of systemic harm, which is consistent with a peptide that is largely confined to the outer skin. Irritation and contact reactions are the realistic risks with any leave-on peptide product. No long-term safety study exists, and none is required under cosmetic rules. 12
Questions for your clinician
- Has this ingredient been tested alone by anyone other than its supplier?
- Which proven wrinkle treatments exist to compare with a cream using it?
- How should I patch-test a new leave-on peptide product?
Questions people ask
Is this ingredient FDA-approved?
No, and it does not need to be. Cosmetics in the US are not pre-approved by the FDA. The ingredient has never been evaluated as a drug. 1
Citations
- Happi 2005: Pentapharm introduces anti-wrinkle active (Syn-Ake) happi.com
- CosmeticsDesign Europe 2007: snake venom-based anti-ageing cream launched in UK cosmeticsdesign-europe.com
- Zhu 2026, International Journal of Cosmetic Science: ex vivo and clinical studies of a serum combining dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, acetyl hexapeptide-8 and other actives doi.org
- DSM 2020: Syn-Ake product brochure with supplier in vivo test dsm.com