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Custom · lipidated GHK-Cu for oil-phase systems
Overview
Palmitoyl GHK-Cu is a made-to-order, N-palmitoylated variant of the GHK-Cu coordination compound — a C16 fatty-acyl chain attached at the peptide's free amine to carry the copper-tripeptide motif into the oil phase of a formulation. The design intent is a coordination-chemistry one: keep the Cu(II)/Gly-His-Lys binding motif intact while changing the partition behaviour of the molecule so it can be carried in anhydrous and emulsion oil-phase systems where the plain water-soluble complex is awkward to place. Because palmitoylation occupies the N-terminal amine that also participates in copper coordination, the exact coordination geometry and copper loading are batch-defined: this is a custom synthesis, so Cupratec does not assign it a fixed catalogue CAS or a single MW — the measured copper content, the conjugation point, and the characterisation figures are specified on the batch COA for the lot you commission. This is a custom, made-to-order active from the Cu-peptide programme — from 25 g pilot scale through release. Cupratec scopes it with the formulator: the target acyl substitution, the intended carrier and oil-phase chemistry, and the copper-loading approach are agreed before synthesis, and the release file is built around what was actually made rather than a generic monograph. Each commissioned lot carries reversed-phase HPLC purity, identity by mass for the conjugate, a measured copper-content figure with the Cu²⁺:peptide relationship reported as-found, and a UV-Vis read to confirm the copper coordination survived the conjugation and the move into a lipophilic context. Cupratec supplies it strictly as a cosmetic active; efficacy and any cosmetic claim a finished product makes are the brand's responsibility under its destination-market rules. The lot-release and copper-coordination principles are the same ones set out in our Cu²⁺ : peptide ratio field note.
Who buys this, and why
Cosmetic-peptide buyers fall into two groups: established beauty / med-aesthetic brands extending an existing line, and private-label clients building a catalog from scratch. The first group usually wants lyophilized peptide material plus stability data in their existing carrier matrix; the second usually wants a finished formulation under their label. Both need INCI naming verified, regulator-specific safety files (CPNP for EU, FDA OTC monograph for US where relevant), and packaging-compatibility data.
Primary buyer fit: regional distributors and re-sellers and academic and contract research laboratories.
Specifications
Documentation available on request
Regulatory note
Custom · made to order · from 25 g pilot scale. Palmitoyl GHK-Cu is a custom-synthesised cosmetic active; it is not assigned a fixed catalogue CAS or MW — copper content, conjugation point, and characterisation are specified on the batch COA. Supplied as a cosmetic active only, not for compounded human-use preparations. Finished-product cosmetic claims are the brand's to substantiate under its destination-market rules.
Frequently asked questions
Because it is a custom synthesis. Palmitoylation attaches a C16 acyl chain at the peptide amine, and the precise conjugation point, the degree of substitution, and the resulting copper loading are defined by the synthesis route agreed for your lot rather than fixed in advance. Assigning a single catalogue CAS or a single MW to a made-to-order conjugate would imply a standardised identity it does not have — so Cupratec reports the real, measured parameters (copper content, identity by mass, conjugation point, purity) on the batch COA for the specific lot produced. That is the honest record of what was made, and it is what a formulator's QC group should hold the material against.
The plain GHK-Cu complex is water-soluble, which makes it awkward to place in anhydrous systems and oil-phase-heavy emulsions. Attaching a palmitoyl chain shifts the molecule's partition behaviour toward the lipophilic, so the copper-tripeptide motif can be carried in an oil phase or an anhydrous base while — by design — keeping the Cu(II)/Gly-His-Lys coordination intact. The trade-off is exactly what the release file checks: because the conjugation touches the amine that also helps coordinate the copper, every commissioned lot is read by UV-Vis and copper-content assay to confirm the coordination survived both the conjugation and the move into a lipophilic context. Use level and finished-product behaviour are formulation choices for the brand to develop and substantiate.
Cupratec scopes the active with you before any synthesis: the target acyl substitution, the carrier and oil-phase chemistry it has to live in, the copper-loading approach, and the documentation your QC group needs. From there it runs at 25 g pilot scale first, with the release file — reversed-phase HPLC purity, identity by mass, measured copper content with the Cu²⁺:peptide relationship as-found, and a UV-Vis confirmation — built around what was actually produced. Scale-up follows once the pilot lot is qualified against your spec. Lead time is quoted per project rather than held as a stock figure, because a custom conjugate's timeline depends on the route agreed. The underlying lot-release discipline is identical to the stocked complex and is described in our Cu²⁺ : peptide ratio field note.
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