Copper Tripeptide-1
A copper-bound peptide the body makes naturally, used on skin to support its own repair signalling.
Well characterised in the lab and in wound healing; controlled facial trials are still limited.
On the label: Copper Tripeptide-1. Also known as GHK-Cu, Copper peptide, Copper peptides, Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper.
What it does for you
Supports firmer, more even-looking skin on a timeline of months rather than days. Because it works with a signal your skin already recognises rather than forcing a reaction, most people tolerate it well.
Why we use it
It is the Signal in Signal and Structure. We chose a molecule skin already knows over an irritant that forces a response, because that is what makes one daily active sustainable instead of something you cycle on and off.
Mechanism
GHK binds copper and carries it into cells. Copper is the cofactor for lysyl oxidase, the enzyme that cross-links collagen and elastin, and in laboratory studies GHK-Cu raises production of collagen and other matrix components.
Use level
2% pure Copper Tripeptide-1 in VitalCopper Renewal Face Serum. This is the peptide itself, not 2% of a diluted supplier solution, which is what most percentage claims in this category refer to.
Commonly confused with
Most people say copper peptide, and in skincare that almost always means this one: Copper Tripeptide-1 is the ingredient-list name, GHK-Cu is the scientific shorthand, and they are the same molecule. It is not elemental copper, the dietary mineral. We use both across our range: trace copper in VitalBuild Daily Collagen Powder as a nutrient, and this copper peptide on skin. Different things, different jobs. It is also not a copper salt such as copper gluconate or copper PCA. Those deliver copper but are not peptides. Other copper peptides exist. AHK-Cu is the one you are most likely to meet, and it is studied mainly for hair rather than skin. Research on one copper peptide does not automatically apply to another, which is why we name the exact peptide rather than saying copper peptides.
What the studies say
Found no statistically significant difference on objective measures of erythema resolution, wrinkle improvement or overall skin quality. Only the patient self-report questionnaire favoured GHK-Cu (P = .04). This is the most rigorous published human facial study of GHK-Cu and it is null on objective endpoints.
- Human in vivo
- n = 13 completed
- 12 weeks
Randomized, blinded-evaluator, computer-assisted image analysis
Effects of Topical Copper Tripeptide Complex on CO2 Laser-Resurfaced Skin Miller TR, Wagner JD, Baack BR, Eisbach KJ. Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, 2006. DOI 10.1001/archfaci.8.4.252
Independent academic study.
GHK-Cu gel achieved 98.5% versus 60.8% median area closure of diabetic neuropathic ulcers, with lower infection incidence (7% versus 34%). This is the wound-healing literature from which cosmetic claims are extrapolated. It is not a cosmetic endpoint.
- Human in vivo (wound healing, not cosmetic)
Randomized, placebo-controlled
Enhanced healing of ulcers in patients with diabetes by topical treatment with glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper Mulder GD, Patt LM, Sanders L, Rosenstock J, Altman MI, Hanley ME, Duncan GW. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 1994. DOI 10.1046/j.1524-475X.1994.20406.x
Sample size not stated in the abstract.
States there is a surprising absence of clinical studies for topical GHK and GHK-Cu despite market ubiquity. Also flags two formulation problems: GHK is hydrophilic with a low lipid partition coefficient so skin permeation is poor, and the peptide is unstable in formulation.
- Review
Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: Advantages, problems and prospective Mortazavi SM, Mohammadi Vadoud SA, Moghimi HR. BioImpacts, 2025. DOI 10.34172/bi.30071
Independent review. Note that many circulating GHK-Cu reviews are authored by the peptide's commercial developer and should be treated as narrative, not independent evidence.
Panel concluded the ingredient family is safe at present practices of use and concentration. Reports concentration-of-use ranges: Tripeptide-1 at 0.00002 to 0.001 percent; Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 at 0.0000001 to 0.001 percent; Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 at 0.000005 to 0.0015 percent across 249 reported uses.
- Regulatory safety review
Safety Assessment of Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-12, Their Metal Salts and Fatty Acyl Derivatives, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as Used in Cosmetics Johnson W Jr, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, et al. (Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel). International Journal of Toxicology, 2018. DOI 10.1177/1091581818807863
Industry-funded expert panel, but the standard safety reference for cosmetic ingredients.
Who should be cautious
Copper-handling disorders such as Wilson's disease. Separate from strong direct acids by timing.