Once there, it may act as an early signal for skin repair since its amino acid sequence is present in the alpha 2(I) chain of type I collagen, which is often broken down to GHK by injury-activated proteolytic enzymes [4]
GHK-Cu is the hero, but every supporting ingredient has a role in hydration, barrier support, comfort, scalp feel, conditioning or routine performance
The skin will continue to absorb the copper peptides for hours, delivering ongoing regenerative benefits
But for the goal of supporting collagen synthesis and improving skin quality over time, it works through pathways that retinol doesn't touch, and without the barrier disruption that makes retinol difficult for some people to sustain
doi: 10.1186/s12967-019-1976-2