Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
/ Synthetic acetylated tetrapeptide; INCI 'Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2'; thymus-derived cosmetic peptideALIAS · Thymulen-4 (trade) · Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2 (INCI)
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Tier 4 cosmeceutical. INCI catalog peptide marketed under the Thymulen-4 trade name; mechanism positioning is thymus-derived peptide / immune-aged-skin restoration. No PubMed-indexed primary literature on the cosmetic peptide identifiable as of this writing.
The supplier-stated mechanism positions Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2 as a thymopoietin-derived motif intended to restore aspects of cutaneous immune competence and barrier integrity that decline with age — drawing on the broader thymic-peptide framework (thymopoietin, thymulin, thymosin alpha-1) for biological precedent. The translation from systemic thymic-peptide pharmacology to topical cosmetic effect on aged skin is a marketing extrapolation rather than a peer-reviewed mechanistic pathway in human skin.
None substantive. Supplier in-vitro cell-culture and small-panel observations are referenced in INCI catalog documentation but are not represented in PubMed-indexed primary literature for the cosmetic peptide.
No formal human safety database in indexed literature. Topical cosmetic application is generally well tolerated.
Regulatory status
- FDA status:
- Not FDA-approved
The thymic-peptide narrative borrows credibility from the systemic thymic-peptide literature without evidence that a four-residue acetylated tetrapeptide applied topically engages the pathways those systemic peptides act on. Vendor positioning conflates the two.