Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate (SYN-AKE)

SYN-AKE is the trade name for dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate. Pentapharm, now part of dsm-firmenich, designed it to imitate part of waglerin-1 from temple-viper venom. The skincare ingredient is synthesized and contains no actual venom. It is used cosmetically for the look of expression lines.

The original inspiration was waglerin-1 from the Southeast Asian temple viper, Tropidolaemus wagleri. That venom component briefly interrupts nerve-to-muscle signaling. Swiss developer Pentapharm recreated a stable synthetic active region for skincare and introduced the anti-wrinkle ingredient around 2005. Later, as the company became part of DSM, SYN-AKE gained attention in late-2000s “snake venom” creams marketed as needle-free alternatives to muscle-relaxing injections.

Acetylcholine normally activates nicotinic receptors on muscle and triggers contraction. Waglerin-1 reversibly blocks this receptor, and the synthetic cosmetic is proposed to imitate that effect. Laboratory findings support the rationale, but a cream does not reach or paralyze muscle in the way an injection does. Finished-product claims appropriately concern the appearance of softer dynamic lines, rather than a proven systemic muscle effect.

As a cosmetic ingredient, SYN-AKE is not FDA-approved as a drug and does not undergo ordinary drug preapproval. Cosmetic claims concern skin appearance. Claims to relax muscles or otherwise change bodily function would cross into drug territory.

Serums and creams use SYN-AKE for forehead lines, crow’s-feet and other lines that deepen with facial movement. It is often formulated with other peptides and humectants to support a smoother appearance.

A 2026 ex-vivo and clinical study reported improved wrinkle appearance and skin quality from a serum combining this ingredient with acetyl hexapeptide-8, niacinamide and other actives. That formulation does not isolate SYN-AKE’s effect. The published record identifies no independent single-ingredient human appearance trial; much of the other support comes from laboratory experiments and manufacturer data.

At cosmetic use levels, the ingredient is generally reported to have low irritation potential and good topical tolerability. Topical use is not known to produce a systemic muscle effect. Individual reactions remain possible, making patch testing reasonable for sensitive skin.