Bright-Eyed Peptide | Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5—Solving the Two Major Challenges of Eye Bags & Dark Circles
Publish Time:
2026-01-15
Staying up late to binge-watch TV shows, scrolling through smartphones, and working overtime have become the norm. Excessive eye strain has led to issues such as dark circles, puffy eyes, and loose skin around the eyes—problems that are increasingly troubling consumers. As a high-frequency, essential category, eye care continues to unlock significant market potential. Data shows that during the MAT period in 2025, the online market size has already reached... 16.47 billion , year-on-year growth 5%。
And Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 (also known as Eye-Liss, Eye-Seramides) By凭借 Clarify the mechanism and empirical effects It has become a core active ingredient in eye care products, precisely addressing multiple concerns such as eye bags and dark circles.
Dual-target efficacy
① Inhibits ACE, promotes circulation, and improves swelling and under-eye bags.
Excessive eye use can activate the body's renin-angiotensin system (RAS):
Increased ocular strain leads to insufficient local blood supply, which in turn stimulates the secretion of renin. Under the catalysis of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), renin converts the inactive angiotensin I into the active angiotensin II, thereby mediating vasoconstriction and slowed blood flow around the eyes. Since the skin around the eyes is thin and the blood vessels are superficial, deoxygenated venous blood tends to appear bluish-purple, resulting in vascular-type dark circles under the eyes.
Meanwhile, angiotensin II also stimulates the adrenal glands to release aldosterone, leading to sodium and water retention in the skin. Combined with increased intraocular pressure that elevates the permeability of capillaries around the eyes, protein leakage disrupts the osmotic balance, causing fluid to accumulate in the loose connective tissue around the eyes and ultimately resulting in puffy under-eye bags.
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, acting as an ACE inhibitor, directly blocks the catalytic activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme, thereby inhibiting the production of angiotensin II. This helps relieve ocular pressure, promote blood circulation around the eyes, reduce leakage of interstitial fluid, and effectively address edematous under-eye bags and vascular dark circles at their root cause.
② Activates SOD, combats glycation, and improves aged-looking eye bags and skin laxity.
Glycation is also a major contributor to skin aging around the eyes: A small amount of glycated proteins can cross-link with other molecules such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, leading to abnormal and disordered aggregation of collagen fibers. This disrupts the structure of both collagen and elastin, causing the dermal layer of the skin to lose its support and elasticity, thereby resulting in sagging, deep wrinkles, and the formation of aged-looking under-eye bags. Meanwhile, superoxide free radicals react with unsaturated fatty acids to produce lipid peroxides; the aldehydes generated from their breakdown—especially malondialdehyde—can attack phospholipids and proteins, triggering pigmentation and exacerbating dark circles under the eyes.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD), also known as hepaprotein, is an enzyme found in the human body that neutralizes superoxide free radicals produced during metabolism. It can also bind to sugar molecules, preventing them from cross-linking with proteins and lipids, thereby reducing pigment deposition. Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 significantly enhances SOD activity, reduces the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), and blocks the binding of AGEs to collagen and elastin. This prevents cross-linking and denaturation of collagen fibers, reduces collagen degradation, and boosts the elasticity of the dermal layer, thus improving age-related under-eye bags, periorbital laxity, and dark circles.
Efficacy validation
① In vitro testing
In vitro experimental data show that Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 can significantly inhibit the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), reduce vascular permeability, and dose-dependently enhance SOD activity, providing solid scientific evidence for its efficacy in eye care.
② Noticeable relief of puffy eyes and under-eye bags in just 15 days.
Twenty female subjects applied an eye cream containing 0.1% acetyl tetrapeptide-5 twice daily for 60 days. The test results showed that as early as 15 days, 70% of the subjects experienced significant improvement in under-eye bags and a substantial reduction in puffiness. After 30 days of use, skin elasticity increased by 29.4%, and by 60 days, the effects had become even more stable, with a notable enhancement in firmness of the skin around the eyes.
② The volume of male under-eye bags has significantly decreased.
Men are more prone to developing fat-related under-eye bags due to the prominence of facial fat. In a study involving male subjects aged 30 to 65, twice-daily application of a cream containing 0.01% acetyl tetrapeptide-5 for 14 days led to a significant reduction in the volume of under-eye bags; after 28 days, the reduction reached as much as 29.7%.
③ Lighten dark circles and brighten the eye area.
Seventeen women aged 34 to 54 who were troubled by dark circles applied a cream containing 0.01% acetyl tetrapeptide-5 twice daily. After 14 days, colorimetric analysis revealed that the ITA values (individual type angle) and L* values (luminance) of the skin around the eyes significantly improved, deep pigmentation was markedly reduced, and dark circles were effectively alleviated.
Backed by patented technology
On the production technology front, Tong Jun CG Iseryl Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 leverages the pioneering EMPHASES technology. ® The new liquid-phase peptide synthesis platform (which has been granted 8 patents in China, the U.S., and Japan) innovatively replaces traditional solid-phase resins with liquid-phase carriers, significantly reducing the用量 of amino acids, coupling reagents, and solvents. This technology not only boasts higher synthesis efficiency but also minimizes the generation of three types of waste, striking a balance between environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and operational efficiency, thereby helping brands achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement in product development.
Application Reference
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5 can be used in eye creams, eye masks, eye serums, and other skincare products designed for the delicate eye area. It helps address issues such as dark circles, puffiness under the eyes, and sagging around the eyes, providing consumers with a precise and effective solution for eye care.
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