As the peptide market has exploded in the past couple of years, there are tons of brands selling peptides in all different forms. When it comes to GHK-Cu for hair loss, it is important to know what your buying.
The most important part of any GHK-Cu hair loss topical, is of course the GHK-Cu itself. Here are some things to consider.
1. The concentration: There is wide variety of concentrations ranging 1% all the way up to 10%. Unless you are a very experienced GHK-Cu user, you wont want a concentration higher than 1%, as this can often have negative consequences such as sagging and deteriorating skin, due to its extremely high angiogenic properties.
That being said, lots of companies lie about the real concentration, trying to trick the customer into thinking a higher concentration is more powerful. A great way to determine if the GHK-Cu concentration is actually accurate, is the color. Higher concentrations will have a very dark blue color, while lower concentrations will have a more neutral or lighter blue color. There are many brands that claim very high concentrations while the color is a very light blue, almost translucent. This is a dead giveaway that they are lying.
The ingredient list: Pay close attention to the ingredients. GHK-Cu does not need a lot to fillers or preservatives to be effective. If there is a very long list of ingredients, steer clear. That being said, there still needs to be a few solvents and preservatives to make it effective. A good rule of thumb to look for is 3-4 preservatives and solvents such as sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide, and citric acid - paired with one or two carriers such as propylene glycol and xanthum gum. This is enough to make up the base of the formula, any ingredients beyond that should be GHK-Cu or other healthy and hair promoting compounds such as Biotin, Niacinamide, Caffeine, Etc.
The source: The manufacturer of any GHK-Cu product is very important, look for a reliable third party tested GMP source. Bonus point if they have active NSF certification (the most strict certification agency in the cosmetics industry).
Additionally, many brands use manufacturers that use diluted formulas which they can repurpose as hair loss formulas and other skin care products. Again, look for a very long list of ingredients with lots of fillers and a very light almost translucent color.
Thanks for reading, follows these tips and tricks to make informed decisions when sourcing your GHK-Cu online!