🌸 GHK-Cu log · 12 weeks of copper peptide receipts
this is my main GHK-Cu running log babes 💖 i started 2026-02-26 at 1.5mg subq every morning, alternating sites, with a 50% topical at night. i'll keep updating this page every week with new photos and dose tweaks · this is the living document version of the original deep-dive post.
the protocol i'm running
1.5mg GHK-Cu subq · every morning · alternating L and R abdomen.
50% topical (mixed with ceramide cream) · every night · on cheeks, jawline, under-eye.
reconstituted with USP-grade diluent · 30 days in fridge max · vial wrapped in foil bc copper peptides degrade with light.
stopped at week 12 for 2 weeks (washout) then resumed at 1mg subq.
week-by-week observations
week 1-2 · faint copper tint near application area when overdone · zero subq side effects.
week 3-4 · pores on cheeks visibly smaller in side-by-side · this is the FGF-2 upregulation kicking in.
week 5-8 · fine-line softening across forehead · the photo set i'll share once i have proper lighting consistency.
week 9-12 · sun-damaged patch under left eye basically gone · this is the headline result.
week 13+ (now) · maintenance dose at 1mg · skin still glowing, less inflammation when i drink coffee on an empty stomach.
what i wish i'd known earlier
ALWAYS wrap the vial in foil. copper peptides are photosensitive, the cu²⁺ ion dissociates under UV. that pretty blue cobalt color is the ligand-to-metal charge transfer · it goes pale when oxidized.
the subq route works WAY better than topical alone. topical alone is la mer territory · you're getting maybe 0.1% bioavailable. subq is research-grade dosing.
if u get the copper tint on skin, just wipe with a damp cotton pad · no biggie.
side effects · genuinely zero on the subq route. nothing. people who claim 'nausea' from GHK-Cu are usually conflating it with other peptides in their stack.
the science behind this protocol
GHK-Cu is a tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) bound to copper. it was first isolated from human plasma by loren pickart in 1973. it works because the copper-bound form catalyzes transcription of collagen, elastin, glycosaminoglycans, and decorin in dermal fibroblasts.
the dose-response curve is bell-shaped · more is NOT better. pickart's 2018 IJMS review (PMID 29986520) shows peak effect at low nanomolar concentrations.
for full mechanism, the peppudex card has the trading-card version with evidence grades (grade A for collagen synthesis).
quick answers
how often do u update this log?
weekly during active protocol · biweekly during maintenance. this page is the running document version, the 12-week deep-dive lives at /blog/ghk-cu-skin
what dose did u land on?
1.5mg subq daily was my active protocol dose. maintenance is 1mg. lower than what most peptide forums recommend · because copper peptides are bell-shaped dose-response, not linear.
did u stack it with anything?
topical retinaldehyde at night (zero overlap with GHK-Cu mechanism) and oral collagen peptides. that's it. i wanted clean signal not a stack-fog protocol.
where do u source from?
peppu.studio · ≥99% purity, per-batch CoA, lab-name visible on every CoA. the only vendor where i can actually verify the lot.
research reference
compound deep-dives on peppudex · evidence grades + mechanism + sources:
also in the diary
what i actually use 💖
source on peppu.studio →research-use only · everything below is for laboratory use, not for human consumption · diary content reflects research-protocol logs, not medical advice 💖