COPPER TRIPEPTIDE-1

📋 Quick facts

Description: COPPER TRIPEPTIDE-1 — peptide — supports wound healing, collagen/elastin production, anti-aging.

All Functions: peptide — supports wound healing, collagen/elastin production, anti-aging

Quick Facts:

• Category: active

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Copper tripeptide-1 is a small peptide used in skincare formulations targeting scars, hair loss, dandruff, and wound healing
• In a scar study, products containing copper tripeptide-1 reduced scar appearance by 26.57% over 45 days with no reported side effects
• Research suggests copper tripeptide-1 may help reduce excessive scar-related growth factors in lab studies of skin cells
• Copper tripeptide-1 has been studied in hair loss treatments as part of injectable formulations, showing results in 83% of patients
• The ingredient appears in dandruff treatments where it contributed to improvements in scalp hydration and flaking over 15 days

⚗️ Chemical Overview

Prezatide is a tripeptide consisting of glycine, histidine, and lysine which readily forms a complex with copper ions. Prezatide is used in cosmetic products for the skin and hair. It is known to aid wound healing and its potential applications in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and metastatic colon cancer are currently being investigated.

Source(s): DrugBank, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🤰 Pregnancy Safety Note

Limited topical safety data in pregnancy; copper systemic absorption is negligible at cosmetic concentrations.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Copper tripeptide-1 is a synthetic peptide—a short chain of amino acids bonded to copper—that researchers have investigated for several skin concerns. Here’s what the current evidence shows:

#1: Scar reduction and skin texture. A 2025 Cureus study tested a gel containing copper tripeptide-1 alongside other ingredients (L-carnitine L-tartrate, alpha-glucosyl hesperidin, and sodium hyaluronate) on people with acne scars. The formulation reduced scar visibility by 7.17% at 21 days and 26.57% at 45 days. Importantly, skin smoothness improved by 44.56% and roughness decreased measurably by day 45, with no adverse effects reported. #2: Hair loss treatment potential. A 2018 Journal of Cosmetic & Laser Therapy study included copper tripeptide-1 in an injectable hair formulation (combined with multiple growth factors) given to 1,000 patients.

Eighty-three percent showed significant reduction in hair fall, and 75% of patients reported benefit. Hair count increased significantly even at the 1-year mark, though copper tripeptide-1 was one ingredient among several, so its individual contribution isn’t isolated. #3: Scalp health and dandruff. A 2024 Cureus study examined a serum containing copper tripeptide-1 paired with witch hazel, hesperidin, hyaluronic acid, and pea protein for dandruff treatment. Over 15 days, scalp flaking improved by 61.24%, scalp hydration rose 76.24%, and hair density and thickness increased (12.48% and 25.36% respectively). Again, copper tripeptide-1 was part of a multi-ingredient formula. #4: Wound healing capacity in lab tests.

A 2023 Pharmaceutics study created silver nanoparticle conjugates using copper tripeptide-1 and tested them on fibroblasts (skin cells responsible for collagen) in a scratch-wound model. The copper tripeptide-1-silver conjugate showed 62.37% wound closure, about 2.82 times better than free copper tripeptide-1 alone (22.12% closure), though still lower than the myristoyl tetrapeptide-6 conjugate tested in parallel. This suggests the peptide may support skin cell migration and healing, but the nanoparticle formulation was key to the effect. #5: Scar-related growth factor modulation. A 2001 Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery study exposed normal and keloid-producing skin cells to copper tripeptide-1 in the lab.

Cells treated with copper tripeptide-1 secreted less transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1), a signaling molecule implicated in excessive scarring. This is a cellular-level finding suggesting a potential mechanism, but it was not tested on human skin. Limitations worth noting: Most human studies tested copper tripeptide-1 as one ingredient in a blend, making it difficult to credit results to the peptide alone. Study durations were short (15–45 days for most topical applications). The 2001 cell study and 2023 nanoparticle study are laboratory-only work, not human testing. No studies directly compared copper tripeptide-1 alone to placebo in humans for any indication.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Patel MN et al. (2025). Efficacy and Safety Assessment of ThriveCo Scar Fader Gel With Scarcede™ in the Treatment of Skin Scars. Cureus.
• Kapoor R et al. (2018). Intradermal injections of a hair growth factor formulation for enhancement of human hair regrowth – safety and efficacy evaluation in a first-in-man pilot clinical study. J Cosmet Laser Ther.
• Papaioannou A et al. (2023). Effect of Peptides on the Synthesis, Properties and Wound Healing Capacity of Silver Nanoparticles. Pharmaceutics.
• Patel MN et al. (2024). An Assessment of the Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of a Novel Scalp Treatment Regimen Combining a Hydroxy Acid-Based Scrub and Copper Tripeptide Serum in the Management of Seborrheic Dermatitis in Adults. Cureus.
• McCormack MC et al. (2001). The effect of copper tripeptide and tretinoin on growth factor production in a serum-free fibroblast model. Arch Facial Plast Surg.

🧴 Products Containing COPPER TRIPEPTIDE-1

• rael beauty collagen plump and smooth facial sheet masks
• Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence
• luckylily MASCARILLA SOS HIDRANTE E ILUMINADIRA
• Good Molecules Anti-aging Facial Serum with Peptides and Copper Tripeptides