Good Active Ingredient

Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu)

INCI: COPPER TRIPEPTIDE-1

CAS Number
49557-75-7
Function
Skin conditioning, wound healing
Safety Rating
GOOD

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status permitted
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes Permitted cosmetic ingredient registered in FDA VCRP. CIR Expert Panel safety conclusion published 2018 covers Copper Tripeptide-1 and related metal salt peptides. Not an FDA-approved OTC drug ingredient. Iamin hydrating gel is FDA-cleared wound-care product containing the ingredient. No FDA restrictions on cosmetic use at standard concentrations (less than 10 ppm).

For full compliance data across 55 jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
adequate
Dermal Absorption
low
Sensitization
low

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

EU: Not listed in Annex II or III of EC 1223/2009; permitted as skin conditioning agent. Copper nano form separately regulated under EU 2024/858. US: Permitted per FDA VCRP; CIR Expert Panel concluded safe in cosmetics at present concentrations (2018). FDA-cleared wound care product confirms biocompatibility.

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Concern Level: Low

Regulatory Flags

low-dermal-absorption weak-sensitizer copper-nano-regulated-separately concentration-dependent-safety peptide anti-aging

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) safe in cosmetics?

EU: Not listed in Annex II or III of EC 1223/2009; permitted as skin conditioning agent. Copper nano form separately regulated under EU 2024/858. US: Permitted per FDA VCRP; CIR Expert Panel concluded safe in cosmetics at present concentrations (2018). FDA-cleared wound care product confirms biocompatibility. The EU classifies Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) as "permitted". Safety rating: GOOD.

Is Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) allowed in the EU?

Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) do in cosmetics?

Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) functions as: Skin conditioning, wound healing. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 49557-75-7.

What is the Margin of Safety for Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu)?

adequate The Margin of Safety (MoS) is calculated using SCCS methodology. A MoS above 100 is generally considered safe. Use the MoS Calculator tool to calculate MoS for your specific formulation and product category.

Compliance Tools

Check Copper Peptide (GHK-Cu) compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
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Substance Compliance
Check compliance across 55 jurisdictions
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
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Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions

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