Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Mechanism of action

Reviews describe it as designed to act on molecular targets involved in sensitive skin (2022) and group it with peptides that inhibit neurotransmission (2021). No study read measured that mechanism for the peptide alone.

Primary uses

• Cosmetic soothing products for sensitive skin

Typical dosing

Regulatory status

Not a drug: PubChem lists it under its INCI name as a cosmetic ingredient (CID 11685829). Drugs@FDA and the EMA medicines list hold no record for it (searched October 28, 2026).

Status as of this entry's last review, October 28, 2026. Approvals, compounding rules and sport rules change; the regulatory tracker is checked more often.

What we checked

Acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester is a soothing cosmetic ingredient tested only inside finished products; this section records what can be checked.

Identity, computed

The calculator used elsewhere on this site does not handle a C-terminal cetyl ester, so the formula and weight are PubChem's, not computed here.

Regulatory status, read October 28, 2026

Drugs@FDA: 0 records for “acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester”. EMA medicines list: 0 records for “acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester”. Run for semaglutide, the same queries return 6 and 5 records (and the registry search 80 trials), so a zero here is an absence, not a broken search. Not named on the WADA 2026 and 2027 Prohibited Lists. As a substance with no current approval for human therapeutic use, it falls under section S0 (non-approved substances), which is prohibited at all times; the lists were read on October 28, 2026.

What the studies show

A randomized, single-blind split-face study in 31 women with sensitive skin compared a cream with acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester and a cream with 4-t-butylcyclohexanol after capsaicin; the second cream lowered burning faster at one and two minutes, and both eased burning over 15 minutes (Schoelermann et al., 2016). It compared two finished products.

Reviews of sensitive-skin cosmetics in 2021 (Resende et al., 2021) and 2022 (Ferreira et al., 2022) list it as one of the few ingredients tested in volunteers who have sensitive skin.

In cell assays for a 2016 sensitive-skin cream, acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester did not block TRPV1 activation, and it lowered prostaglandin E2 and NF-kB signalling only at higher concentrations than licochalcone A (Sulzberger et al., 2016).

A formulation study reported that it raised epidermal barrier genes (aquaporin-3, filaggrin, caspase-14 and keratin 10) in human keratinocytes, as one of four actives in an anti-pollution cream (Khmaladze et al., 2020).

What we looked for and did not find

No placebo-controlled study of the peptide alone, no registry record and no drug approval.

References

1. [other] PubChem CID 11685829, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester: formula C33H57N5O5, molecular weight 603.8. Read October 28, 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11685829
2. [clinical-trial] Schoelermann AM, et al. "Comparison of skin calming effects of cosmetic products containing 4-t-butylcyclohexanol or acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester on capsaicin-induced facial stinging in volunteers with sensitive skin." J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol, 2016;30 Suppl 1:18-20. PMID: 26805418.
3. [review] Resende DISP, et al. "Usage of Synthetic Peptides in Cosmetics for Sensitive Skin." Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 2021;14(8). PMID: 34451799.
4. [review] Ferreira MS, et al. "Sensitive skin: Active ingredients on the spotlight." Int J Cosmet Sci, 2022;44(1):56-73. PMID: 34813665.
5. [pubmed] Sulzberger M, et al. "Effective treatment for sensitive skin: 4-t-butylcyclohexanol and licochalcone A." J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol, 2016;30 Suppl 1:9-17. PMID: 26805417.
6. [pubmed] Khmaladze I, et al. "A novel multifunctional skin care formulation with a unique blend of antipollution, brightening and antiaging active complexes." J Cosmet Dermatol, 2020;19(6):1415-1425. PMID: 31584241.

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