A brief that says only “copper peptide” has not named the complex. Copper Tripeptide-1 is the copper complex of glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine—the material most buyers call GHK-Cu. PubChem lists that complex as prezatide copper, CAS 89030-95-5, with synonyms that include Copper tripeptide-1 and GHK copper. The dry grade on this page is a distinctive blue powder, HPLC ≥99%, highly water-soluble.
Why the INCI and the common name get treated as two materials—and why another copper peptide does not fill this order—is in GHK-Cu Is Copper Tripeptide-1; AHK-Cu Is a Different Sequence.
What the INCI and COA are locking
Write Copper Tripeptide-1 on the label line. Sequence on this site is Gly-His-Lys-Cu (GHK-Cu). CAS is 89030-95-5. Synonyms on the product page include GHK-Cu, Copper Peptide, and Prezatide Copper—“Copper Peptide” alone is a class name, not a finished identity for the warehouse.
PubChem prints the formula C14H23CuN6O4+ and a molecular weight of about 402.92 for the same CAS. The product page prints C14H24CuN6O4. Those are different ways of writing the complex; public records do not all draw the protons the same way. Do not reject a lot only because one database line has a different hydrogen count. Read the formula and sequence on the COA.
CIR’s 2014 peptide assessment treats Copper Tripeptide-1 as a skin-conditioning complex of copper and Tripeptide-1, and notes that reported cosmetic use concentrations for peptides in that review were often very low. That survey context is not a substitute for this drum’s TDS. Set the pilot from the grade you buy.
What “for skin” is deciding
Searches for copper tripeptide-1 for skin and skin benefits are placement questions. PubChem records prezatide copper among cosmetic ingredients for skin and hair. Formulators put the blue complex in water-based serums and creams when the brief asks for GHK-Cu remodeling / matrix-support language. The product brief also lists collagen- and elastin-related positioning and soothing / redox language around this complex.
Those points describe why the INCI is on the brief. They are not a promise that every finished cream will erase wrinkles, and they do not turn a wound-healing note in a database into a use instruction for the raw powder. Do not brief this peptide for injection. The cosmetic path is topical.
The same powder in a hair or scalp base
Searches for copper tripeptide-1 for hair, and for hair growth, are asking where else this powder goes. PubChem names hair as well as skin among the cosmetic uses. Identity does not change: a scalp tonic and a face serum can both call for Copper Tripeptide-1 when the COA shows Gly-His-Lys-Cu. A hair-growth drug claim is not part of the powder specification, and an injectable dose is not a cosmetic use level. This note does not give one.
How this grade goes into water
Suggested use on the product page is 0.01–0.05% (about 100–500 ppm), with a note that the peptide is potent at that low band. Another supplier’s lot can carry a different range—use the TDS of the drum you bought.
The powder is highly soluble in water. Add it to the aqueous phase or during cool-down, below 40°C. Avoid high shear after it is in. The listed pH window is 5.0–7.0. Below about pH 4.5 the same specification says the copper ion can leave the complex. Strong chelating agents such as EDTA, and strong oxidants in the same phase, interfere with the copper complex. The powder is sensitive to light and air; store cool and dry.
A percent copied from a pre-diluted blue solution is not the same as a percent of neat ≥99% powder. Calculate from the assay and form on the COA.
What not to substitute silently
Three mix-ups show up on the same RFQ thread.
A generic “copper peptide” line without INCI, sequence, or CAS 89030-95-5 has not named this grade.
Tripeptide-1 on this site is the copper-free GHK-related peptide (page sequence Gly-His-Lys-OEt, CAS 72957-37-0). The amino-acid letters can look related; the copper and the blue color do not transfer. A white Tripeptide-1 lot does not satisfy a GHK-Cu specification.
AHK-Cu (alanyl-histidyl-lysine copper) is a different sequence. That fork is in the vs GHK-Cu note linked above.
Pairing still means two purchase lines
The product page notes synergy language with Niacinamide or Hyaluronic Acid for barrier and hydration chassis. Those remain separate SKUs and separate COAs. Copper Tripeptide-1 does not replace niacinamide on the order.
What to send before the first sample ships
Put these lines in the message to the supplier:
- INCI Copper Tripeptide-1; CAS 89030-95-5
- Sequence Gly-His-Lys-Cu, and confirmation that copper is part of the complex
- Appearance: blue powder; HPLC assay (≥99% if that is your brief)
- Cool-down below 40°C, pH 5.0–7.0, no EDTA / strong oxidants in the same phase
- Bench-sample pack size, plus COA, SDS, and TDS with the shipment
- The formula line printed on that COA
Batch documents and a sample are available from the product page. Match the blue powder and the assay to the specification you wrote, then scale. A clear GHK-Cu line usually returns documents and a quote; a vague “copper peptide” line usually returns clarifying questions first.
