Let's talk about argireline, a peptide that's been generating a lot buzz in the skincare world. You might have heard it called "Botox in a bottle" - a pretty bold claim.
As always, let's look at the scientific evidence before jumping to conclusions. Here's what the research tells us about argireline:
The main difference between argireline and Botox lies in their application and potency.
Botox is directly injected into the muscles, resulting in a much more immediate and noticeable effect.
In contrast, argireline is topically applied, making its approach less invasive but also less potent compared to Botox, leading to a more subtle outcome.
Interestingly, a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), suggests that argireline can extend the effects of Botox.
This finding is significant because it indicates that argireline may not only be a standalone treatment for aging skin but can also be used in combination with Botox injections to reduce the frequency of treatments (Lungu et al. 2013).
So the bottom line is this -- argireline is an effective ingredient for combating wrinkles, regardless of whether you choose to use it alongside Botox injections or as a standalone treatment.
Interested in a product featuring argireline? Click here to check out our Peptide Squad serum.
Now, going DEEPER into the science for the nerds among us:
Argireline is in a class of peptides called Neurotransmitter inhibitor peptides informally called botox-like peptides. Dermatologists hate this term because Argireline is nowhere near as potent or long-lasting (or invasive) as botox. That being said, it does have some similarities.
The principles behind Argireline and botox are similar. They both aim to inhibit muscle activity and limit the formation of expression wrinkles by affecting the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at something called the cholinergic neuromuscular junction (NMJ).
Basically, when muscles in your face move, a reaction cascade mediated by SNAP receptor proteins and SNARE complex formation is necessary. SNAP-25 specifically is targeted by both botulinum neurotoxin type A (botox) and peptide Argireline.
Argireline competes with the SNARE complex by mimicking the N terminal end of SNAP-25 – hence preventing formation of the SNARE protein complex and inhibiting acetylcholine release and subsequent muscle contraction.
The difference is that botox is directly injected into the muscle whereas Argireline is applied on the surface of the skin and it’s unclear if it reaches the muscles underneath. That being said, clinical studies suggest that to some extent it reaches the muscles albeit to a limited degree.
This is shown by published academic clinical studies that show its anti-wrinkle efficacy (Blanes-Mira et al. 2002, Tadini et al. 2015, Draelos et al. 2016, Errante et al. 2020).
Most interestingly, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study using topical Argireline cream in patients receiving botox treatment for blepharospasm saw an extension of botox benefits to symptom control when using the cream (Lungu et al. 2013).
Let’s repeat that. This latter study is a well controlled, unbiased clinical study conducted by the National Institutes of Health in a patient population with severe, uncontrollable eyelid muscle movements (blepharospasm) that showed topical Argireline could extend the benefits of botox injections!
To us, the fact that Argireline had efficacy even in a patient population with severe uncontrolled muscle movements was very convincing that it could work on limiting muscle activity that caused expression lines in you and me.
So this study conducted by the National Institutes of Health showed that when compared to placebo, Argireline could extend the length of time that botox injections suppressed muscle activity (Lungu et al. 2013). So even if you get regular botox injections, applying Argireline regularly means you can get botox injections less frequently, saving you time and money.
References
Blanes-Mira C, Clemente J, Jodas G, Gil A, Fernandez-Ballester G, Ponsati B, Gutierrez L, Perez-Paya E, Ferrer-Montiel A (2002). “A synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) with antiwrinkle activity.” Int J Cosmet Sci 24(5): 303-310.
Draelos ZD, Kononov T, Fox T (2016). “An Open Label Clinical Trial of a Peptide Treatment Serum and Supporting Regimen Designed to Improve the Appearance of Aging Facial Skin.” J Drugs Dermatol 15(9): 1100-1106.
Errante F, Ledwon P, Latajka R, Rovero P, Papini AM (2020). “Cosmeceutical Peptides in the Framework of Sustainable Wellness Economy.” Frontiers in Chemistry 8: 572923. Doi: 10.3389/fchem.2020.572923.
Lungu C, Considine E, Zahir S, Ponsati B, Arrastia S, Hallett M (2013). “Pilot Study of Topical Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 in Treatment of Blepharospasm in Patients Receiving Botulinum Neurotoxin Therapy.” Eur J Neurol. 20(3): 515-518.
Tadini KA, Mercurio DG, Campo PMBGM (2015). “Acetyl hexapeptide-3 in a cosmetic formulation acts on skin mechanical properties – clinical study.” Brazilian J Pharmaceutic Sci 51(4): 901-909. Doi.org/10.1590/S1984-82502015000400016.
