Skin & Cosmetic Research Market

GHK-Cu

A copper-binding peptide used in cosmetic and wound-healing discussions, especially around skin appearance and tissue signaling.

Copper PeptideSkinWound SignalingCosmetic

Also referenced as: Copper Tripeptide-1

Also appears in: Recovery

Price compare
142 tracked offers across 142 vendors · 20 dosages
Best trust-adjusted value: Southern Aminos · Moderate trust · $0.24/mg
From
$0.05/mg
Status
Research Market

This name primarily lives in the research market and should not be read like an approved pharmaceutical product.

Category
Skin & Cosmetic

Primary lane: Skin & Cosmetic. Also surfaces under Recovery for browsing and discovery.

Aliases
1

Copper Tripeptide-1

Signal depth
Low

FDA label signal · 1 trials · 83 PubMed results

Promising
Research evidence

GHK-Cu has name-matched human trials with published or reported controlled evidence, but is not FDA-approved. The research is real and ongoing — treat findings as developing rather than settled.

GHK-Cu has 1 name-matched clinical trial (highest phase: Phase 2) and 83 PubMed-indexed publications and is not FDA-approved. Human trials are registered but none have posted results yet.

Human data
Phase 2
Trial quality
Randomized
Outcomes
Clinical outcomes
Replication
Multiple papers
Literature
Established
PHASE2 · Randomized Topical GHK-Cu Gel for Acute Skin Wound Healing International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 140 citations Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity · 104 citations The Human Tripeptide GHK-Cu in Prevention of Oxidative Stress and Degenerative Conditions of Aging: Implications for Cognitive Health Life Sciences · 83 citations Protective effects of GHK-Cu in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammation pathways Journal Article Copper peptide activated cascade catalysis for glucose regulation and hypoxia reversing in infected diabetic wound healing. Journal Article Hierarchical regulation and mechanism of "open-hollow-fibrous network" structures: Osteogenic-angiogenic coupling responses of poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) microspheres.
Evidence history

Re-checked nightly against the registries — tracked since 2026-07-09. No band changes yet.

Grades evidence strength, not efficacy or safety. Research-use context; not medical advice. Graded 2026-07-13 from PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, openFDA, Health Canada, and OpenAlex — computed deterministically and refreshed nightly, with a retraction check. How we grade →

What GHK-Cu is

GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide often discussed in skin-care, hair-care, and wound-signaling contexts. It is one of the better-known examples of how the peptide category extends beyond injectables and metabolic drugs into cosmetic and topical discussions.

Why it matters

On a peptide site, GHK-Cu helps broaden the picture. Not every peptide profile is about body composition or medicalized GLP-1 use. Some peptides are tracked because they show up in dermal, regenerative, or cosmetic product discussions.

Regulatory context

GHK-Cu is not an FDA-approved peptide drug indication in the sense that semaglutide or tesamorelin are. Readers should distinguish between cosmetic ingredient use, research discussion, and regulated therapeutic claims.

Practical reading note

When GHK-Cu is marketed aggressively, the main issue is usually not whether the peptide exists, but whether the seller is overstating what cosmetic or regenerative signaling research can prove.