Can research-grade GHK-CU be turned into a topical serum?

Peptide_J said:

CandyCap said:

GortBong said:

What I've read up to now indicates research grade ghk-cu shouldn't be applied to the skin, and that cosmetic grade is the only kind meant for topical application.

What do you all think?

And does anyone have a serum formula that could be put on the scalp to encourage thicker hair? My guess is that facial serum recipes would be too heavy for the scalp.

Appreciate any help!!
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Lyophilized powders are something I'd avoid putting on my skin. The fillers in them might trigger irritation or acne. Instead, look for products marked cosmetic or raw.

For hair purposes, AHk-CU is worth looking into. Personally, I'd mix it into a ready-made serum designed for the scalp.

The serum I apply to my face is quite runny, but I doubt the scalp really needs ceramides and similar ingredients.
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I've used GHK-CU before, though AHK-CU is still something I haven't gotten around to trying. Finding a source for it has proven difficult.
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Do you want the lyophilized version in vials, or the cosmetic raw powder?
 
Peptide_J said:

CandyCap said:

GortBong said:

What I've read up to now indicates research grade ghk-cu shouldn't be applied to the skin, and that cosmetic grade is the only kind meant for topical application.

What do you all think?

And does anyone have a serum formula that could be put on the scalp to encourage thicker hair? My guess is that facial serum recipes would be too heavy for the scalp.

Appreciate any help!!
Click to expand...

Lyophilized powders are something I'd avoid putting on my skin. The fillers in them might trigger irritation or acne. Instead, look for products marked cosmetic or raw.

For hair purposes, AHk-CU is worth looking into. Personally, I'd mix it into a ready-made serum designed for the scalp.

The serum I apply to my face is quite runny, but I doubt the scalp really needs ceramides and similar ingredients.
Click to expand...
I've used GHK-CU before, though AHK-CU is still something I haven't gotten around to trying. Finding a source for it has proven difficult.
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Alice/TFC sells the raw powder in a plastic bottle: 10g for $100. I used it to make a hair serum, though I can't tell whether it's doing anything. Sure, my hair looks better, but I've applied every chemical known to man to my hair, so I have no idea which ones actually helped.
 
Peptide_J said:

Gigachad said:

Not sure if Anela rings a bell, but her GHK-CU protocols have a big following over on reddit (she's a researcher with 25+ years of experience, focused on peptides, particularly the copper peptides)

I did a ton of digging online looking for anyone who'd whipped up a hair serum following her protocol, or at least hitting the concentrations she suggests (6-7% ghk cu, 1% ahk cu), and only 1 turned up. I'm trying it right now, it's only been about 20ish days, but so far it looks promising. Beats dropping cash on bulk raws and then being stuck with a pile of leftover powder and no clue what to do with it lol
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Which option did you end up choosing?
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Sadly the ban on talking about sources is still active for me, so I can't post a comment or drop even a tiny clue lol 😅 but you could search online for ghk cu anela protocol hair serum
 
FarmgirlRebel said:

Cosmetic grade is what I go for—you get far more value that way. For what a single research-grade kit costs, I was able to get 100 grams of GHKcu cosmetic.
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A 100mg research-grade GHK-Cu kit runs roughly $40 to $60. There's no chance you're finding 100 grams of cosmetic-grade at that price point. If Aliexpress is your source, then I've got some bad news for you 😅😅
 
Gigachad said:

FarmgirlRebel said:

Cosmetic grade is what I go for—you get far more value that way. For what a single research-grade kit costs, I was able to get 100 grams of GHKcu cosmetic.
Click to expand...
A 100mg research-grade GHK-Cu kit runs roughly $40 to $60. There's no chance you're finding 100 grams of cosmetic-grade at that price point. If Aliexpress is your source, then I've got some bad news for you 😅😅
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Tell me that's not true!!! Although, to be honest, that was the price of two kits.
 
