Pal-GHK (palmitoyl tripeptide-1)

Overview

Pal-GHK is the three-amino-acid peptide GHK (the same peptide that binds copper in GHK-Cu) with a fatty acid attached to help it soak into skin. It is a common anti-wrinkle cream ingredient and one of the two peptides in Matrixyl 3000. Most of the evidence comes from lab studies and small tests run by the ingredient maker; it is now also sold online in vials, but nobody has studied injecting it.

How it works

Claimed: Pal-GHK acts as a 'signal peptide' that tells skin fibroblasts to make more collagen and glycosaminoglycans ⁷. Shown so far: in manufacturer lab work summarized by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), it increased a marker of collagen production in human fibroblasts, and in UVA-damaged human skin samples it preserved collagen about as well as retinoic acid ³. The fatty acid is meant to help the peptide get into skin ⁶. In a synthetic skin model, Pal-GHK passed through a little better than GHK-Cu or GHK (about 4.6% vs 3.9% and 2.5% over 24 hours) ⁹, and in three volunteers a Matrixyl 3000 serum left Pal-GHK in all layers of the outer skin, mostly between rather than inside cells ¹⁰. A 2025 review says it is still unproven whether adding the fatty acid changes how GHK works, and a 2026 review warns that results for GHK, GHK-Cu and Pal-GHK should not be swapped for one another ⁹¹³. Unlike GHK-Cu, Pal-GHK contains no copper.

What research shows

• Cell and skin-sample studies (manufacturer data summarized by CIR): increased collagen-synthesis signal in human fibroblasts; in UVA-damaged human skin samples, collagen was largely preserved, similar to retinoic acid ³.
• Human cream tests (manufacturer data summarized by CIR, not peer-reviewed trials): a blinded, vehicle-controlled eye-area test in 15 women (4 weeks, 3 ppm) reported shorter and shallower wrinkles; a 4-week test in 23 women (4 ppm) reported about 4% thicker skin by ultrasound vs vehicle ³.
• Matrixyl 3000 (Pal-GHK plus palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7) split-face test, 2 months, 24 and 25 volunteers: fewer deep wrinkles vs day 0; source is a manufacturer synopsis cited by CIR, and the effect of Pal-GHK alone cannot be separated ³.
• Clinical study (n=30 women, 2026): a timed regimen of baicalin by day and palmitoyl tripeptide-1 by night improved skin firmness and fold depth; the 2026 Yi review notes this result applies only to that regimen ¹¹¹³.
• Mouse and cell study (2026): a mix of EGCG, biotin and Pal-GHK improved hair regrowth in a stress-induced hair loss mouse model; Pal-GHK's own role is not separated ¹².
• Skin penetration: Pal-GHK reached all layers of the stratum corneum in 3 volunteers (Matrixyl 3000 serum) ¹⁰; it permeated slightly better than GHK in a synthetic skin model ⁹.
• A 2025 review found a 'surprising absence' of clinical studies of Pal-GHK and no published cell or clinical anti-wrinkle studies of it in the peer-reviewed literature it searched ⁹.
• No human studies of injected Pal-GHK were found.

What is claimed online

These are claims made where it is sold or discussed. They are not established facts, and some are contradicted by the evidence above.

• Claimed: boosts collagen like a retinoid without irritation. Evidence: comparisons with retinoic acid come from manufacturer skin-sample tests, not human trials ⁷³.
• Claimed: reduces wrinkles. Evidence: only small manufacturer cream tests (15-25 people, 4-8 weeks), mostly as part of Matrixyl 3000; a 2025 review found no peer-reviewed clinical studies of Pal-GHK ³⁹.
• Claimed: works like GHK-Cu. Evidence: Pal-GHK contains no copper, and a 2026 review says results for GHK, GHK-Cu and Pal-GHK cannot be transferred between them ¹³.
• Claimed: injecting it gives stronger or whole-body effects. Evidence: no human or animal injection studies were found; all research is on skin products.

Doses studied in people

There is no published human data for injecting Pal-GHK. The only human figures are low cream concentrations (parts per million) from manufacturer skin tests, which are not doses.

Read this first: these are the amounts given to participants in published studies or written on official prescribing labels, reported for reference. They are not recommendations. Trial doses were chosen for specific patients under medical supervision, and a dose that is safe in one person can be harmful in another.

Safety

• Cosmetic use: the CIR Expert Panel (2018) concluded palmitoyl tripeptide-1 is safe in cosmetics at current practices; typical use concentrations were under 10 ppm and safety test data were negative ⁴⁵.
• The 2012 CIR literature review found no published acute toxicity, irritation, sensitization, genotoxicity or cancer studies for palmitoyl peptides; the 2018 conclusion rested on the very low use concentrations and negative safety test data ³⁴.
• The CIR conclusion applies to skin products at very low concentrations, not to injection; FDA has not assessed injectable Pal-GHK. For other injectable peptides such as GHK-Cu, FDA has flagged possible immune reactions from aggregation and peptide impurities ¹⁷.
• Vials sold online as research peptides have unknown identity, purity, sterility and strength; reviews warn of mislabeling, contamination and low purity in grey-market peptides ¹⁹²⁰.
• Long-term safety of injecting it is unknown.

