Cited skincare — peer-reviewed evidence, no upsell.
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Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu)

Copper Tripeptide-1 · TRIPEPTIDE-1Active

A copper-bound peptide popular in serums marketed for aging skin — but the best controlled study found no objective improvement, only higher user satisfaction.

What it does

Copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a small peptide complexed with copper, widely marketed as a repair and rejuvenation ingredient. The honest evidence picture is weaker than the marketing: in a controlled post-laser trial, a GHK-Cu regimen showed no statistically significant objective improvement in wrinkles, redness, or overall skin quality versus control — the only thing that improved was how satisfied users said they were. It is well tolerated, so there is little downside to using it, but you shouldn't expect a visible change on the strength of the current evidence. Spend your effort and budget on actives with stronger backing: retinoids, vitamin C, and daily sunscreen.

The evidence, graded

debatedCopper peptides (GHK-Cu) are heavily marketed for aging skin, but the direct clinical evidence is thin: a controlled post-laser study found no objective improvement in wrinkles, redness, or overall skin quality — only patients' own satisfaction ratings were higher.Miller 2006 · Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

Also known as

ghk-cu, copper peptide, tripeptide-1

This page is public and indexed on purpose (unlike profiles and drops, which are unlisted) — it’s the citation behind shared ingredient cards, and it should be findable.
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