GHK
What do these badges mean?
Evidence tier
- AHuman-validated — Human trials showing positive results and good safety.
- BAnimal-grade — No human trials yet, but solid animal/preclinical evidence of effect and safety.
- CAnecdotal — No human or animal trials — only anecdotal/observational reports.
- DInsufficient evidence — No or insufficient evidence (encyclopedia only — never recommended by the builder).
Safety light
- 🟢 Green — Only mild, manageable side effects; reasonable safety data.
- 🟡 Yellow — Needs active management, has a meaningful contraindication/interaction, or has thin long-term data.
- 🔴 Red — Risk of a hospital-level event — treat with serious caution.
Browse-only — not on the protocol builder's curated shortlist, so the builder won't recommend it.
What is it?
GHK is the non-copper-coordinated form of the GHK tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys) — the base molecule behind GHK-Cu, the copper-bound compound that anchors the whole copper-peptide family in this cluster (alongside Pal-GHK, AHK-Cu, and Pal-AHK).
What does it do in my body?
GHK modulates gene expression related to tissue remodeling, collagen synthesis, and wound healing.
How can it help me?
- Where the science stands: Moderate — 30 studies including human and animal (the strongest evidence base in the cosmetic-topical cluster); OHM grades it Tier B by extrapolation from the GHK-Cu literature
The full evidence — every human, animal, and lab study, graded — is one tap away: use the See the deeper science → toggle at the top.
Is it dangerous? What are the side effects?
No adverse-effect data specific to the free-base (non-copper) form was captured in the source profile beyond what’s documented for the copper-bound compound. See GHK-Cu for the detailed safety and side-effect picture, which largely applies to this parent molecule.
Regulatory status: The source material does not distinguish a separate regulatory status for free-base GHK from the copper-bound form. See GHK-Cu for the full regulatory picture (topical = legal OTC cosmetic; injectable = research-use-only, with an evolving FDA compounding-list status).
Typical dosing
Talk to your medical provider before starting any protocol. That said, here are the doses most people commonly use — shared for educational purposes so you can have an informed conversation. These peptides are sold for research use only and are not FDA-approved drugs, and this isn't medical advice.
The source material for free-base GHK does not carry its own distinct dosing protocol separate from the copper-bound compound; OHM’s copper-family framing treats GHK-Cu as the practical, commercially relevant form (topical or injectable). No standalone free-base GHK protocol was captured in the source.
What should I avoid combining — and what's synergistic?
GHK doesn't have a dedicated stacking protocol in our notes — the interactions that matter most are in the safety section above. For how people combine it with other peptides, the deeper-science view has the full detail.
How can I buy this?
We don't have a verified affiliate source for GHK yet, so there's no coupon or vendor link here — we won't point you to a seller we haven't vetted. When buying any research-use-only peptide, the single biggest variable is the supply chain: insist on a vendor that publishes third-party Certificates of Analysis (COAs) confirming identity and >99% purity. Working with a peptide-literate clinician is one solid route — see our provider directory — or check back as our verified sources list grows.
The un-coordinated form of the tripeptide behind GHK-Cu — the anchor of the whole cosmetic-peptide copper family, even though most of the real evidence belongs to the copper-bound version. If you’re looking for the deep evidence dive, GHK-Cu is where it lives; this article covers the free-base form specifically.
| Class | Copper peptide family (non-copper-coordinated form) — topical/systemic |
| Mechanism (one line) | Modulates gene expression related to tissue remodeling, collagen synthesis, and wound healing |
| Evidence base | Moderate — 30 studies including human and animal (the strongest evidence base in the cosmetic-topical cluster); OHM grades it Tier B by extrapolation from the GHK-Cu literature |
| Safety record | Safety: green |
| Regulatory status | Same general cosmetic/topical framing as the copper-bound form; see GHK-Cu for the full regulatory picture on the copper-coordinated compound Alyve actually sells |
What it is
GHK is the non-copper-coordinated form of the GHK tripeptide (Gly-His-Lys) — the base molecule behind GHK-Cu, the copper-bound compound that anchors the whole copper-peptide family in this cluster (alongside Pal-GHK, AHK-Cu, and Pal-AHK).
How it works
GHK modulates gene expression related to tissue remodeling, collagen synthesis, and wound healing.
What the research shows
This is the strongest evidence base in the entire cosmetic-topical cluster: the public profile grades free-base GHK Moderate, with 30 studies including human and animal. Genuine on-target findings include:
- A crow’s-feet case report with increased collagen and elastic-fiber production (Byun et al., 2016, PMID 27064823).
- Multiple GHK-Cu studies in wound healing, lung fibrosis, and smoking-induced muscle dysfunction (e.g. PMID 36905132, PMID 28370978, both).
Honesty note: the profile’s #1-cited “RCT, n=1600” is a children’s-bodyweight intervention trial that’s an off-target database match, not a GHK study.
OHM’s internal 0035 categorization pass grades free-base GHK Tier B / green / recommend-eligible ( + SECONDARY heal-recover) — “Tier B by extrapolation from the GHK-Cu literature” — noting that the copper-coordinated form drives most of the documented benefit.
Status: the anchor of the cosmetic-peptide world by reputation, but most of the real evidence belongs to the copper form. For the full evidence dive, protocol, and safety picture, see GHK-Cu — the compound Alyve actually sells.
Real-world protocol
The source material for free-base GHK does not carry its own distinct dosing protocol separate from the copper-bound compound; OHM’s copper-family framing treats GHK-Cu as the practical, commercially relevant form (topical or injectable). No standalone free-base GHK protocol was captured in the source.
Side effects & management
No adverse-effect data specific to the free-base (non-copper) form was captured in the source profile beyond what’s documented for the copper-bound compound. See GHK-Cu for the detailed safety and side-effect picture, which largely applies to this parent molecule.
Regulatory status
The source material does not distinguish a separate regulatory status for free-base GHK from the copper-bound form. See GHK-Cu for the full regulatory picture (topical = legal OTC cosmetic; injectable = research-use-only, with an evolving FDA compounding-list status).
Sources
- (thepeptidelist.com directory, captured 2026-06-07) — profile grade: Moderate, 30 studies, human + animal. Studies cited: Byun et al., 2016, PMID 27064823; PMID 36905132; PMID 28370978.
- OHM tier/safety grading: Tier B / green / recommend-eligible ( + SECONDARY heal-recover), by extrapolation from the GHK-Cu literature.
- Migrated from
cosmetic-topical-peptides-cluster.md(2026-06-10 cluster build) as part of the cluster-to-standalone-article migration.
Sources & references
- (thepeptidelist.com directory, captured 2026-06-07) — profile grade: Moderate, 30 studies, human + animal. Studies cited: Byun et al., 2016, PMID 27064823; PMID 36905132; PMID 28370978.
- OHM tier/safety grading: Tier B / green / recommend-eligible ( + SECONDARY heal-recover), by extrapolation from the GHK-Cu literature.
- Migrated from
cosmetic-topical-peptides-cluster.md(2026-06-10 cluster build) as part of the cluster-to-standalone-article migration.