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SkinPreliminary grade

GHK-Cu

Copper peptide

The most extensively studied cosmetic peptide — modulates 4,000+ genes, strong wound-healing record, excellent safety profile.

Verdict — B · Viable

The best-supported cosmetic peptide in the catalog — clean safety profile, broad gene-regulation evidence, and wide availability. The evidence advantage is in topical/wound applications; injectable use is less validated. Source injectable-grade material from a vendor with an independent COA.

Overview

GHK-Cu (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine copper chelate) is an endogenous copper-binding tripeptide with one of the largest published cosmetic-peptide literature bases, studied for wound healing, skin remodeling, hair growth, and anti-inflammatory effects via modulation of thousands of genes. It is an FDA-listed OTC cosmetic ingredient with decades of safety data. The evidence base is strong for wound and skin applications; its use via injectable route (versus topical) has less validation. Sourcing is broadly available as a cosmetic ingredient but batch-COA consistency for injectable-grade preparations varies.

PepScore Breakdown — the four axes

Evidence

35% weight
61/100

How strong is the published human science?

Human data depth24/40
Regulatory & registry status14/30
Reproducibility & consistency15/20
Mechanism characterized in humans8/10

Sourcing & COA

30% weightOur moat
65/100

Can a buyer obtain an independently-verified, high-purity version? — our proprietary layer.

Independent 3rd-party testing22/35
Verified purity %19/30
COA transparency & batch traceability13/20
Multi-vendor verified availability11/15

Safety & Risk

25% weight
86/100

What is the real-world harm potential?

Documented AEs / toxicity36/40
Contraindication breadth22/25
Regulatory warnings15/20
Therapeutic index / margin13/15

Practicality

10% weight
84/100

How easy is it to actually run a verified version?

Verified-source availability30/35
Cost / value per cycle20/25
Reconstitution & administration22/25
Storage & stability12/15

Sources & Citations

Every claim cites a primary source. Citations are machine-audited against NCBI — see methodology.

Best-Sourced Vendor

affiliate

Midwest Peptide

Vendor 81 · A

Strong vendor grade (A) and the best verified supply right now for GHK-Cu — batch-matched independent COA freshness 95%.

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Ranked by Source Match = Vendor Grade × batch-COA freshness. Affiliate status is never an input to any grade, and a paying vendor never outranks a non-paying one on a tie.How this works →

Want a clinical path?

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Telehealth. Not medical advice — for educational purposes.

PepScore71/100 · B
Last gradedJune 28, 2026
Next re-grade triggerA large double-blind RCT for injectable GHK-Cu would be the primary evidence mover; a COA sweep of injectable-grade preparations would firm up Sourcing.

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Educational only — not medical advice. PepScore is an educational research grade, not a prescription or dosing recommendation. Some vendor links are affiliate links — this never affects grades. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before using any compound.