Part of the skin and hair peptide hub: every topical and cosmetic peptide we cover, with its evidence grade.
Hexapeptide-11
Phe-Val-Ala-Pro-Phe-Pro, a yeast-derived anti-ageing peptide with a cell literature and one four-week skin-firmness test run by its supplier
Hexapeptide-11 is the cosmetic ingredient name for FVAPFP, six amino acids first purified from a yeast fermentation and now made synthetically. In cultured human fibroblasts it switched on the cell's protein-maintenance and antioxidant machinery and protected the cells from stress-induced ageing. Its only human test, inside the same 2015 paper, was a half-face study in 25 volunteers run by the ingredient's supplier: a toner containing it improved one measure of skin elasticity after four weeks but not a second. Everything else published is cell work, much of it by companies that sell the ingredient or products containing it.
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Recommended Dosing
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What is it?
Hexapeptide-11 began as a fraction of a yeast fermentation. Its developers filtered and separated the fermentation product, isolated the dominant peptide, sequenced it as Phe-Val-Ala-Pro-Phe-Pro and then made it synthetically at high purity, which is the form sold today as a cosmetic ingredient. Both founding papers describe that route. The 2015 paper adds that the same six-residue sequence occurs inside several stress-related proteins, among them the chaperone hsp70, which its authors offer as one possible reason for its effects.
The cell evidence is consistent in direction. A 2013 study by a scientist at the personal-care ingredients company that also ran the 2015 skin test found that concentrations of 0.1% to 1.0% reversibly lowered ATM and p53, two proteins that push damaged cells into senescence, in aged fibroblasts and in dermal papilla cells from hair follicles. The 2015 paper, from a university group in Athens with two industry co-authors, found it was not toxic to human lung or skin fibroblasts and that it raised, in a dose- and time-dependent way, the genes and proteins of the proteasome, chaperones and antioxidant defences, moved the regulator Nrf2 into the nucleus and protected fibroblasts against hydrogen-peroxide-induced premature senescence. It also raised the activity of two matrix-degrading enzymes, MMP-2 and MMP-9, and slowed cell migration, effects the authors could not reconcile.
The only test on people is inside that 2015 paper. Its methods describe a half-face study in 25 volunteers, carried out by the ingredient's supplier, in which a toner containing 2.8% by volume of a 295 micromolar peptide stock solution, or a control toner, was applied twice a day around the eyes and cheeks for four weeks. A suction device measured skin mechanics: the initial elastic response improved significantly against the control side, but the total deformation response did not. That is one small, short, supplier-run study of one measure, and the percentage refers to a dilute stock, not to pure peptide.
Later work is again in cells. In 2021 a Chinese group tested five cosmetic peptides alone and in mixtures on prematurely aged skin fibroblasts and found hexapeptide-11 worked best at 400 micrograms per millilitre for hydroxyproline, a collagen marker. In 2022 a skincare company screening ingredients for its own products reported that it strongly raised a hyaluronic-acid synthesis gene in keratinocytes and was among the main inhibitors of melanin production in keratinocyte-based tests. For a buyer, hexapeptide-11 is a cream or toner ingredient with a coherent cell story and almost no human evidence; whether it reaches living skin cells from a product, and in what amount, has not been measured.
At a Glance
Every value in this table is printed from the Grey Peptides dataset, the same record the compound explorer and comparison tool read, so the three can never disagree.
Educational information, not medical advice. The doses on this page come from approved labels, published studies and, where no study exists, amounts reported by users. None is a recommendation for you. An unapproved compound has no established safe or effective human dose, and products sold for “research use only” are not made or tested for people. Talk to a doctor before acting on anything on this site, including before you start, stop or change any medicine or dose. Full medical disclaimer.
Published Research
These are the studies of hexapeptide-11 read from their PubMed abstracts on October 29, 2026, with the full text of the 2015 paper for its human test: one paper with a small human study, and four cell studies. Two of the cell studies are carded because their abstracts, not their titles, name hexapeptide-11 as a tested agent. Four of the five papers have authors who work for the ingredient's supplier or for companies making products with it.
Fibroblast proteostasis, and a 25-person skin test
Not toxic to human lung or skin fibroblasts, it raised proteasome, autophagy, chaperone and antioxidant genes, moved Nrf2 into the nucleus, increased proteasome activity and protected fibroblasts from oxidative-stress-induced senescence. In a half-face test on 25 volunteers run by the supplier, a toner with 2.8% (v/v) of a 295 µM peptide stock, used twice daily for four weeks, improved the skin's initial elastic response but not its total deformation response.
