Skin
GHK-Cu
Cosmetic ingredient; injection not approvedSmall human studiesCopper peptideGHK copper
A natural three-amino-acid peptide that binds copper. It's been used in skin creams for decades, and small studies suggest modest improvements in fine lines and skin firmness when applied to the skin. Injecting it is a newer trend with very little human data.
- Canada
- Allowed in cosmetics (topical); injectable not authorized and named in Health Canada's 2026 warning
- United States
- Cosmetic ingredient; injectable not approved
Download profile Opens in Vialchemy on your iPhone, where it's added to your Library as your own.
Not medical advice — talk to your doctor before making medical decisions.
At a glance
- Class
- Skin
- Mechanism
- Proposed: supports collagen production and wound repair; delivers copper
- Evidence
- Small human studies (topical); none for injection
- Canada
- Topical cosmetic OK; injection not authorized
- Us
- Topical cosmetic; injection not approved
- Half Life
- Short
- Routes
- Topical, SubQ
- Common Side Effects
- Topical: mild irritation. Injection: stinging, site reactions
- Key Cautions
- Injection evidence is thin; copper load with heavy use
What the research says
Topical creams and serums?
Reasonable. It's a common cosmetic ingredient with small human studies showing modest skin benefits and a good safety record.
Injecting it?
Very little human data. Injections often sting, and research on skin benefits used creams, not injections.
Copper and Wilson's disease?
People with Wilson's disease or other copper-handling problems shouldn't add extra copper.
Get medical care if
- Redness, heat, swelling or pus at a site that spreads or comes with fever
- Hives, swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing (call 911)
Buying and quality
- Not authorized by Health Canada. Products sold online as "research use only" are illegal to sell for human use in Canada, and the label doesn't change that.
- Health Canada warns these products may contain too much, too little or none of the peptide, plus contaminants like endotoxins, solvents, heavy metals or bacteria.
- A certificate of analysis (COA) from the seller isn't independent proof. A 98% purity result still leaves 2% unidentified.
- If you use it anyway: one clean needle per injection, sterile technique, label and date every vial, and stop if a site gets hot, red and spreading.
Dose calculator
Doses are set with your prescriber. This converts a dose you already have into what to draw; it doesn't recommend one. Check every number against your syringe and your vial's label.
Doses left in the vial
A blend vial
Not medical advice — talk to your doctor before making medical decisions.
Sources
Researched 2026-10-27. Trial results and approval status change.
General education, not medical advice. Nothing here is a dose recommendation. Doses, schedules and changes are set with a prescriber.