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How copper peptides appear on cosmetic ingredient labels

Labelling rules below are US rules^[1]. This page covers cosmetic products applied to the skin only. It is about reading labels, not about whether copper peptides work. For the evidence, see our copper peptides page.

Non-clinical; makes no efficacy claims.

1. The name to look for

A cosmetic label must name each ingredient by the name FDA has set, or failing that, the name in listed references such as the CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary (21 CFR 701.3(c))^[1]. For the copper peptide usually called GHK-Cu, that name is Copper Tripeptide-1^[2].

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel's 2014 report lists Copper Tripeptide-1 as "GHK-Cu2+", that is glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine with copper^[2]. The same report lists another copper form of the same peptide, Bis(Tripeptide-1) Copper Acetate^[2]. "Tripeptide-1" on its own means the GHK peptide without copper^[2].

"GHK-Cu", "copper peptides" or a brand's trade name may appear on the front of the pack. The ingredient list itself should use the INCI name.

2. Where it sits in the list

Ingredients are listed "in descending order of predominance" (21 CFR 701.3(a))^[1]. There is an exception: ingredients "present at a concentration of not more than 1 percent" may be listed "without respect to order of predominance" after the ingredients above 1% (§ 701.3(f)(2))^[1].

CIR reported that the ingredients it reviewed, including copper tripeptide-1, are typically used at under 10 ppm^[2], which is 0.001%. At that level, copper tripeptide-1 will almost always fall in the part of the list where order may not reflect amount. So where it sits in the list tells you little about how much is in the product.

3. What the label can tell you

• Whether the product contains Copper Tripeptide-1 or another copper form of GHK, by name.
• Whether it also contains other peptides, each under its own INCI name.
• Whether it contains EDTA (for example Disodium EDTA). Our standard treats EDTA alongside a copper peptide as a fail, because EDTA is a chelating agent^[3].

4. What the label can't tell you

• How much is in it. Concentrations "need not be declared by regulation"^[4]. If a brand states a %, check what it is a percentage of: the copper peptide itself, or a blend or solution that contains it.
• The finished pH. pH is not part of the ingredient list. Our standard expects a stated finished pH. For copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu), it expects that pH to be within 5.0–6.5^[3].
• Identity and purity. Only a batch certificate of analysis tied to a lot number, with identity testing such as mass spectrometry, shows what is actually in the bottle^[3].
• Whether it works. An INCI name says what an ingredient is, not what it does in a given product.

5. Scope

This page is about cosmetic products applied to the skin. We do not cover, link to or recommend injectable or "research use only" peptide products.

Not yet verified

• EU naming in the European Commission's CosIng database: the CosIng page could not be opened today, so the EU entry is not cited yet.