Snap-8
Stocked in 10mg, 20mg at MontanaPep in Great Falls, Montana. Sold for laboratory research use only.
| Size | Catalog no. | Price per vial |
|---|---|---|
| 10mg | NP810 | $15 |
| 20mg | NP820 | $35 |
Classification
Topical cosmetic peptide ingredient designed for formulation into creams
Structure and chemistry
Snap-8 is acetyl octapeptide-3, an eight-residue synthetic peptide. It is an extension of the earlier hexapeptide Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-3/8), with two additional residues added to the sequence. It mimics the N-terminal end of SNAP-25, a component of the SNARE complex. SNAP-8 is a trademark of Lipotec, now part of Lubrizol Life Science.
What the published research shows
This is the honest picture: the mechanism is reasonable and the manufacturer has conducted efficacy testing, but there is no published independent randomized human trial demonstrating that topical Snap-8 measurably reduces wrinkles. The widely quoted figure — wrinkle severity around the eyes reduced by up to 63.13%, and roughly 30% greater activity than Argireline — originates from manufacturer testing rather than independent peer-reviewed trials. The comparable independent data for its parent compound Argireline is more modest: a study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science using a 10% concentration reported roughly 30% reduction in wrinkle depth after 30 days versus placebo.
Mechanism of action
When a nerve signals a muscle to contract, it uses the SNARE complex, of which SNAP-25 is a component. Snap-8 copies the N-terminal tip of SNAP-25, so the proposal is that it competes for a position in the assembling complex, makes the complex slightly less efficient, and softens the repeated muscle pull that creases skin over time. It is worth being clear that this is a mechanism-level hypothesis extrapolated from nerve biology, not something a published independent human trial has confirmed for topical Snap-8. A further open question is skin penetration: a peptide of this size must survive application to intact skin and reach nerve endings beneath it.
Development history
Developed by the Spanish biotechnology company Lipotec, now part of Lubrizol Life Science, as a topical cosmeceutical ingredient for reducing expression wrinkles. It belongs to a family of neurotransmitter-inhibiting cosmetic peptides from the same company that includes Argireline, Leuphasyl and Inyline.
Current regulatory status
Snap-8 is legal to sell in the United States as a cosmetic ingredient. It is not an FDA-approved drug and does not need to be, provided products containing it are marketed as cosmetics rather than making drug claims. It has not been placed on FDA’s bulk drug substances lists. One point deserves emphasis given the company this product keeps in a peptide catalog: Snap-8 was designed, formulated and tested as a topical ingredient added to an emulsion at low percentage.
Analytical testing
An eight-residue acetylated peptide is straightforward to confirm by mass spectrometry against a reference standard, with the N-terminal acetylation verified rather than assumed. Note that cosmetic-grade raw material is typically supplied as a dilute aqueous solution with preservatives rather than as a pure lyophilized peptide, so a stated concentration and the full ingredient composition matter more here than a bare purity percentage.
Ordering from Great Falls
MontanaPep, also known as Montana Peptides, is an independently owned supplier based at 715 13th Ave S, Great Falls, Montana. Local pickup is available by arrangement, and we ship to research addresses across Montana including Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, Kalispell and Havre. Call (406) 799-0812 or email customerservice@montanapep.com.