SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3)

What Is SNAP-8?

SNAP-8 is a synthetic octapeptide, Ac-EEMQRRAD-NH2, used as an anti-wrinkle ingredient in cosmetic formulations under the INCI name acetyl octapeptide-3. Its first six residues are identical to acetyl hexapeptide-3 (Ac-EEMQRR-NH2), and it adds alanine and aspartate before the C-terminal amide.

Peer-reviewed data on SNAP-8 are limited. A PubMed search as of October 2026 found no published mechanistic, cell-culture or animal studies of it as a single agent; the available literature consists of two small clinical studies in which acetyl octapeptide-3 was one component of hyaluronic acid microneedle patches.^[1][2] Mechanisms reported for acetyl hexapeptide-3 have not been confirmed for SNAP-8 in these studies and should not be assumed to apply.

Chemical Structure and Molecular Identity

SNAP-8 consists of eight standard L-amino acids, glutamate, glutamate, methionine, glutamine, arginine, arginine, alanine and aspartate, with an acetylated N-terminus and an amidated C-terminus. PubChem (CID 76283482) lists the molecular formula C41H70N16O16S and a molecular weight of 1075.2 g/mol. The CAS number is 868844-74-0.

The sequence contains three acidic residues (two glutamates and an aspartate) and two basic arginines, making it a highly polar, water-soluble peptide. PubChem’s computed partition coefficient (XLogP -7.7) reflects this hydrophilicity.

Names and synonyms

• INCI name: acetyl octapeptide-3
• Other names: acetyl glutamyl octapeptide-3, acetyl glutamyl heptapeptide-3
• Abbreviations: SNAP-8, Ac-EEMQRRAD-NH2

What the Published Literature Covers

The peer-reviewed literature on SNAP-8 consists of two clinical studies of microneedle patches that combined acetyl octapeptide-3 with other active ingredients. Neither study isolated the effect of the peptide.

2020 monocentric study

A 12-week clinical study tested hyaluronic acid microneedle patches containing arginine/lysine polypeptide, acetyl octapeptide-3, palmitoyl tripeptide-5, adenosine and seaweed extracts, applied to the outer eye corners and the volar forearm of healthy subjects with aged skin. The product was well tolerated, with no primary or cumulative skin reactions. Instrumental measurements showed a 25.8% decrease in fine lines and wrinkles, 15.4% higher skin hydration, and 14.2% and 12.9% increases in dermal density and thickness. The authors attributed the results to the combined formulation; the abstract does not describe a placebo group.^[1]

2024 placebo-controlled study

A dissolving microneedle patch built on a hyaluronic acid backbone with acetyl octapeptide-3, L-ascorbic acid 2-glucoside and sodium cyclic lysophosphatidic acid was compared with hyaluronic acid-only placebo patches applied to the opposite eye in 24 healthy subjects over 28 days. The active patch produced greater improvement in eye wrinkles, reduced transepidermal water loss, and enhanced skin elasticity and lifting, with no adverse effects reported.^[2]

Because both products contained several actives and relied on microneedle delivery, these results describe the patches, not SNAP-8 alone.

Because SNAP-8 differs from acetyl hexapeptide-3 by only two residues, researchers typically confirm its identity and purity with HPLC and mass spectrometry certificates of analysis.

Regulatory and Research Status

SNAP-8 (acetyl octapeptide-3) is a cosmetic ingredient and is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a drug for any indication. Cosmetic ingredients in the United States do not require FDA premarket approval.

As a research compound, SNAP-8 remains largely uncharacterized in the peer-reviewed literature. Open questions include its mechanism of action, how it compares with acetyl hexapeptide-3, how far it penetrates skin from conventional formulations, and what effect it has when tested on its own rather than in combination products.