Glutathione
Glutathione is the body's main intracellular antioxidant, a tripeptide of cysteine, glutamate and glycine, offered as an injectable for antioxidant support and skin-lightening claims.
Regulatory status: Injectable glutathione is not FDA-approved for any indication in the United States. The FDA has warned about unapproved, illegally marketed injectable skin-lightening glutathione products; oral glutathione supplements are a separate regulatory category.
Default vial
1200 mg
Default mix
10 mL
Reported range
200–600 mg
Draw (U-100)
333.3 u
Light-sensitive; keep the vial shielded from sunlight.
What it is
- A tripeptide made from cysteine, glutamate and glycine, synthesised naturally in nearly all human cells.
- The body's central redox buffer, involved in neutralising reactive oxygen species and in phase II liver detoxification.
- Sold as injectable, IV, oral and liposomal products; poor oral bioavailability is the usual rationale given for injecting it.
- Also studied as an investigational IV adjunct in specific medical contexts, such as Parkinson's disease research, which is distinct from cosmetic marketing.
How it is described to act
- 1
Given IV or intramuscularly, it enters the bloodstream directly, avoiding the poor oral absorption of supplements.
- 2
Thought to be taken up by tissues including the liver, where it participates in phase II conjugation reactions.
- 3
Inside cells it cycles between reduced and oxidised forms, buffering oxidative stress in mitochondria and cytosol.
- 4
Studied in small trials for skin pigmentation, as an antioxidant adjunct in Parkinson's disease, and in general wellness IV settings, with mixed results.
What the research has looked at
Parkinson's disease research
- Small clinical studies reported that IV glutathione was associated with modest, transient improvements in some Parkinson's symptom scores. Results across trials have been inconsistent and sample sizes small.
Cosmetic skin lightening
- Some small trials and case reports described skin-lightening effects with glutathione injections. The FDA has stated that such products are marketed illegally without approval for that use.
Strength of evidence: Limited human evidence
Some small controlled human trials exist, particularly in neurology and dermatology, but none support an approved indication and effect sizes are modest or inconsistent.
Some human data exist, but they are small, short, or not designed to answer the questions people ask online.
Reported cautions and unknowns
- FDA communications have flagged safety concerns with unapproved injectable skin-lightening glutathione, including contamination risk and unverified dosing from unregulated sources.
- Small trials report mild gastrointestinal upset and injection-site reactions; large-scale safety surveillance is lacking.
References
Handling this vial
- 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).
Glutathione questions people ask
How do you reconstitute Glutathione?
A common starting point for a 1200 mg vial of Glutathione is 10 mL of bacteriostatic water, which gives 120 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 Glutathione is one dose?
At 120 mg per mL, that works out to about 333.3 units on a U-100 insulin syringe for a 400000 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 Glutathione?
Published and community sources describe 200–600 mg, im / subcutaneous, twice weekly, 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 Glutathione be stored?
Lyophilized Glutathione 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.