SNAP-8 is the trade name for acetyl octapeptide-3, a synthetic eight-amino-acid peptide used in topical anti-wrinkle cosmetics. Its sequence is Ac-Glu-Glu-Met-Gln-Arg-Arg-Ala-Asp-NH2 (Ac-EEMQRRAD-NH2), it carries CAS number 868844-74-0, and its molecular formula is C42H72N16O15S at about 1,075 g/mol (PubChem CID 71587832). It was developed by the Spanish company Lipotec, now part of Lubrizol Life Science, and SNAP-8 is a Lipotec trademark.
The name is a clue to the design. SNAP-8 is an extended version of Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-3/-8), with two extra residues (alanine and aspartate) tacked onto the original six. Both peptides are modeled on the N-terminal end of SNAP-25, a protein in the SNARE complex that nerve cells use to release neurotransmitter.
How it is proposed to work
The mechanism story for this peptide family comes from the founding Argireline paper. Blanes-Mira and colleagues reported that the hexapeptide mimics the N-terminus of SNAP-25 and interferes with assembly of the SNARE complex, the machinery that drives calcium-dependent exocytosis at nerve endings. With SNARE assembly slightly destabilized, less acetylcholine is released, and muscle contraction is dampened. The authors described potency in the lab comparable to botulinum toxin A but with far lower efficacy, and no oral toxicity or skin irritation at high doses in their tests (Blanes-Mira et al., *Int J Cosmet Sci*, 2002).
SNAP-8 is marketed as a more active relative of Argireline using the same principle. Worth being clear here: the detailed SNARE-inhibition work was done on the hexapeptide, and much of what is claimed for the octapeptide specifically rests on manufacturer testing rather than independent peer-reviewed trials.
What the published evidence actually shows
Independent human-trial data for SNAP-8 in the scientific literature is thin. The widely repeated figure that crow's-feet wrinkle severity dropped "up to 63.13%" traces to Lipotec/Lubrizol product material, not a peer-reviewed clinical study, and it should be read as a supplier claim. Treat percentage promises from ingredient marketing with caution.
The peptide does appear in real analytical chemistry work. A 2020 paper in the Journal of Analytical Science and Technology developed an LC-MS/MS method to quantify acetyl octapeptide-3, noting it as an anti-ageing peptide more active than acetyl hexapeptide-3 and more stable than botulinum toxin, and applied the method to a microneedle patch loaded with SNAP-8 for cosmetic quality control (Lee et al., *J Anal Sci Technol*, 2020). That paper is about measuring the peptide accurately, not about proving a wrinkle outcome.
Regulatory and quality notes
SNAP-8 is a cosmetic ingredient (INCI name Acetyl Octapeptide-3), not an approved drug. It is applied topically and is not intended for injection or ingestion. Material sold to researchers and compounders is typically labeled research use only and not for human consumption. Nothing here is medical, dosing, or efficacy advice.
Because it is a synthetic peptide sold in many grades, identity and purity vary between suppliers. If you are evaluating a source, the facts that matter are a recent third-party Certificate of Analysis confirming identity (mass spec) and purity (HPLC, often quoted around 98-99%), and consistency between batches. peptideone aggregates published vendor COAs and the independent raters it tracks so those quality signals can be compared rather than taken on a seller's word.