FarmgirlRebel said:

Gigachad said:

FarmgirlRebel said:

Cosmetic grade is what I go for—you get far more value that way. For what a single research-grade kit costs, I was able to get 100 grams of GHKcu cosmetic.
Click to expand...
A 100mg research-grade GHK-Cu kit runs roughly $40 to $60. There's no chance you're finding 100 grams of cosmetic-grade at that price point. If Aliexpress is your source, then I've got some bad news for you 😅😅
Click to expand...
Tell me that's not true!!! Although, to be honest, that was the price of two kits.
Click to expand...
Nope, still not worth the money to me. And as I mentioned before, if AliX was your source, you were scammed.
 
Gigachad said:

FarmgirlRebel said:

Gigachad said:

FarmgirlRebel said:

Cosmetic grade is what I go for—you get far more value that way. For what a single research-grade kit costs, I was able to get 100 grams of GHKcu cosmetic.
Click to expand...
A 100mg research-grade GHK-Cu kit runs roughly $40 to $60. There's no chance you're finding 100 grams of cosmetic-grade at that price point. If Aliexpress is your source, then I've got some bad news for you 😅😅
Click to expand...
Tell me that's not true!!! Although, to be honest, that was the price of two kits.
Click to expand...
Nope, still not worth the money to me. And as I mentioned before, if AliX was your source, you were scammed.
Click to expand...
Now I really want to have it tested... but I'm too cheap to pay for that... though I might know someone who could run it.
 
FarmgirlRebel said:

Gigachad said:

FarmgirlRebel said:

Gigachad said:

FarmgirlRebel said:

Cosmetic grade is what I go for—you get far more value that way. For what a single research-grade kit costs, I was able to get 100 grams of GHKcu cosmetic.
Click to expand...
A 100mg research-grade GHK-Cu kit runs roughly $40 to $60. There's no chance you're finding 100 grams of cosmetic-grade at that price point. If Aliexpress is your source, then I've got some bad news for you 😅😅
Click to expand...
Tell me that's not true!!! Although, to be honest, that was the price of two kits.
Click to expand...
Nope, still not worth the money to me. And as I mentioned before, if AliX was your source, you were scammed.
Click to expand...
Now I really want to have it tested... but I'm too cheap to pay for that... though I might know someone who could run it.
Click to expand...
I'd take the financial hit, write it off, and not look back.
 
For skincare, I'll stick with cosmetic grade. I'll also research how to make formulations that balance results with treating my skin gently.
 
laansasa said:

Peptide_J said:

CandyCap said:

GortBong said:

What I've read up to now indicates research grade ghk-cu shouldn't be applied to the skin, and that cosmetic grade is the only kind meant for topical application.

What do you all think?

And does anyone have a serum formula that could be put on the scalp to encourage thicker hair? My guess is that facial serum recipes would be too heavy for the scalp.

Appreciate any help!!
Click to expand...

Lyophilized powders are something I'd avoid putting on my skin. The fillers in them might trigger irritation or acne. Instead, look for products marked cosmetic or raw.

For hair purposes, AHk-CU is worth looking into. Personally, I'd mix it into a ready-made serum designed for the scalp.

The serum I apply to my face is quite runny, but I doubt the scalp really needs ceramides and similar ingredients.
Click to expand...
I've used GHK-CU before, though AHK-CU is still something I haven't gotten around to trying. Finding a source for it has proven difficult.
Click to expand...
Do you want the lyophilized version in vials, or the cosmetic raw powder?
Click to expand...
Both, please.
 
Why pay 10 times as much for lyophilized GHK just to use it on your skin, when the non-lyophilized version costs way less?

If you're not injecting it, what's the point of buying the form that's made for injection?
 
CNCCurrency said:


Still say hog wash:

Lyophilized peptide fillers, such as mannitol and trehalose, are inert substances added to peptides before freeze-drying to protect their structure and stability

Trehalose is a natural, stable disaccharide sugar (

derived from sources like mushrooms and tapioca, used widely as a stabilizer, sweetener, and hydrating agent. It is roughly 45-55% as sweet as sucrose, protects against moisture loss in food, and stabilizes protein-based drug formulations. It is also used in eye drops for dry eye and holds promise as a neuroprotective agent

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What's actually problematic here isn't the trehalose going into the skincare formula, nor is it that the ingredient has been lyophilized. Trehalose, after all, shows up regularly as a humectant in formulations — that's more common in the East than in the West. Compared with hyaluronic acid it's a weaker humectant, and it costs more than glycerin while not really delivering extra benefits, so its usual role is simply label appeal.

