Neurogan Health GHK-Cu Copper Peptide Versus Mirror Skin Copper Elixir

Neurogan Health GHK-Cu Copper Peptide Versus Mirror Skin Copper Elixir

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Copper Tripeptide-1 and Thioctic Acid to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Copper Tripeptide-1 4%

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Glycerin

Kojic Acid

Carica Papaya Seed Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Ethylhexylglycerin

Phenoxyethanol

Tocopherol

Niacinamide

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Copper Tripeptide-1 4%, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Kojic Acid, Carica Papaya Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Niacinamide, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil

Water

Hamamelis Virginiana Water

Alcohol

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Polysorbate 20

Copper Tripeptide-1

Thioctic Acid

Acetyl Carnitine Hcl

Phenyl T-Butylnitrone

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Cassia Alata Leaf Extract

Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract

Citrus Grandis Peel Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Sea Salt

Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract

Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Gluconolactone

Zea Mays Starch

Hydrolyzed Corn Starch

Hydrolyzed Corn Starch Octenylsuccinate

Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract

Polysorbate 80

Sodium Benzoate

Phenethyl Alcohol

Caprylyl Glycol

Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Glycerin, Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Polysorbate 20, Copper Tripeptide-1, Thioctic Acid, Acetyl Carnitine Hcl, Phenyl T-Butylnitrone, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sea Salt, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Gluconolactone, Zea Mays Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch Octenylsuccinate, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Benzoate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a skin repairing ingredient known for its ability to boost collagen, improve firmness, and support skin regeneration.

It is a complex made up of a naturally occurring peptide (glycine-histidine-lysine) and copper, an essential trace element.

While studying wound healing, researchers noticed GHK-Cu stimulated hair follicle enlargement and growth by keeping hair in its active growth phase longer. This has made it a promising ingredient for hair regrowth treatments.

Some people have reported increased facial hair. While GHK-Cu can make your hair follicles bigger, it usually doesn’t turn soft, barely-visible facial hairs into thick, dark ones.

Anecdotal reports suggest that overusing copper peptides might lead to premature aging due to excess free copper or enzyme imbalances. This claim isn’t backed by large-scale studies.

Unfortunately, there are limited human studies for this ingredient. While early results are promising, many studies are either small, in-vitro, or not rigorously controlled.

For example, there is a 1998 study that explored the effects of copper tripeptide, vitamin C, tretinoin, and melatonin on skin repair and collagen synthesis.

After one month, increased procollagen production was seen in 7 out of 10 participants using copper tripeptide (more than those using vitamin C, melatonin, or tretinoin.

While the study was exploratory, it offers early evidence that copper tripeptide may support collagen production. Larger, well-designed trials are still needed to confirm its potential and understand individual responses.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

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