Skin science article
Neurogan Health GHK-Cu Copper Peptide Versus The Ordinary Multi Peptides + Copper Peptide 1%
Neurogan Health GHK-Cu Copper Peptide Versus The Ordinary Multi Peptides + Copper Peptide 1% 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 ant
Neurogan Health GHK-Cu Copper Peptide Versus The Ordinary Multi Peptides + Copper Peptide 1%
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 Lactococcus Ferment Lysate and Copper Tripeptide-1 to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
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
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Copper Tripeptide-1
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Pentapeptide-18
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Sodium Hyaluronate
Allantoin
Glycine
Alanine
Serine
Valine
Isoleucine
Proline
Threonine
Histidine
Phenylalanine
Arginine
Aspartic Acid
Trehalose
Fructose
Glucose
Maltose
Urea
Sodium PCA
PCA
Sodium Lactate
Citric Acid
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Hydroxide
Butylene Glycol
Pentylene Glycol
Acacia Senegal Gum
Xanthan Gum
Carbomer
Polysorbate 20
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Sodium Benzoate
Caprylyl Glycol
Chlorphenesin
Water, Glycerin, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Trehalose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, Urea, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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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:
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
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.