Senescence proteins in aged skin and hair cells
In intrinsically and extrinsically aged fibroblasts and extrinsically aged dermal papilla cells, FVAPFP at 0.1% to 1.0% reversibly and dose-dependently lowered ATM and p53, proteins that drive cells into senescence. The author works for the personal-care ingredients company that ran the 2015 skin test.
Five cosmetic peptides, alone and mixed
Tested alone on hydrogen-peroxide-aged skin fibroblasts, hexapeptide-11 had its best effect on hydroxyproline content at 400 µg/mL. A four-peptide mix of carnosine, acetyl tetrapeptide-5, hexapeptide-11 and acetyl hexapeptide-3 lowered oxidative markers and raised hydroxyproline, elastin and antioxidant enzymes, but that result belongs to the mix.
Hyaluronic-acid genes in keratinocytes
RNA sequencing of skin cells treated with candidate ingredients found that hexapeptide-11 strongly raised a hyaluronic-acid synthesis gene in keratinocytes; a proprietary octapeptide did the same in fibroblasts. The authors include staff of a skincare company designing its own product.
Melanin production in pigmentation tests
In gene-expression screens of skin cell types followed by melanin-production tests, hexapeptide-11 acting through keratinocytes was one of the main inhibitors of melanogenesis identified, alongside hexapeptide-12, lactoferrin and phosphatidylserine. The same company's authors used the results to design a formulation.
Side Effects & Contraindications
Reported Side Effects
From the studies read, which report little on safety.
Contraindications & Cautions
A cosmetic ingredient, not a medicine, so there is no label.
Legal Status
A cosmetic ingredient, not a drug.
Frequently Asked Questions
?What is hexapeptide-11?
The cosmetic ingredient name for FVAPFP (phenylalanine, valine, alanine, proline, phenylalanine, proline), a six-amino-acid peptide first purified from yeast and now made synthetically for anti-ageing products.
?Has it been tested on people?
Once, as far as PubMed shows: a four-week half-face test in 25 volunteers, run by the ingredient's supplier and reported inside a 2015 cell study. A toner containing it improved one measure of skin elasticity but not a second. No independent human study exists.
?What concentration was used?
The skin test used a toner with 2.8% by volume of a 295 micromolar stock solution of the peptide, so the toner held far less than 2.8% peptide. Cell studies used other concentrations. These are study conditions, not a recommended strength.
?Who did the research?
Mostly people with a commercial interest: the 2013 study's author works for a personal-care ingredients company, the 2015 paper has supplier and cosmetics-company co-authors and its skin test was run by the supplier, and both 2022 papers have authors from a skincare company.
References
- [other] PubChem CID 24998056, Hexapeptide-11: formula C36H48N6O7, molecular weight 676.8. Read October 28, 2026. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/24998056
- [clinical-trial] Sklirou AD, et al. "Hexapeptide-11 is a novel modulator of the proteostasis network in human diploid fibroblasts." Redox Biol, 2015;5:205-215. PMID: 25974626.
- [pubmed] Gruber JV, et al. "Modulation of cellular senescence in fibroblasts and dermal papillae cells in vitro." J Cosmet Sci, 2013;64(2):79-87. PMID: 23578831.
- [pubmed] Wu Y, et al. "Protective and Anti-Aging Effects of 5 Cosmeceutical Peptide Mixtures on Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Premature Senescence in Human Skin Fibroblasts." Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2021;34(4):194-202. PMID: 33849044.
- [pubmed] Widgerow AD, et al. "Designing topical hyaluronic acid technology-Size does matter…." J Cosmet Dermatol, 2022;21(7):2865-2870. PMID: 35486441.
- [pubmed] Widgerow A, et al. "Advances in Pigmentation Management: A Multipronged Approach." J Drugs Dermatol, 2022;21(11):1206-1220. PMID: 36342738.
Sources & Citations
Every study on this page was read from its PubMed record on October 29, 2026, and the 2015 paper in full for its human test. Studies with authors from the ingredient's supplier or from product makers are labelled as such. Concentrations are printed only under the study that used them; no supplier's figure is used. Grey Peptides sells nothing and links to no vendor.
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is an instruction to obtain or use any compound. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before making health decisions.