Glutathione is a antioxidant tripeptide used for antioxidant / glow. Glutathione is a natural tripeptide (three amino acids) that is your body's master antioxidant. In plain terms: it mops up cell-damaging molecules, which is why it is taken for skin brightness, detox support, and general cell protection.

How much water do I add to Glutathione?

You can reconstitute Glutathione with 0.5, 1, or 2 mL of bacteriostatic water. Each option produces a different concentration and syringe draw for the same dose. Use the calculator to see which is easiest to measure.

What does Glutathione cost per dose?

Cost per dose depends on vial size, price paid, and your dose. Enter your vendor's price in the Glutathione calculator to see cost per dose and monthly cost.

What is the reference dose for Glutathione?

The commonly referenced range is 250 up to 1000 mg per day (start low, increase slowly), taken daily (oral). This is reference information, not a recommendation. Talk to a licensed clinician.

What are the side effects of Glutathione?

Reported side effects of Glutathione include: Taken by mouth it is generally safe.; The FDA has flagged IV use for skin-lightening as risky.. Severity and frequency vary by person and dose.

Who should not take Glutathione?

Glutathione is generally not appropriate for: Asthma, where inhaled forms have triggered attacks; Pregnancy; No injectable form is approved in the US. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting.

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Decoding

Glutathione_Dosage, benefits & legal status

Also known as GSH, L-glutathione

By the Peptide Decoding Editorial Team

Published July 22, 2026 · Updated July 25, 2026

Your body's master antioxidant, taken for glowing skin and detox support.

Antioxidant / glowAntioxidant tripeptideOTC / supplement

InImmune support

Common vial size600 mg

Dose250 up to 1000 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)

FrequencyDaily (oral)

RouteBy mouth, into a vein or muscle, or inhaled

StatusSupplement

MixYour choice, calculate it

CycledNot cycled

Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.

What is Glutathione?

Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.

Overview

It mops up molecules that damage cells. That is why people take it for skin brightness, detox support and general cell protection.

The technical version

Glutathione is a natural tripeptide (three amino acids) that is your body's master antioxidant.

What it's used for

Your body's master antioxidant, taken for brighter, clearer skin, detox support, and protecting cells from daily wear. It is popular for a healthy glow.

How does Glutathione work?

What it does in the body, and where.

Glutathione is three amino acids and your body's main antioxidant. You already make it constantly; the question with supplementing is whether what you take in ever reaches your cells.

01
It neutralises cell-damaging molecules
Reactive oxygen species are a normal by-product of making energy, and glutathione is the primary system for clearing them.
02
It regenerates other antioxidants
Vitamins C and E get used up doing the same job, and glutathione restores them, which multiplies its effect.
03
Absorption is the real question
Swallowed glutathione is largely broken down before it is absorbed. That is why it is given by IV or injection, and why the skin-brightening claims are weaker than they sound.

Pathway

A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.

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 lightening

Early research

Human trialTwo small controlled trials, one oral in 60 people and one topical in 30, reported a measurable drop in skin melanin.
Human trialA double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a topical form in healthy women reported skin lightening and improved skin condition.
No dataThere is inadequate safety data for intravenous use, and a case report describes severe reversible liver injury from it.

Study

IV glutathione skin-lightening review, PubMed

Parkinson's disease

Early research

Human trialAn early open study of a high intravenous dose reported a 42% drop in disability scores.
Human trialA later randomised trial at a lower dose did not confirm the benefit.
Human trialA mid-stage nasal trial showed only mild benefit, complicated by the placebo group also improving.

Study

IV glutathione in early Parkinson's, PubMed

The published record

Research index

267

Records indexed for Glutathione

116 in humans, 75 of them original studies.

20 registered trials, 2 with posted results.

FDA: Category 1 · FDA: Category 1.

Browse the records

In animalsPro

In the labPro

ReviewsPro

Senior author sharePro

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 12 September 2026.

Compound field notes

At a glance

Four things to know about Glutathione

Evidence

OTC / supplement

How much, and do you cycle it?

The range, and whether you take breaks.

