Maxi lip

Maxi lip in brief

Maxi lip is a lip care peptide complex in a soft paste. It brings two lipid modified peptides, palmitoyl oligopeptide and palmitoyl tripeptide-1, in a base of ethylhexyl palmitate, tribehenin and sorbitan isostearate. The full INCI is Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1. It is made in France, dissolves in oils and is used at 1 to 2% of the finished product. The supplier designed it for three formats: lip balms, lipsticks and lip glosses.

The two peptides

Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 is one of the best known signal peptides in skin care. It is a short chain of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid, a fatty acid that helps it work in oil based products and sit well on skin. Palmitoyl oligopeptide is a related lipid peptide. In appearance-focused cosmetic skin care these peptides are linked to the look of firmness and smoothness. On the lips, they support a plumper, fuller looking contour, a smoother surface with less visible fine lines and a better defined lip line.

The carrier base

Ethylhexyl palmitate is a light, non greasy emollient ester that gives slip. Tribehenin is a wax-like ester that structures the paste and adds cushion, and sorbitan isostearate is a mild oil-soluble emulsifier that helps the peptides disperse evenly. This base is exactly what a lip formula needs, so the complex melts into balms and lipsticks without grainy spots.

How to formulate

Anhydrous lip products

Melt waxes, butters and oils together at about 75 to 80 °C, then cool the mix to 60 to 65 °C before adding Maxi lip. Stir until uniform and pour. Avoid holding the peptides at high temperature for long periods.

Glosses and lip oils

In a lip gloss with a polybutene or castor oil base, add the paste at room temperature or with gentle warming. It blends easily into oils such as jojoba oil, while a hyaluronic acid liquid can carry the moisture story in a water based lip mask from the same line. Compare more lipid peptides in the peptides section.

Product ideas

Plumping lip balms, tinted lip balms, peptide lipsticks, lip glosses with a fuller look message, lip oils and overnight lip masks are the main uses. A lip contour pencil or a lip line cream around the mouth can also carry it.

Sample recipe: peptide lip balm, 100 g

Castor oil 30.00 g, shea butter 20.00 g, beeswax 18.00 g, jojoba oil 15.00 g, candelilla wax 6.00 g, caprylic/capric triglyceride 7.50 g, Maxi lip 2.00 g, tocopherol 0.50 g, flavor 1.00 g. Melt waxes, butter and oils at 80 °C, cool to about 65 °C, add Maxi lip, tocopherol and flavor, stir and pour into tubes.

Claims and testing

Speak about lips that look fuller, smoother and more defined, and feel softer and more hydrated. An in-use test over four weeks with photos of the lip contour is a simple way to support those claims. Check the stability of the balm at 40 °C for sweating and blooming.

Why peptides in lip care

Lips have a very thin outer layer and almost no oil glands, which is why they dry out and show fine lines sooner than the rest of the face. With age the lip contour also becomes less defined and lips look thinner. Lip care has moved from simple protective balms to products with real actives, and peptides are among the most popular choices for fuller looking lips. A peptide paste like Maxi lip lets a small brand join that trend with a simple, oil-based formula that does not need a water phase or a complex emulsion.

Formulation checklist

Keep the dose at 1 to 2%. Add the paste to the cooling melt, not to the hottest stage. Use an antioxidant such as tocopherol to protect the oils. Choose a flavor that is approved for lip products, and check the final texture after one day at room temperature, because waxes keep crystallizing for some hours after pouring. For a tinted balm, disperse the pigments in castor oil first and add Maxi lip at the end with the flavor.

Storage

Keep the paste tightly closed in a cool, dry place away from light. Each lot comes with a certificate of analysis.