Key takeaways

  • GHK-Cu is a small peptide bound to copper that occurs naturally in the body and is common in skin care products.
  • Lab studies and small cosmetic trials suggest modest benefits for skin firmness and fine lines.
  • Topical use is generally well tolerated. Injecting it is not an approved use.

GHK is a tiny peptide made of three amino acids: glycine, histidine and lysine. It grabs onto copper very tightly, and the pair together is called GHK-Cu. It is found naturally in human blood, saliva and urine, and levels are reported to drop with age.

In skin care it is usually listed as “copper tripeptide-1.”

What does it do to skin?

In lab studies, GHK-Cu increases the production of collagen and other materials that give skin its structure. It also changes the activity of many genes involved in tissue repair.

Several small studies of creams and serums containing GHK-Cu have reported improvements in skin firmness, fine lines and texture after a few months. Most of these studies were small and short, and some were paid for by companies that make the ingredient.

Is it safe?

Used on the skin, GHK-Cu is generally well tolerated. Some people get redness or irritation. Injectable GHK-Cu has no established safety data and is not an approved drug.

The bottom line

GHK-Cu is a real, naturally occurring molecule with some supportive lab and cosmetic research. The evidence points to modest effects on skin, not dramatic ones. Larger independent studies would help sort out how much it adds compared with the other ingredients in a product.

References

  1. Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19:1987.
  2. Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:648108.