GHK-Cu_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as copper peptide, copper tripeptide-1, GHK copper
A copper skincare peptide for smoother, firmer, younger-looking skin.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is GHK-Cu?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
Put on the skin, it signals collagen and healing. That is why it is a popular anti-aging skincare ingredient.
GHK-Cu is a natural copper-binding tripeptide (glycyl-histidyl-lysine plus copper) the body uses in tissue repair, and levels fall with age.
What it's used for
A skincare peptide used to smooth fine lines, fade dark spots, firm skin, and speed wound healing by boosting collagen. It is basically anti-aging for your skin.
How does GHK-Cu work?
What it does in the body, and where.GHK-Cu is three amino acids bound to a copper atom. Your body makes it, levels fall sharply with age, and the copper is doing much of the work.
- 01It carries copper into skin cellsCopper is required by the enzymes that build collagen and elastin, and this peptide is how the body delivers it.
- 02Collagen production risesThe measurable effect in skin studies, along with faster closure of small wounds.
- 03Applied to skin, not injected, for most usesThe cosmetic evidence is for topical use. Injected use is off-label and much less studied.
Where this compound is thought to act.
What else is it used for?
Each group carries its own evidence level.Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
Skin and wrinkles
Early research- Human trialOver 12 weeks, a copper-peptide serum reduced wrinkle volume by 55.8% and wrinkle depth by 32.8% against a control serum.
- Human trialIt reduced wrinkle volume 31.6% more than a leading peptide comparator.
- Human trialIn 21 women measured by ultrasound, skin collagen density rose about 28% on average over three months, and near 51% in the top quarter.
Wound healing and gene activity
Research only- Animal studyWound-healing activity is documented across multiple animal studies.
- Lab studyIn gene-expression analyses it shifts the activity of more than 4,000 human genes, though this is lab work rather than proof of anti-aging in people.
- No dataThe strong safety record applies to topical use. Injectable forms do not have this evidence behind them.
Some frequently cited recent trial figures on vendor sites could not be verified against published literature. The solid evidence is topical, not injectable.
The published record
156
Records indexed for GHK-Cu
53 in humans, 34 of them original studies.
3 registered trials, 0 with posted results.
FDA: Category 1, except injectable routes · FDA: Injectable route: nominated but withdrawn; previously category 2.
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person. Human means indexed under humans, which includes reviews and work on human cells. Original studies exclude reviews and lab work on human cells.Last updated 11 September 2026.
At a glance
Four things to know about GHK-Cu
Evidence
OTC / supplement
Category
Skin and cosmetic
Common vial
50 mg
Half-life
Not measured for either route
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.Topical serum, 1-2 pumps, daily. Not cycledCommunity practice
Used daily as part of a routine. The effect depends on continued use and returns to baseline when you stop, so there is nothing to cycle off.
How long does it stay in the body?
The half-life, and where the figure comes from.Not measured for either routeNo figure
Applied to the skin, a blood half-life is the wrong measure, since it is not meant to reach the bloodstream. Injected, no measurement has been published. Papers showing GHK levels falling with age measure what the body already contains rather than what happens after a dose.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
Your draw
0 / 100 unitsGHK-Cu starts at $19.49 across 77 vendors, typically $0.45 – $1.43 per mg.
177 listings, last read Sep 6, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature, out of light. Cap it tight after each use.
GHK-Cu ships as a cream, gel, or serum. Keep it at room temperature away from sun and heat unless the label says otherwise. Refrigerating an emulsion can split the texture. Watch for color, smell, or separation changes and stop using it if any appear.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Stings a little going in, and that is normal. Inject slowly into a fattier area to ease it.
Who should avoid it
- A known copper allergy or metal sensitivity, so patch test first
- Broken or actively irritated skin
- Layering with strong acids or retinoids on the same area
Stop and get help
- A spreading rash or significant swelling where applied
Common effects
- Mild, temporary skin irritation, redness, or itching
- Among the least irritating copper compounds in comparison studies
- The good safety record applies to topical use. Injectable and oral forms lack this database
What regulators say
- FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A (interim categories 1, 2, 3), updated May 14, 2026Category 1, except injectable routes
Added back to category 1 on May 5, 2026 for non-injectable routes only; FDA intends to consult PCAC before the end of February 2027
Checked 11 September 2026 - FDA: Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks (category 2 and withdrawn nominations), current as of April 22, 2026Injectable route: nominated but withdrawn; previously category 2
Non-injectable routes are in 503A category 1
Checked 11 September 2026
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is GHK-Cu approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Not as a medicine. GHK-Cu is sold without a prescription as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient, which is a different thing from being approved as a drug.
