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GHK-Cu

Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin & Hair · CAS 89030-95-5
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Category
Skin & Hair
Evidence grade
C
PubMed records
81
Female-tagged
0
Sex-analysis
0
CAS
89030-95-5
C
Evidence grade C, Early human data only (Phase 1 / small-n) across 81 indexed studies. How grades work →
Female evidence: Direct
GHK-Cu: of 81 PubMed records, 0 are tagged as including female subjects and 0 carry a sex-analysis tag.Counts reflect PubMed records as of 2026-07-17. “Female” uses the Female MeSH filter and “sex-analysis” the Sex Factors MeSH filter, automated proxies pending manual study-level review. Methodology →

Overview

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide, glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine complexed with a copper(II) ion, found endogenously in plasma and other tissues. Its small structure and defined metal-binding chemistry give it a research-friendly profile as a tool compound in dermal and extracellular-matrix investigation.

In preclinical and in-vitro systems, GHK-Cu has been studied for its role in copper transport and for its association with collagen and elastin gene expression, fibroblast activity, glycosaminoglycan synthesis, and matrix-remodeling signaling. Researchers examining tissue-remodeling pathways have used it as a research material, and it has also appeared in topical cosmetic studies, while evidence for systemic or injected use remains far weaker and largely preclinical.

What makes GHK-Cu a notable catalog entry is the combination of a well-defined copper-chelation mechanism and a comparatively developed body of topical research. Whether its mechanisms translate to female physiology remains an open research question; our evidence review tracks how many of the underlying studies included women. Supplied for in-vitro and laboratory research only.

Summary

GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide with the most human evidence in topical cosmetic use, including female-majority dermatology studies. Evidence for systemic or injected use is far weaker and largely preclinical.

Evidence in women

Menstrual cycle
Unstudied
Cosmetic skin studies did not analyze cycle phase.
Pregnancy & lactation
Unstudied
Topical cosmetic safety in pregnancy is not established; systemic use has no data.
Hormonal interactions
Unstudied
No hormonal interaction data.
Perimenopause & menopause
Evidence
Several dermatology studies enrolled peri/postmenopausal women for skin-aging endpoints.
Sex differences
No evidence
Cosmetic-dermatology studies skew female, so women are relatively well represented, but very few reported sex-stratified skin outcomes.

Mechanism

Copper-binding tripeptide that modulates collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis and has been reported to influence genes involved in tissue remodeling.

Reported dosing & routes

◐

We don't give dosing or medical advice. The figures below describe what was used in published research, not a recommendation. Decide with your clinician.

Reported range (literature)Topical formulations in cosmetic studies; systemic dosing not established.
Routestopical
Female-specific dosingNot established

Contraindications: copper sensitivity

Side effects

Reported in the research literature. Sex-specific incidence has not been separately analysed in the available records.

local irritation (topical)

GHK-Cu reconstitution calculator

Enter this vial's amount, the bacteriostatic water you add, and a target amount to get the concentration and the U-100 syringe units to draw. Handling arithmetic for research use, not a dose recommendation.

Reconstitution

1
2
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Draw for GHK-Cu

5
units on a U-100 insulin syringe
020406080100
U-100 insulin syringe — 1 mL = 100 units
That's 0.05 mL drawn to the 5-unit mark.
Concentration5 mg/mL (5,000 mcg/mL)
Volume to draw0.05 mL
Doses per vial40

Reference chart at 5 mg/mL

Target amountVolume (mL)U-100 units
100 mcg0.02 mL2
250 mcg0.05 mL5
500 mcg0.1 mL10
750 mcg0.15 mL15
1000 mcg0.2 mL20

Research-use arithmetic only. This tool converts a vial amount, diluent volume, and a target amount into a concentration and syringe draw for laboratory handling. It is not dosing guidance, a recommendation, or a claim of safety or efficacy, and it does not account for overfill, dead space, or peptide purity. Nothing here is medical advice. “U-100” means 100 units = 1 mL; confirm your syringe graduation before measuring. See the reconstitution & storage handbook for handling detail.

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn only from GHK-Cu's research facts and, where reviewed, its sex-disaggregated evidence. Nothing here is medical advice, dosing, or a claim of safety or efficacy.

What is GHK-Cu?

GHK-Cu, also known as Copper Tripeptide-1, is a research compound in our skin hair category. GHK-Cu is a copper-binding tripeptide with the most human evidence in topical cosmetic use, including female-majority dermatology studies.

Is GHK-Cu studied in women?

GHK-Cu: of 81 PubMed records, 0 are tagged as including female subjects and 0 carry a sex-analysis tag. We grade this direct female evidence: at least one record carries a sex-analysis tag, so some findings are drawn from women rather than borrowed from mixed or male data. See how we read the evidence.

Has GHK-Cu been studied during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Unstudied. Topical cosmetic safety in pregnancy is not established; systemic use has no data. This is not a safety clearance or a recommendation. Vera, our research chat, deliberately hard-stops on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and trying-to-conceive questions rather than answer them.