When professionals formulate, precision is mandatory: each ingredient carries its own compatibility range, and if it is regulated, different regulatory thresholds apply depending on the type of product being made. Local regulation standards shift this too. That means you have to be able to itemize every single ingredient at exact percentages — and a genuine formulator or a contract manufacturer would never reach for the injectable version, because it introduces a pile of unwanted variables that are either potentially problematic or merely a hassle.

ETA.. I left out the single most important manufacturing factor: cost. The topical/raw ingredient is considerably cheaper than the injectable lyophilized version. You can get an entire gram of the raw ingredient for a few dollars in bulk.. $10 if you are buying single vials from resellers. One vial of an injectable GHK-Cu only contains 50mg or 100mg, which obviously ends up being far less economic.
 
GortBong said:

What I've read up to now indicates research grade ghk-cu shouldn't be applied to the skin, and that cosmetic grade is the only kind meant for topical application.

What do you all think?

And does anyone have a serum formula that could be put on the scalp to encourage thicker hair? My guess is that facial serum recipes would be too heavy for the scalp.

Appreciate any help!!
Click to expand...
YEP.... If the burn juice hits too hard, yet you've got GHK-cu in end-of-the-world quantities, you turn those burning lemons into lemonade. I'm not claiming that's the cheapest route to smearing some ghk-cu on your face, but you make do with whatever you've got.... lol..
 
wildweasel said:

Why pay 10 times as much for lyophilized GHK just to use it on your skin, when the non-lyophilized version costs way less?

If you're not injecting it, what's the point of buying the form that's made for injection?
Click to expand...

Right, that's exactly it — and on top of that, tossing extra ingredients into an already-finished formula without also putting in more preservatives carries a real risk. The injectable form brings along other components, fillers among them, so you're introducing additional variables and therefore a greater likelihood of contamination. On top of that, those fillers might alter how thick the product is, which could cause it to separate entirely or go gloppy. And if the injectable ingredient was buffered in addition to being freeze-dried, there are still more issues to handle.
 
miameow said:


The issue isn't that you're adding trehalose to the skincare formula or the fact that the ingredient is lyophilized. In fact trehalose is often used as a humectant in formulations, more so in the East than the West. It's a less superior humectant than hyaluronic acid, and more expensive than glycerin without really adding additional benefits, so it's often just there as label appeal.

In professional formulations, everything must and needs to be exact as every ingredient has a compatibility range, and there are different regulatory thresholds for each ingredient (if it is regulated) according to what kind of product you're formulating. This will also vary according to the standards of the local regulation. So you need to be able to break down every individual ingredient in exact percentages and a real formulator or a contract manufacturer simply would not use the injectable version as it adds a lot of unwanted variables that could potentially be problematic or just annoying to deal with.

ETA.. I forgot to mention the most important factor in manufacturing: cost. The topical/raw ingredient is considerably cheaper than the injectable lyophilized version. You can get an entire gram of the raw ingredient for a few dollars in bulk.. $10 if you are buying single vials from resellers. One vial of an injectable GHK-Cu only contains 50mg or 100mg, which obviously ends up being far less economic.

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There's also the question of how a formula could hit precise additive percentages if the product used isn't cosmetic grade. The formulas that are out there are built on the assumption of cosmetic grade ingredients.

When it comes to formulating skin care, percentages matter.
 
CandyCap said:


I prefer to not trust my face (or in this case hair) with AI, but thanks.

They make cosmetic versions for a reason, which are readily available. Fillers can cause emulsion to break as well. I dont want that crap on my face.

I know of no professional formulator (I follow many) that would recommend using lyophilized as opposed to cosmetic. Too many variables to cause problems.

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Ma'am, the cosmetic products are lyophilized as well. I've used them for close to 2 years.
 
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