- Injected under the skinResearch onlyNomination withdrawn, not permittedThe injectable form was listed in 2023 as possibly presenting significant safety risks. That nomination was withdrawn in April 2026, which ended the review rather than clearing the compound. The listing never applied to the topical form.
- On the skinOTC / supplementPermitted in pharmacy compoundingTopical GHK-Cu is permitted in pharmacy compounding and is widely sold as a cosmetic ingredient.
- RouteOn the skin (also injectable, off-label)
- CheckedJuly 2026
What has happened recently
Topical GHK-Cu is permitted in pharmacy compounding. The injectable form was listed in 2023 as possibly presenting significant safety risks, and that nomination was withdrawn in April 2026.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
- DoseFrom product labeling and published use.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- SourcesPeer-reviewed review, tripeptides in wound healing and skin regenerationNIH PMC, GHK-Cu studyGHK-Cu regeneration review, PubMed CentralFDA, bulk drug substances for compounding that may present significant safety risksCIR Expert Panel safety assessment of Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-12, their metal salts and fatty acyl derivatives, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, International Journal of ToxicologyFDA, Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A, updated 14 May 2026
- Reviewed22 July 2026
What else is like GHK-Cu?
Others in Skin and cosmetic, side by side.If you're weighing GHK-Cu, it's worth reading Melanotan I (Afamelanotide), Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8), and SNAP-8 (Acetyl Octapeptide-3) in the same class.
A copper skincare peptide for smoother, firmer, younger-looking skin.
- Dose
- Topical serum, 1-2 pumps
- How often
- Daily
A tanning peptide. The FDA-approved version is an implant for a rare sun-pain condition.
- Dose
- 0.5 up to 1 mg per day (loading phase)
- How often
- Daily then weekly
A topical Botox-like peptide that softens fine lines, needle-free.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
A stronger topical wrinkle-smoothing peptide for forehead and eye lines.
- Dose
- Serum, per product
- How often
- Daily
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- Why Does My Peptide Injection Itch or Welt
Injection-site irritation, a histamine reaction, or a true allergy, and how to tell them apart.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
Sources
- Peer-reviewed review, tripeptides in wound healing and skin regeneration(2025)Peer-reviewed review of tripeptides in wound healing.
- NIH PMC, GHK-Cu study(2025)Study of GHK-Cu in tissue repair.
- GHK-Cu regeneration review, PubMed Central
- FDA, bulk drug substances for compounding that may present significant safety risks(2026)FDA's entry is scoped to injectable routes only, which matters for a compound sold both as a topical and as an injection. For injectable GHK-Cu it cites immunogenicity risk from aggregation and peptide-related impurities, and says there are limited data in humans to inform safety. Nothing here speaks to topical use. As of the 22 April 2026 version of this page, the substance sits in the second table, headed bulk drug substances nominated but withdrawn, rather than in the live category 2 list. The nomination was withdrawn, which is not the same as being approved or cleared: FDA still publishes the safety language above, and no longer has a nomination in front of it to evaluate.
- CIR Expert Panel safety assessment of Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-12, their metal salts and fatty acyl derivatives, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, International Journal of Toxicology(2018)GHK-Cu is Copper Tripeptide-1 in cosmetic nomenclature, and this assessment concluded it is safe in cosmetics at present practices of use and concentration, which for this ingredient group means typical concentrations under 10 ppm. Two caveats belong with that. The report records that GHK itself is rapidly degraded after intravenous injection in rats and is unstable in human plasma, broken down by aminopeptidases, which is relevant to any non-topical use. And the Panel states its conclusion applies only to the named sequence, because INCI names are not sequence-specific. This is a topical cosmetic safety judgement at trace concentrations, and it speaks to neither injection nor efficacy.
- FDA, Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A, updated 14 May 2026(2026)The regulatory position on GHK-Cu moved twice in three weeks in 2026 and the current one turns on route. FDA removed GHK-Cu from category 1 on 22 April 2026 because the nominations for it had been withdrawn. On 5 May 2026 one of the nominators clarified that it had meant to withdraw only the injectable route, and wished to keep its nomination for non-injectable routes. So the entry now reads GHK-Cu except for injectable routes of administration, restored to category 1. FDA has also said it intends to consult the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee before the end of February 2027 on whether GHK-Cu should go on the 503A bulks list at all. The practical reading for someone choosing between a serum and a vial: the version of GHK-Cu that nobody is currently asking FDA to permit in compounded medicines is the injectable one.
Last reviewed 22 July 2026
Beyond these, 156 records are indexed. Browse the records