GHK-Cu Copper Peptide for Private Label Brands: Formulas, Packaging and Claims
GHK-Cu (INCI: Copper Tripeptide-1) is a blue copper peptide, and you can launch a private label copper peptide serum or cream with it as long as it's presented as a cosmetic: for use on the skin, without Schedule 2, 3, 4 or 8 Poisons Standard ingredients, and with claims about how skin looks and feels, not about healing skin or stimulating collagen. It needs a mid-range pH and packaging that keeps out light and air. Our GHK-Cu serum and cream can carry your label from 10 units, or come unlabelled in 1 to 20 L bulk.
Key facts
- What it is: a three-amino-acid peptide bound to copper, listed as Copper Tripeptide-1.
- Cosmetic claims: skin looks smoother or firmer; skin feels hydrated.
- Therapeutic claims to avoid: stimulates collagen, heals or repairs damaged skin, treats scarring, promotes hair growth.
- Formulating and packaging: mid-range pH, no strong acids or L-ascorbic acid, airless or amber packs.
- Ordering: samples with no minimum, 10 units with your label, or bulk from one 1 L unit.
What is GHK-Cu?
GHK (glycine, histidine, lysine) is a small peptide found naturally in human blood plasma, and GHK-Cu is its copper-bound form. A 2018 peer-reviewed review reports plasma levels of about 200 ng/mL at age 20, falling to about 80 ng/mL by age 60.
What the research says, and why it doesn't go on your label
Most GHK-Cu research is laboratory and animal work, plus a few small cosmetic studies. It explains why the ingredient is popular, but none of it is claim wording for your product: saying a cosmetic stimulates collagen or repairs skin describes a change to how the body works.
Why brands are adding copper peptides
For a small brand, salon or clinic, copper peptides are an ingredient customers may already ask about, but there is also more competition and plenty of bold claims online that you shouldn't copy.
Claims: what you can and can't say
In Australia, the TGA looks at claims, ingredients, how a product is used and whether it's an excluded good. Claims include the product name, label and advertising. Claims about appearance, cleansing or keeping skin in good condition are cosmetic; claims about treating a condition or changing a physiological process are therapeutic.
The TGA's collagen example applies directly to copper peptide copy: "contains collagen to smooth the appearance of fine lines" is cosmetic, but "stimulates collagen production to repair skin at the cellular level" is therapeutic. Its list of likely therapeutic claims also includes repairing damaged skin by regenerating skin cells, scarring, inflammation and promoting hair growth.
| Avoid (therapeutic) | Use instead (cosmetic) |
|---|---|
| Stimulates collagen and elastin | Skin looks firmer and smoother |
| Heals, repairs or regenerates skin | Helps keep skin in good condition |
| Fades scars; supports wound healing | No cosmetic version: leave scars and wounds out of your copy |
| Reduces pigmentation | Helps skin look more even |
| Anti-inflammatory | Leaves skin feeling soft, hydrated and comfortable |
| Promotes hair growth; reduces hair loss | Leaves hair and scalp feeling conditioned |
A therapeutic good must be on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods before it's supplied or advertised, unless an exemption applies. Everything we make is a cosmetic, so keep your copy cosmetic, and never call a cosmetic "TGA approved", "TGA listed" or "TGA compliant". See cosmetic or therapeutic claims for more. In the US, the FDA also treats claims to "regenerate cells" or "restore hair growth" as drug claims.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
Formulating with GHK-Cu: colour, pH and partners
Why it's blue
The colour comes from the copper bound to the peptide, which is why our cream is an opaque blue. Supplier guidance treats a loss of colour as a possible sign of degradation, so it's one thing to watch in stability testing.
Why it sits in a mid-range pH
Supplier guidance generally recommends a mild pH, away from strongly acidic or alkaline formulas, and adding GHK-Cu without prolonged heating, for example in the cool-down phase.
What to keep out of the same product
- L-ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C): a pig-skin absorption study found it must be formulated below pH 3.5 to enter the skin, far more acidic than GHK-Cu prefers.
- Strong acids: low-pH AHA and BHA products are better used at a different time.
- Other metals: avoid high levels of zinc or iron.
Our cream is free from vitamin C, exfoliating acids (AHA/BHA) and retinoids, and its directions say not to use it in the same routine as vitamin C or AHA/BHA exfoliants.
