Home › Guides › Ingredient notes
GHK-Cu INCI Name: Copper Tripeptide-1 on a Label
GHK-Cu is a trade name. The INCI name you declare is Copper Tripeptide-1. What that means for the label, the PIF and the way you order the raw material.
If you search for GHK-Cu and end up on a supplier page, you will see the trade name written everywhere and the INCI name written once, in small type, further down. That ordering is the source of a very common labelling mistake.
The name pair
| Trade name | INCI name | Where each is used |
|---|---|---|
| GHK-Cu, Copper Peptide, copper tripeptide | Copper Tripeptide-1 | Trade name: supplier catalogues, quotations, purchase orders. INCI: the label, the PIF, the notification file. |
The peptide itself is the tripeptide Gly-His-Lys with a copper ion bound to it. In the INCI inventory the copper form is what is named, which is why the entry is not simply “Tripeptide-1”.
How it appears on a label
In the ingredient list, INCI names are written exactly as the inventory spells them, in descending order of concentration, with the standard separators:
Aqua, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol
Three things people get wrong here:
- Writing GHK-Cu on the label. The trade name is not a declarable ingredient name in either the EU or the US.
- Writing “Copper peptide”. That is a category, not an ingredient.
- Listing it as “Tripeptide-1”. That names a different entry from the one that carries the copper.
What this changes when you buy
The INCI name is also the cleanest way to check you are being quoted the right substance. Two consequences follow:
Ask for the INCI name in writing on the quotation. A quotation that says only “GHK-Cu” does not commit the supplier to any particular declaration, and a substitution later becomes an argument rather than a breach.
Check the COA against the INCI. The certificate should identify the material in a way that matches what you will declare. If the COA names one substance and you declare another, the documentation chain does not hold together in an audit.
Purity, appearance and the INCI question
GHK-Cu is a blue powder because of the bound copper. Colour depth varies between lots and is not a purity measure — HPLC gives the purity figure and MS confirms identity. When you compare two quotations, compare the specification, the lot COA and the declaration, not the photograph.
Frequently asked questions
Is GHK-Cu the same as Copper Tripeptide-1?
Yes. GHK-Cu is the trade name; Copper Tripeptide-1 is the INCI name you declare on the label and in the product information file.
Can I write GHK-Cu on the ingredient list?
No. Trade names are not declarable ingredient names in the EU or the US. Use the INCI name.
Does the INCI name include the copper?
Yes. The entry is Copper Tripeptide-1, not Tripeptide-1. The copper form has its own listing.
What purity should the COA show?
Standard cosmetic grades are usually 98% or higher by HPLC. Ask for the lot COA rather than a generic specification sheet.
Is the colour a reliable quality signal?
No. Colour depth reflects copper binding and moisture as much as concentration. Judge by HPLC and MS, not by how blue the powder looks.
The points that come up most often when brands prepare a label for the first time.