GHK-Cu copper peptide (50 mg vials)

In brief: ALTA PEPTIDES supplies GHK-Cu (Copper peptide GHK-Cu) as a 50 mg lyophilised vial for £24.99 (£0.50/mg), with the certificate of analysis for lot 2607177 published, held in UK stock and dispatched the same working day before 1pm. Supplied for laboratory research only, not for human consumption.

New to GHK-Cu? Read our guide, GHK-Cu copper peptide: what it is, why it is blue, topical vs injectable, and what the research says, for what it is, what the research covers and how it is handled.

What is GHK-Cu?

GHK-Cu is the copper(II) complex of the tripeptide glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, a naturally occurring peptide first identified in human plasma in 1973. Plasma concentrations decline markedly between the ages of 20 and 60, which underlies most of the interest in it. The copper complex gives the lyophilised powder its characteristic blue colour. We supply it at 99%+ HPLC purity in 50 mg sealed vials.

What the research covers

GHK-Cu has one of the larger literatures among research peptides. In cell culture and animal models it stimulates collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycan synthesis, promotes wound contraction and re-epithelialisation, increases antioxidant enzyme activity, and in gene-array studies alters the expression of several thousand genes, including many involved in tissue remodelling. Small human trials of topical copper-peptide preparations report improved skin density, firmness and wound healing. Hair-follicle models show increased follicle size. The injectable form used in research has no controlled human data.

Topical vs injectable GHK-Cu

The human evidence is for topical cosmetic use; the injectable research form is studied in animals and cells. Our vials are the lyophilised peptide for laboratory use and can be reconstituted for either in-vitro or topical-formulation research. See our GLOW blend for GHK-Cu combined with BPC-157 and TB-500.

Requests for GHK-Cu injection vials and GHK-Cu peptide UK stock refer to this lyophilised research form; the topical serum products sold by cosmetics companies are a different preparation at cosmetic concentrations.

Buying GHK-Cu in the UK

GHK-Cu is legal to buy and possess; as a cosmetic ingredient it is widely used, and the research-grade peptide is unlicensed and sold for laboratory use only. UK stock, certificate of analysis published per lot, same-day dispatch before 1pm. At 50 mg per vial it is the lowest price per milligram in our range.

Names and spellings

The same compound appears under several spellings in searches and on certificates: GHK-Cu, GHK Cu, GHKCu and ghkcu peptide all refer to the copper(II) complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine; GHK peptide or peptides GHK usually means the copper complex too, though strictly the free tripeptide without copper is a separate, colourless material. Our vial is the copper complex, which is why the powder is blue. It is the same GHK-Cu peptide UK researchers see cited in the dermal literature.

GHK-Cu price (UK)

Prices include VAT. Shipping is £4.95 by Royal Mail Tracked 48, free on orders over £75, and sealed items can be returned within 14 days. Ships from UK stock with the lot certificate for the vial you receive.

Quality and testing

The certificate of analysis for lot 2607177 of GHK-Cu is published on our certificates page and linked above. It is the manufacturer's QC batch certificate for the bulk lot the vials were filled from, reporting identity by mass spectrometry and purity by HPLC, with a purity result of 99.8%. ALTA's own independent third-party test of the finished vials from this lot is pending and will be published on the same row when it arrives. The lot number on the vial label matches the certificate. Specification: ≥ 99% (HPLC), supplied as lyophilised powder (blue), 3 ml glass vial, sealed, 50 mg per vial.

Reconstitution and handling

GHK-Cu arrives as a lyophilised cake under an aluminium crimp seal. Let the vial reach room temperature before opening so that condensation does not form on the powder. Swab the stopper with an alcohol swab, draw the chosen volume of bacteriostatic water (our bacteriostatic water guide explains why it is used rather than sterile water) with a sterile syringe, and add it slowly down the inside wall of the vial rather than onto the powder. Swirl gently until clear; never shake, which can denature the peptide. Label the vial with the date and concentration. The peptide calculator converts vial amount and diluent volume into concentration, millilitres and U-100 syringe units for any target amount. Sealed vial: 2 to 8 °C, protected from light. Reconstituted: 2 to 8 °C, use within 4 weeks.

Lot traceability

Every GHK-Cu vial carries a printed lot number and expiry. The same lot number appears on the certificate of analysis for that lot on our certificates page, which names who issued it (the manufacturer's QC laboratory for a batch certificate, or the outside laboratory for a third-party report) so it can be checked directly. ALTA's own independent test of each lot is published on the same row as it arrives. If the number on your vial does not match a certificate on our site, contact support before using it. Certificates are kept online for the life of the product plus two years.

Related products

GLOW Stack, BPC-157, TB-500, and everything else in Copper & Skin or the full range. Reconstitution supplies: bacteriostatic water, insulin syringes and alcohol swabs.

Related reading in the Journal

• GHK-Cu copper peptide: what it is, why it is blue, topical vs injectable, and what the research saysA three-residue peptide that binds copper, turns blue, declines with age and has one of the broadest gene-expression footprints of any small molecule studied.
• Peptides studied for skin and hair: a research round-upA tour of the peptides that appear in skin and hair research, from GHK-Cu and the cosmetic signal peptides to the neurotransmitter-inhibiting and carrier types, what each body of work measured, and where research-grade reagents fit.
• What are peptides? Amino acid chains, proteins, hormones and synthesisThe chemistry behind the word: what a peptide chain is, where the line with proteins sits, what peptide hormones do, and how a synthetic peptide is built one residue at a time.
• GLOW vs KLOW peptide blends: what is in each, what KPV is, and which we sellGLOW is GHK-Cu, BPC-157 and TB-500 together; KLOW is the same three plus KPV. What each component is, what the research on each covers, and why the blend format has trade-offs.
• Are peptides steroids? Peptides vs steroids vs SARMs explainedPeptides, anabolic steroids and SARMs are three unrelated classes of molecule that get lumped together online. The chemistry, the UK legal status of each, and the WADA position, side by side.

Handling and buying guides: How to reconstitute peptides: a laboratory guide, How to store peptides, and how long lyophilised peptides last at room temperature, How to read a peptide certificate of analysis.

Handling and storage

Sealed vial: 2 to 8 °C, protected from light. Reconstituted: 2 to 8 °C, use within 4 weeks. Keep sealed until use. Allow the vial to reach room temperature before opening to avoid condensation on the powder. Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water added slowly down the wall of the vial; do not shake. Our calculator covers the arithmetic.