Report side effects of any drug or product to the FDA through MedWatch. For a possible poisoning in the US, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Legal status

FDA

Not an FDA-approved drug. In the US it is a cosmetic ingredient; FDA does not approve cosmetics or their ingredients (other than color additives) before sale ¹⁴. Products claiming to boost collagen or remove wrinkles are treated as drugs ¹⁵.

Compounding

Not named on FDA's 503A bulk drug substance category lists (updated May 14, 2026) or on FDA's Category 2 safety-risk page (current as of April 22, 2026) ¹⁶¹⁷.

Sports (WADA)

Not named on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List. WADA's S0 class covers pharmacological substances with no government approval for human therapeutic use, so athletes should check with their anti-doping organization before using any injectable form ¹⁸.

Other

Listed in the EU CosIng database as an active cosmetic ingredient (function: skin conditioning) ².

Rules change often. See Legal status of peptides for how these categories work.

History

In 2000, Lintner and Peschard described attaching fatty acids to fragile peptides as a way to make them usable in skin care ⁶. Pal-GHK was sold as Biopeptide CL and, combined with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, as Matrixyl 3000, both developed by Sederma ⁷. It was first listed under the ingredient name 'palmitoyl oligopeptide'; that name was retired in 2013 because it covered two different molecules ⁸. A CIR expert panel concluded in 2018 that it is safe as used in cosmetics ⁴.

Common questions

Related compounds

Sources

1. PubChem: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (CID 10231864) - formula, molecular weight, synonyms and CAS Database
2. European Commission CosIng database: PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-1 (substance ID 92513) Regulatory
3. Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Safety assessment of palmitoyl oligopeptides as used in cosmetics (Scientific Literature Review, August 13, 2012) Regulatory
4. Johnson W Jr et al. Safety assessment of tripeptide-1, hexapeptide-12, their metal salts and fatty acyl derivatives, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 as used in cosmetics. Int J Toxicol 2018;37(3 Suppl):90S-102S Journal
5. Bjerke DL et al. A framework for the safety evaluation of peptides in cosmetics. Curr Res Toxicol 2026 (PMID 41953401) Journal
6. Lintner K, Peschard O. Biologically active peptides: from a laboratory bench curiosity to a functional skin care product. Int J Cosmet Sci 2000 (PMID 18503476) Journal
7. Errante F et al. Cosmeceutical peptides in the framework of sustainable wellness economy. Front Chem 2020 (PMID 33195061) PubMed review
8. Resende DISP et al. Usage of synthetic peptides in cosmetics for sensitive skin. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021 (PMID 34451799) PubMed review
9. Mortazavi SM et al. Topically applied GHK as an anti-wrinkle peptide: advantages, problems and prospective. BioImpacts 2025 (PMID 39963574) PubMed review
10. Trzaska AH et al. Permeation behaviour of cosmetic actives into the human stratum corneum. Int J Pharm 2026 (PMID 42790608) Journal
11. Wang C et al. Targeting circadian rhythm for the regulation of skin collagen metabolism. J Cosmet Dermatol 2026 (PMID 41527525) Journal
12. Zheng X et al. EGCG-Biotin-Pal-GHK composition modulates TGF-beta and BMP pathways in scalp microenvironment for treating stress-induced alopecia. Eur J Pharmacol 2026 (PMID 42575238) Journal
13. Yi KH et al. Peptides in aesthetic dermatology: classification, fibroblast-centered mechanisms, delivery technologies, and clinical evidence. Life (Basel) 2026 (PMID 42942246) PubMed review
14. FDA: Is it a cosmetic, a drug, or both? (or is it soap?) Regulatory
15. FDA: Wrinkle treatments and other anti-aging products Regulatory
16. FDA: Bulk drug substances nominated for use in compounding under section 503A (category lists, updated May 14, 2026) Regulatory
17. FDA: Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (content current as of 04/22/2026) Regulatory
18. WADA 2026 Prohibited List (official English text, Dutch Treaty Series Trb. 2026, 25) Regulatory
19. Hailu KT et al. Unregulated peptide use in the age of biohacking: digital promotion, gray-market access, and emerging public health risks. Cureus 2026 (PMID 42437212) PubMed review
20. Zieneldien T, Ma S, Grant-Kels JM. Unapproved peptide therapies and dermatologic care: ethical boundaries in a gray-market era. JAAD Int 2026 (PMID 42935566) Journal