What evidence grade does GHK-Cu have, and why?

GHK-Cu carries evidence grade C. Early human data only (Phase 1 / small-n) across 81 indexed studies.. Grades are derived from the research record, never hand-assigned; see how grades work.

Is there a female-specific dose for GHK-Cu?

No. A female-specific dose for GHK-Cu is not established, and this site does not provide dosing or medical advice. Any figures we show describe what published research used, not a recommendation. Decide anything about use with a qualified clinician.

How is GHK-Cu administered in research?

In the published literature, GHK-Cu is administered via topical. Reported dose ranges on the Dosing tab describe what studies used for laboratory research, not a protocol for people. We don't provide dosing.

What side effects have been reported for GHK-Cu?

Effects reported in the research literature include local irritation (topical). Sex-specific incidence has not been separately analysed in the available records, so these are not broken out for women.

What is the CAS number for GHK-Cu?

The CAS registry number for GHK-Cu is 89030-95-5. It is also referred to as Copper Tripeptide-1, GHK-Copper. Use it to confirm identity against a Certificate of Analysis.

How should GHK-Cu be stored and handled?

GHK-Cu sold for research is supplied as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder. Lyophilized peptides are generally kept cold and dry, at roughly -20°C for longer-term storage and 2-8°C short-term, protected from light. Once reconstituted they are typically refrigerated and used within a short window, avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles. This is general laboratory handling for research use only, not a directive for human use. Always follow the handling and purity details on the product's Certificate of Analysis.

Where can I buy GHK-Cu for research?

For laboratory research use, GHK-Cu is available from our research-use partner, Aurevena Research. Applying code research15 takes 15% off. We may earn a commission when you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Products are for laboratory research use only.

Buy GHK-Cu at Aurevena Research
Research-use supplier: GHK-Cu is available from our research-use vendor for laboratory use. Code research15 for 15% off, applied automatically at checkout. We may earn a commission when you purchase through this link, at no extra cost to you. Products are for laboratory research use only.
Buy now →

Further reading on GHK-Cu

The collagen cliff: why women's skin ages on a different clockArticle
Skin collagen falls by around 30% in the five years after menopause, and it tracks estrogen loss more closely than it tracks age. That single fact reframes almost every anti-aging peptide claim aimed at women.
9 min read
What is actually in GLOW and KLOWArticle
These blends are sold on the strength of their best-known ingredient. Here is the evidence for each of the three or four compounds inside, scored separately, including the route problem nobody mentions.
10 min read
Perimenopause and menopause: what the peptide evidence actually saysArticle
Three peptides have real trial evidence in menopausal women, because the indication is a women's condition. For almost everything else marketed at this life stage, the honest answer is that nobody has looked.
11 min read
Peptide reconstitution and storage: a laboratory handbookArticle
Lyophilized powder holds for years. The moment it goes into solution, a clock starts. Here is the arithmetic, the temperatures, and the handling errors that quietly cost potency.
13 min read
Bone-density peptides: a women's-health research gapArticle
Bone loss accelerates around menopause, yet the peptide research rarely centers the women most affected.
7 min read
Skin and anti-aging peptides: reading the dermatology evidenceArticle
Cosmetic peptides are one of the few areas with female-heavy human research. Here is what that evidence supports.
8 min read
Hair-growth peptides: what women should know about the evidenceArticle
Copper peptides, GHK, and signaling compounds studied for the follicle, and how female-pattern data compares.
7 min read
Peptides and menopause: what the evidence actually supportsArticle
A sober look at the compounds discussed for the menopausal transition, and how little of the research was designed to answer it.
9 min read
Copper peptides: one of the few female-majority evidence basesArticle
GHK-Cu is an exception to the rule of this site, a compound whose most relevant human research was done largely in women. Here's what that does and doesn't buy you.
6 min read
How to read a Certificate of AnalysisArticle
A COA is the difference between a tested research compound and a claim on a label. Here is what each line actually tells you, what the headline purity figure quietly leaves out, and how to tie the document to the vial in your hand.
12 min read
Injectable vs. topical vs. oral: how route changes the evidenceGuide
The same compound can have solid evidence one way and almost none another. Route of administration is part of the evidence, not a footnote.
4 min read
The evidence-grade rubric, visualizedGuide
Every A–E grade on this site is computed from published fields, not assigned by opinion. This is the exact decision path.
4 min read
How a Certificate of Analysis is producedGuide
The five tests behind the paperwork, and the one thing that turns a test result into a Certificate of Analysis.
3 min read
Female vs. male evidence, compound by compoundGuide
A single chart of how thin the female evidence runs, even for the best-studied peptides in this database.
4 min read

Citations (PMID)

25574232 · 29349906

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Educational information for laboratory and research use only. Not medical advice, a recommendation, or a claim of safety or efficacy; no personal dosing. “Unstudied” means no qualifying study was found, not that a compound is safe or unsafe.