250 up to 1000 mg per day (start low, increase slowly), daily (oral). Not cycledCommunity practice

Taken daily as a supplement rather than in blocks. The open question is absorption, not tolerance.

Compare this against the whole library →

How long does it stay in the body?

The half-life, and where the figure comes from.

MinutesHuman study

Refers to the intravenous route. Oral glutathione behaves differently and is poorly absorbed.

Not yet traced to a primary source.

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.

No draw available

Glutathione is dosed by body weight: 250 to 1000 mg per day.

Range 250-1000 mg covers oral, IV and inhaled use, which do not share a dose. Verify which route the range describes and split it.

What it costs

Glutathione starts at $29.95 across 35 vendors, typically $0.03 – $0.16 per mg.

55 listings, last read Sep 6, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.

See all 55 listings →

How do you store it?

Before mixing, and after.

Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.

Unmixed lyophilized Glutathione keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.

What are the side effects and cautions?

Known cautions and warnings for this compound.

Who should avoid it

Check these before anything else.

Asthma, where inhaled forms have triggered attacks
Pregnancy
No injectable form is approved in the US

Stop and get help

These are emergencies. Seek care.

Wheezing or difficulty breathing
Signs of an allergic reaction
Any skin rash that spreads

Common effects

Expected, and usually mild.

Generally well tolerated by mouth
Injection carries infection and reaction risk with no approved product
Lightening of skin tone with repeated IV use, which is not an approved purpose

What regulators say

FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A (interim categories 1, 2, 3), updated May 14, 2026
Category 1
Checked 11 September 2026
FDA: Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503B (interim categories 1, 2, 3), updated March 21, 2025
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 Glutathione approved?

And where the numbers on this page come from.

Not as a medicine. Glutathione is sold without a prescription as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient, which is a different thing from being approved as a drug.

Into a vein and Injected into muscle
Research onlyNo approved injectable product in the USNo injectable glutathione product is FDA approved in the United States. Several national regulators, including the Philippine FDA, have issued explicit advisories against IV use for skin lightening.
By mouth
OTC / supplementSold as a supplementOral glutathione is sold as a dietary supplement.
Route
By mouth, into a vein or muscle, or inhaled
Checked
July 2026

What has happened recently

No injectable glutathione product is FDA-approved in the United States. Several national regulators, including the Philippine FDA, have issued explicit advisories against IV use for skin lightening.

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.
Sources
Philippine FDA advisory on IV glutathione for skin lightening Peer-reviewed review of IV glutathione safety IV glutathione skin-lightening review, PubMed IV glutathione in early Parkinson's, PubMed
Reviewed22 July 2026

What else is like Glutathione?

Others in Immune support, side by side.

If you're weighing Glutathione, it's worth reading Thymosin Alpha-1, LL-37, and Thymulin in the same class.

YOU ARE HERE

GSH

Glutathione

Your body's master antioxidant, taken for glowing skin and detox support.

OTC / supplement

Dose: 250 up to 1000 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)
How often: Daily (oral)

TA-1

Thymosin Alpha-1

A well-studied shot that tunes up the immune system.

Clinical use

Dose: 1.6 mg per dose
How often: 2x per week

LL-37

A natural germ-fighting peptide for stubborn infections and wound healing.

Research only

Dose: 0.1 up to 0.5 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
How often: Daily, short courses

THYMU

Thymulin

A thymus peptide studied for immune balance and calming inflammation.

Research only

Dose: 1 mg per dose
How often: Daily/weekly

See other immune support

Compared with

Glutathione vs NAD+

Both are sold as injections. NAD+ cannot enter cells intact, and a six month trial found oral glutathione raising body stores the injection is meant to fix.

Read comparison →

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.
How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.

Sources

Philippine FDA advisory on IV glutathione for skin lightening(2019)
Regulator advisory against IV glutathione for skin lightening.
Peer-reviewed review of IV glutathione safety(2025)
Peer-reviewed review of IV glutathione safety.
IV glutathione skin-lightening review, PubMed
IV glutathione in early Parkinson's, PubMed

Last reviewed 22 July 2026

Beyond these, 267 records are indexed. Browse the records