Encyclopedia entry

Peptide therapy for skin

"Peptide therapy for skin" usually means topical cosmetic peptides: ingredients such as copper peptides (GHK-Cu) and Matrixyl that appear in serums and creams. These are sold as general-sale skincare and are a different category from the injectable research peptides that some clinics also market as peptide therapy. The two share the word "peptide" and little else.

The cosmetic peptides people mean

• · Copper peptides (GHK-Cu): the most-studied cosmetic peptide, used in topical anti-ageing formulations.
• · Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide): a signal-peptide ingredient common in serums.
• · These are topical skincare ingredients on general sale, not injectables and not medicines.

How this differs from injectable peptide therapy

The injectable research peptides marketed as peptide therapy (for example GHK-Cu in injectable form, or recovery peptides) are sold research use only and hold no UK authorisation for human therapeutic use. Topical cosmetic peptides in regulated skincare products are a separate, general-sale category. If skin is the interest, the cosmetic-peptide route is the everyday one.

Related: What is peptide therapy · Cosmetic peptides · The Pickart hypothesis (GHK-Cu) · Copper peptides.