Protini is a nine-peptide cream. “Contains peptides” is not a dupe.
Drunk Elephant lists nine named peptides, including growth-factor-like SH-oligopeptides and the Matrixyl pair, in a moisturizer. Korean brands sell peptide boosters. Those are a different format and a different list.
What the original actually is
| Product | Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream |
|---|---|
| Format | Moisturizer |
| Peptides on the US INCI | sh-Oligopeptide-1, sh-Oligopeptide-2, sh-Polypeptide-1, sh-Polypeptide-9, sh-Polypeptide-11, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 |
| Also in the base | Marula oil, waterlily extract, amino acids, hyaluronic acid |
| US price (typical) | About $68 for the standard jar; confirm at the retailer before you buy |
Nine is a count, not a clinical result. Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 are the well-known Matrixyl 3000 pair. The SH- peptides are marketed as signal / growth-factor-like. Presence on an INCI is not a dose. We do not know how much of each is in the jar.
Korean products people reach for anyway
COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum — job-adjacent, not a cream
A 150 ml watery first-step booster. COSRX names six peptides: sh-Polypeptide-121, copper tripeptide-1, dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, oligopeptide-68, palmitoyl tripeptide-8, acetyl hexapeptide-8. Ulta listed it at $21 for 150 ml (February 2026 listing still current in public catalogs). It sits in the essence slot, not the moisturizer slot.
Overlap with Protini is thin: both mention peptides; the lists are different; only acetyl hexapeptide-8 / copper-family peptides even sit in the same neighborhood. Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 / tetrapeptide-7 (Protini’s Matrixyl pair) are not on the COSRX six.
COSRX 6 Peptide (brand shop) COSRX 6 Peptide on YesStyle
Medicube collagen / PDRN ampoules — different claim
These are sold on collagen or PDRN stories. That is not Protini’s peptide list. Do not treat a TikTok collagen clip as a Protini replacement.
Side by side
| Protini | COSRX 6 Peptide booster | Random “peptide cream” | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Cream | Watery booster | Varies |
| Named peptides | Nine, listed above | Brand says six; verify INCI | Often one or two, or unnamed “peptide complex” |
| On this site | Original | Job-adjacent | Not a match until INCI is named |
Related moisturizer comparisons
Other premium creams may share the moisturizer step without sharing Protini’s peptide list:
- Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream vs AESTURA — a rich barrier job match, not the same formula.
- Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream vs Korean barrier creams — a ferment-led luxury cream versus ceramide systems.
What this page is not saying
We are not crowning a Protini killer. We are blocking the habit of calling any peptide moisturizer a dupe. If a Korean cream publishes the same nine INCI names, it earns a formula-match row. Until then it does not.
Sources
- Drunk Elephant Protini ingredient list (brand / INCI explainers listing the nine peptides above).
- COSRX official ingredient list for The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum (six named peptides above). Ulta $21 / 150 ml.
- YesStyle COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster: direct 150 ml product listing, checked 26 August 2026. Price, stock, and ingredients can change.