GHK (Basic) vs Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
A side-by-side research comparison of GHK (Basic) and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 across mechanism, dosing, half-life, benefits, side effects and research status.
Comparison table
| Attribute | GHK (Basic) | Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | GHK (Glycyl-L-Histidyl-L-Lysine, Copper-Free) | Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (Pal-GHK) |
| Category | Skin & Anti-Aging | Skin & Anti-Aging |
| Status | Cosmetic research peptide | Research compound |
| Mechanism | GHK is a matrikine signal peptide that resets gene expression toward tissue repair, stimulating collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycan synthesis and modulating antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways. It readily binds copper to become GHK-Cu in situ. | Functions as matrikine signal, mimicking collagen fragments that trigger fibroblasts to produce new collagen. Palmitoyl enables deeper skin penetration. |
| Molecular weight | 340.4 Da | 578.8 Da |
| Half-life | Short (peptide) | 8-12 hours (topical) |
| Bioavailability | Topical (local); injectable (research) | Good (topical with lipid modification) |
| Typical dose | Topical serum (~1-3 mg/mL) | 2-5% in formulation |
| Frequency | 1-2x daily | 1-2x daily |
| Route | Topical | Topical |
GHK (Basic) reported benefits
- Skin remodeling and repair signaling
- Stimulates collagen and elastin
- Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
- Supports wound healing
- Improves skin firmness
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 reported benefits
- Collagen synthesis stimulation
- Matrix remodeling
- Wrinkle reduction
- Skin thickness increase
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Research and educational reference only. Not medical advice.