Their antioxidant properties help combat free radicals caused by UV exposure, enhancing the effectiveness of broad-spectrum sunscreens
The goal is to keep your glutathione levels stable so your body can continuously defend itself against oxidative stress and process fat efficiently
However, higher primates (including humans), most bats, guinea pigs, some fish species, and some bird species must acquire it from dietary sources because a gene for a synthesis enzyme has mutations that render it dysfunctional
HA is more widely available and commonly used, so the materials and administration are typically less expensive
Immunogenicity is unmeasured

This may be due to copper's ability to enhance the expression of metalloproteinases (MMPs).16 MMPs normally regulate the degradation of collagen, and a specific one, MMP-1, may be responsible for the initiation of collagen fragmentation.17 Supporting this, a 2024 study noted that elevated MMP-1 levels appear to contribute to aging skin and that higher MMP-1 levels in mice led to:18 The loss and fragmentation of dermal collagen fibrils Contracted fibroblast morphology Reduced collagen production Increased expression of pro-inflammatory mediators Additionally, a 2016 study found that GHK-Cu significantly increased gene expression of MMP-1 and MMP-2 at the lowest concentration, which the studys authors considered to be one of the reasons the peptide was able to increase collagen and elastin production.19 So, what this could ultimately mean is that using too much GHK-Cu (or other copper peptides) may in theory increase the skins MMP-1 concentration above the levels involved in healthy collagen production, taking it into the collagen fragmentation and breakdown territory seen in older skin with naturally higher MMP-1 levels
