The names, untangled
| You will see | It means |
|---|---|
| GHK-Cu | The chemist's shorthand: the peptide GHK and its copper |
| Copper Tripeptide-1 | The INCI name, used on cosmetic labels |
| Copper peptide, copper peptides | The everyday name; usually GHK-Cu |
| Prezatide copper | Another name for the same complex |
| GHK, Tripeptide-1 | The peptide alone, without the copper |
The last row matters. Tripeptide-1 and Copper Tripeptide-1 are different ingredients with different INCI names. Check which one a specification names.
What it is, chemically
Three amino acids, glycine, histidine and lysine, joined in that order, holding a copper(II) ion. PubChem lists the complex as C₁₄H₂₃CuN₆O₄⁺, with a molecular weight of 402.92 g/mol and the CAS number 89030-95-5.
The copper gives the powder its blue colour, and a solution of it is blue too. A formula that has lost that colour has usually lost the complex.
Powder, solution, serum
- Powder is the raw ingredient: what a manufacturer buys and what we supply.
- A stock solution is powder dissolved for use on a production line.
- A copper peptide serum is a finished cosmetic with the ingredient in it. We do not make or sell serums.
What to ask a supplier for
- The grade. Cosmetic grade for a topical product. Research grade is a different item, for laboratories.
- The certificate of analysis for the batch, with identity and purity. How to read a certificate of analysis
- The copper content, if the certificate reports it. It tells you the peptide is carrying its copper.
- A specification sheet and safety data sheet.
- The manufacturer's formulation guidance: the use level, pH range and incompatibilities it recommends. We pass on what the manufacturer publishes and do not add our own.
Claims on the finished product
Dubai Municipality's guidelines define a cosmetic by what it is for: cleaning, perfuming, changing appearance, protecting or keeping the skin in good condition. A claim that a product or its ingredients can prevent, cure or alleviate a disease is a medical claim and has no place on a cosmetic.
So a brand can describe how skin looks and feels. It cannot describe treatment. The claims and the evidence for them belong to the brand. Registering a cosmetic product in the UAE
Never for injection
Cosmetic-grade GHK-Cu is an ingredient for products applied to the skin. We do not supply it for injection, and nothing on this site should be read as suggesting that use.
Buying GHK-Cu in the UAE
We supply cosmetic-grade GHK-Cu to brands and manufacturers, and research-grade GHK-Cu to laboratories. GHK-Cu product page · all cosmetic ingredients · for skincare brands
For other peptides used in skincare, see cosmetic peptides: an ingredient glossary.