Read percentages carefully
GHK-Cu is sold both as a powder and as pre-diluted solutions, so when you compare products, check whether a percentage refers to the pure peptide or to a solution. Our serum and cream both contain 0.2% pure GHK-Cu powder. Any new formula needs its own stability and preservative efficacy testing; see our custom formulation service.
Packaging: keep out light and air
GHK-Cu is light sensitive, so we recommend airless or amber packs for our copper peptide products.
- Airless bottles: the white airless bottle and silver airless bottle (30 mL and 50 mL) limit air contact and suit all three products below.
- Amber glass: the amber 30 mL frosted glass bottle suits the serums.
- Clear frosted glass: we recommend amber or airless instead; if you choose clear, sell it in a box and tell customers to store it out of direct sunlight.
- Jars: for the cream, choose the amber 100 mL jar over the white one.
Store stock below 25 °C, away from direct sunlight. Compare formats in types of cosmetic packaging or browse our packaging.
Our GHK-Cu serum, cream and PDRN serum
All three are made in Australia at our Gold Coast site.
| Product | INCI highlights | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) Serum | Copper Tripeptide-1, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ubiquinone (CoQ10) | Vegan. Japanese Honeysuckle scent; fragrance-free from 500 units |
| Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) Cream | Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Adenosine, Niacinamide | Vegan. Unscented. Free from vitamin C, exfoliating acids (AHA/BHA) and retinoids |
| Salmon PDRN Serum | Sodium DNA (salmon PDRN), Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Adenosine, Resveratrol | Unscented. Not vegan |
The serum and cream are made to pair as a duo: serum first, then cream. The cream's Matrixyl peptides are explained in the science behind Matrixyl. For the PDRN serum, we suggest a label line such as "Contains fish (salmon) derivative." Browse our peptide collection and check your label against our label guide.
Ordering: samples, 10 units or bulk
- Try a sample: full size, our label, no minimum.
- Order 10 units with your label: the MOQ is per product and packaging size, and the price includes the formula, packaging, label printing and application, and GST. A 30 mL unit with your label costs $12.99 (serum), $11.99 (cream) or $10.99 (PDRN serum), with a 10-unit minimum, and 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% off at 50, 100, 250 and 500 units. Production of 1 to 50 units typically takes 1 to 4 business days, plus shipping. See skincare MOQs explained.
- Or buy GHK-Cu in bulk: all three come in 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 L with no MOQ, up to 30% less per litre at 20 L.
| Bulk product | Price group | 1 L | 20 L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) Serum | Active | $79 | $1,106 |
| Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) Cream | Peptide | $139 | $1,946 |
| Salmon PDRN Serum | Active | $130 | $1,820 |
Prices in AUD including GST, as listed in November 2026. Current prices are on our bulk pricing page.
Bulk is supplied unlabelled, so labelling and label compliance are up to you. Open a bulk container within 12 months of your order date; once opened, fill and sell all units within 6 months, and label each unit you fill with the original batch code. Your customers should use each filled unit within 6 months of opening. See bulk skincare: fill your own or our filling service. A custom copper peptide formula typically starts at 1,000 units.
SDS, CoA and Certificate of Conformity downloads are in our document library, with PIFs on request. We operate to ISO 22716 GMP principles and test every product before release.
Frequently asked questions
What is the INCI name for GHK-Cu?
Copper Tripeptide-1. That's the name that goes in your ingredient list.
Can I say my copper peptide serum boosts collagen?
No. "Stimulates collagen" describes a change to a physiological process, which the TGA treats as therapeutic. Say skin looks firmer and smoother instead.
Why is a copper peptide serum blue?
The copper bound to the peptide makes it blue. Light can fade it, so use airless or amber packaging.
Can I combine GHK-Cu and vitamin C in one product?
Not with L-ascorbic acid, which works at a much lower pH than GHK-Cu prefers. Sell them as separate products used at different times.
What's the minimum order for a private label copper peptide serum?
Ten units per product and packaging size with your label. Samples have no minimum, bulk starts at one 1 L unit, and custom formulas typically start at 1,000 units.
Sources: Pickart L, Margolina A, Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018; Therapeutic Goods Administration, Determining if your product is a cosmetic or therapeutic good (updated 3 July 2026); US Food and Drug Administration, Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?) (content current as of 11 September 2024); Pinnell SR et al., Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies, Dermatologic Surgery, 2001; Parchem (Ilan Slasky), GHK-Cu Copper Peptide: Guide to CAS 49557-75-7 / 89030-95-5 and Formulation (13 April 2026).
Order samples | See bulk prices | Read the full launch guide
