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Decoding

Oligopeptide-1 (EGF)_Dosage, benefits & legal status

Also known as EGF, epidermal growth factor, sh-Oligopeptide-1, rh-Oligopeptide-1, human EGF

By the Peptide Decoding Editorial Team

Published August 24, 2026 · Updated October 4, 2026

Epidermal growth factor under a cosmetic name, and the only real protein on this shelf.

Repair and barrierCosmetic peptide (topical)Cosmetic

InSkin and cosmeticTaken without a needle

DoseSerum, per product

FrequencyDaily

RouteOn the skin (topical)

StatusCosmetic ingredient

CycledNot cycled

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

See how this dose compares across the library →

What is Oligopeptide-1 (EGF)?

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

Overview

Epidermal growth factor sold under a cosmetic name. The healing research behind it is real and was done on broken skin, which is not the same as a serum on an intact face.

The technical version

Oligopeptide-1, the INCI designation for recombinant human epidermal growth factor, a 53-residue protein signaling through the EGF receptor to drive keratinocyte proliferation and migration. Clinical evidence is concentrated in wound healing rather than in cosmetic use on intact skin.

What it's used for

A topical growth factor used in skincare for repair, barrier support and post-procedure recovery.

How does Oligopeptide-1 (EGF) work?

What it does in the body, and where.

EGF is not a cosmetic invention. It is a signaling protein with a Nobel Prize behind it and a long wound-healing literature.

01
It tells skin cells to divide
EGF binds its own receptor on keratinocytes and triggers proliferation and migration, which is exactly what closing a wound requires.
02
Size is the whole problem in a cosmetic
At 53 amino acids this is a protein, not a peptide. Intact skin is built to keep molecules this large out, so a great deal depends on the delivery system and on whether the skin barrier is broken.
03
The growth signal cuts both ways
Telling cells to divide faster is useful in a healing wound. The same instruction is the reason caution is warranted with any active skin cancer or undiagnosed lesion, and why this is the one ingredient in the cosmetic category where that caveat is not boilerplate.

Where it acts

Skin

Where this compound is thought to act.

What else is it used for?

Each use below 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 repair and barrier support, applied to the skinSupplement or cosmetic
Recovery after cosmetic procedures such as lasers and microneedlingEarly research
Wound healing, which is where the underlying research comes fromClinical use
Added to lash and hair serums to extend the growing phasenone

The published record

Research index

97,827

Papers and trials about Oligopeptide-1 (EGF)

325 papers tagged human · 230 not reviews or lab · 50 clinical trial publications

16 registered trials · none with posted results

Furthest stage reached: Phase 3, completed, no results posted

Compare this against the whole library →

Browse the records

In animals79

In the lab14

Reviews99

Senior author shareSpread across many groups

Evidence summary

Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count. 499 papers and 16 trials indexed in detail.

Compound field notes

At a glance

Four things to know about Oligopeptide-1 (EGF)

Evidence

Cosmetic

How much, and do you cycle it?

The range, and whether you take breaks.

Serum, per product, daily. Not cycled Community 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.

Compare this against the whole library →

How long does it stay in the body?

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

Not measured, and not the right questionNo figure

This is a topical cosmetic ingredient. A blood half-life measures how fast something leaves the bloodstream, and these are not intended to reach it in meaningful amounts. What matters for a topical is how much penetrates the skin and how long it stays in the tissue, which is a different measurement and one that is rarely published.

You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.

What does it cost?

Typical dose and cost, in plain numbers.

Oligopeptide-1 (EGF) is not injected

It is taken on the skin (topical). Applied as a topical product at the concentration the manufacturer sets. There is no injected dose.

Cost per month

—

Cost per dose

—

Typical dose

0.1 mcg–0.5 mcg / formulationCommunity practice

SkinRecipes →

How do you store it?

Before mixing, and after.

Room temperature, out of light. Cap it tight after each use.

Oligopeptide-1 (EGF) 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.

Handling note

Growth factors are large and fragile. Heat and light degrade them, which is why products carrying EGF are usually packaged airless or opaque and why a clear jar sitting on a windowsill is a reason to doubt what is left in it.

Solubility, computed: 30% charged residues, 42% hydrophobic. Water usually sufficient.

A first-pass rule from peptide manufacturers' guidance. It does not account for disulfide bridges, salt form or how the powder was dried, and it predicts what should be easy rather than what will happen in your vial.

Who should avoid it

Check these before anything else.

A known allergy to this ingredient or to others in the same product
Broken, cracked, or actively irritated skin
Active skin cancer, or any lesion that has not been diagnosed, because this instructs cells to divide
A history of skin cancer, without asking a dermatologist first
Anyone who wants established safety data, because none exists for this compound in humans

Stop and get help

These are emergencies. Seek care.

A rash that spreads beyond where you applied it
Swelling of the face, lips, or eyelids, or any trouble breathing
Burning that does not settle after rinsing it off
Any mole or lesion that changes in size, shape or color
Anything unusual, since there is no known safety profile to compare it against

Common effects

Expected, and usually mild.

Generally well tolerated on the skin.
It is a growth signal, so caution applies with any undiagnosed skin lesion.
Beyond the above, unknown. There is no reliable human data on what this compound commonly causes

Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.

Is Oligopeptide-1 (EGF) approved?

And where the numbers on this page come from.

Not as a medicine. Oligopeptide-1 (EGF) is sold without a prescription as a cosmetic ingredient, which is a different thing from being approved as a drug.

Approval status
CosmeticSold without a prescription as an ingredient in cosmetics, such as skincare and hair products. The FDA does not approve cosmetics before they are sold, and being easy to buy says nothing about whether it works.
Route
On the skin (topical)
Checked
24 August 2026
Dose
From the concentration range manufacturers formulate at. This is a product strength, not a dose set by a regulator or a trial.
Vial size
From what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
Sources
None traced yet.

What has happened recently

Regulated as a cosmetic ingredient, not a drug. Cosmetic ingredients are not reviewed for effectiveness before sale in the US, so a product may legally claim an appearance benefit without a trial behind it.

You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.

What else is like Oligopeptide-1 (EGF)?

Others in Skin and cosmetic, side by side.

If you're weighing Oligopeptide-1 (EGF), it's worth reading Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, and Progeline (Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2) in the same class.

YOU ARE HERE

Oligopeptide-1 (EGF)

Epidermal growth factor under a cosmetic name, and the only real protein on this shelf.

Supplement or cosmetic

Dose: Serum, per product
How often: Daily

PALMITOYL-TRIPEPTIDE-38

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

The peptide behind Matrixyl synthe'6, a topical anti-wrinkle ingredient from Sederma.

Supplement or cosmetic

Dose: Serum or cream, per product
How often: Twice daily (supplier study)

PALMITOYL-TRIPEPTIDE-8

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8

A skin-calming ingredient built from three residues of a natural anti-inflammatory hormone, backed mainly by supplier tests.

Supplement or cosmetic

Dose: Serum or cream, per product
How often: Daily

PROGEL

Progeline (Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2)

A topical peptide aimed at sagging rather than lines, borrowed from progeria research.

Supplement or cosmetic

Dose: Serum, per product
How often: Daily

Browse peptides used for skin See all needle-free options

Guides for this compound

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.
How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.

Sources

No primary source has been traced for this compound yet. Treat everything on this page as unverified until one is. How we grade evidence

Beyond these, 515 records are indexed. Browse the records