GHK-Cu
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys bound to copper) found in human plasma and used widely as a topical cosmetic ingredient studied for skin remodelling.
Regulatory status: Not an FDA-approved drug. It is used lawfully as a cosmetic ingredient (copper tripeptide-1) in over-the-counter skincare, where no disease-treatment claim is approved; injectable use is not an approved route.
Default vial
50 mg
Default mix
2 mL
Reported range
1–2 mg injectable, or 1–2% topical
Draw (U-100)
6 u
Frequently used topically instead of injected. Copper peptide — keep away from light.
What it is
- The tripeptide Gly-His-Lys, present naturally in human plasma, saliva and urine, with plasma levels reported to decline with age.
- It binds copper(II) to form a stable complex, which is the form used in formulations.
- Most published research studies topical application to skin, in cell culture or ex vivo skin models.
- Investigated for wound healing, collagen and elastin synthesis, and antioxidant activity.
How it is described to act
- 1
Applied topically in most studied contexts; systemic or injectable use is far less studied.
- 2
In vitro and ex vivo studies report that it reaches dermal fibroblasts in skin.
- 3
Authors propose that it modulates gene expression related to collagen, elastin and antioxidant enzymes, and delivers copper as an enzymatic cofactor via chelation.
- 4
Observed effects come from cell culture, ex vivo skin and small cosmetic clinical studies rather than large randomised drug trials.
What the research has looked at
Skin-regeneration mechanisms
- Reviewing cell and tissue studies, researchers reported that GHK modulates multiple pathways involved in skin regeneration, including collagen synthesis and antioxidant defences (BioMed Research International, 2015).
Anti-ageing cosmetic research
- A 2020 review in Aging Pathobiology and Therapeutics summarised reported effects of GHK on markers of skin ageing, citing its natural age-related decline as the rationale for topical supplementation.
Copper chemistry
- Researchers characterised a ternary GHK-copper-urocanic acid complex and reported on its potential physiological chelation behaviour (Int J Mol Sci, 2020).
Strength of evidence: Limited human evidence
The mechanistic work is in vitro and ex vivo with some small human cosmetic studies; no large randomised trials for a defined medical indication were located.
Some human data exist, but they are small, short, or not designed to answer the questions people ask online.
Reported cautions and unknowns
- Reviews describe topical GHK-Cu at cosmetic concentrations as generally well tolerated, while noting that large rigorous safety trials are lacking.
- Systemic or injectable use is much less studied and its safety at those doses is not established in the literature reviewed.
- Because the molecule works by chelating copper, authors flag interactions with other metal-dependent processes as an open research question.
References
Handling this vial
- GHK-Cu solutions are characteristically blue from the copper complex; reviews note that formulation and copper content vary considerably between products.
- Lyophilized vials are generally stored at 2–8 °C and kept out of light; once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water they are refrigerated and commonly discarded after 28 days.
- Mix by aiming water down the vial wall and rolling gently — do not shake — and never re-freeze a reconstituted vial.
- Pep-Tidy cannot verify what is in your vial. Ask your supplier for a current Certificate of Analysis (HPLC/MS).
GHK-Cu questions people ask
How do you reconstitute GHK-Cu?
A common starting point for a 50 mg vial of GHK-Cu is 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, which gives 25 mg per mL. Aim the water down the inside wall of the vial, let it dissolve on its own, and roll gently instead of shaking. Pep-Tidy's reconstitution calculator will recalculate the numbers for any other vial size or water volume you use.
How many units of GHK-Cu is one dose?
At 25 mg per mL, that works out to about 6 units on a U-100 insulin syringe for a 1500 mcg dose. Change the vial size, water volume, or target dose in the calculator and the syringe reading updates with it. This is arithmetic, not a dosing recommendation.
What dosing schedule is reported for GHK-Cu?
Published and community sources describe 1–2 mg injectable, or 1–2% topical, subcutaneous / topical, every other day, typically run 8 weeks on and 2 weeks off. These figures describe what has been reported, not what anyone should take — talk to a licensed clinician first.
How should GHK-Cu be stored?
Lyophilized GHK-Cu vials are generally kept at 2–8 °C and out of light. Once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water they are refrigerated and commonly discarded after about 28 days. Never re-freeze a reconstituted vial and never shake it.
Read this before you act on anything above
Everything on this page is a summary of what other people have published — it is not medical advice, not a recommendation, and not a dosing instruction. Reported dose ranges describe what appears in the literature or in community protocols, not what anyone should take. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any peptide.