AHK-Cu (L-Alanyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine, complexed with a Cu²⁺ ion) is a copper-binding tripeptide researched for its role in collagen synthesis, extracellular matrix remodeling, and hair follicle stimulation. It is not administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly- it is used exclusively as a topical application.

TOPICAL DOSING

PROTOCOLS FOR AHK-CU

HOW TO USE IT

PLACEMENT IN ROUTINE: Apply as a lightweight serum during the “treat” step- right after cleansing, followed by a moisturizer

FREQUENCY: Use twice daily (morning and evening) for best cumulative results. For those with particularly sensitive skin, only do a single nightly application for the first few weeks of use. Add a second application in the morning once the first is well-tolerated.

SELECT A BASE: A base is any serum or cream with compatible ingredients to serve as the delivery material for the AHK-CU. relies heavily on a precise, neutral pH environment (approximate pH of 5.5 and 7.0) to remain stable. Introducing ingredients that heavily alter this pH or bind to copper will break the chemical bond between the peptide and copper ion, effectively deactivating both components.

Compatible and/or Synergistic Ingredients

  • Hyaluronic acid
  • Other copper peptides (e.g. GHK-Cu)
  • Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
  • Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
  • SNAP-8

Incompatible Ingredients

  • AHA’s and BHA’s
  • Glycolic acid
  • Lactic acid
  • Mandelic acid
  • Salicylic acid
  • Azelaic acid

If your routine includes items which contains these ingredients, space out use of the items: for example, use the exfoliating acids in the evening and the AHK-Cu in your morning routine.

CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE MIXING/STORAGE CONTAINER FOR YOUR AHK-Cu SERUM. The least expensive and most practical are any of the pot-style containers with the twist-off caps found in the travel section of just about every grocery store (or in the budget section of any craft store). Opaque plastic is always preferred to prevent degradation from light exposure. If only see-through options are available, just wrap the container in foil, enclose it inside of an opaque Tupperware container, or wrap the container in a paper towel or rag. 2 ounce containers are generally recommended.

GATHER SUPPLIES. You will need:

  • A 2-ounce container with screw-on lid
  • Alcohol swabs
  • A small bottle of distilled water
  • Measuring spoons: either a Tablespoon or Teaspoon
  • A clean syringe: any size will work. You will remove the plunger to use as a stirring device
  • If your container has light permeable or transparent plastic, make sure you either have foil, a container made from light impermeable material to enclose your storage container in, a couple paper towels, or a rag
  • Required amount of serum with compatible ingredients for the number of vials you are mixing (see next section)
  • Optional/Potentially Necessary: Digital scale with the capability of measuring thousandths of a gram (have three digits to the right of the decimal)

MEASURING ML QUANTITIES WITH COMMON HOUSEHOLD MEASURING DEVICES

30ML

  • 6 tablespoons
  • 1 small dosing cup (the small plastic dosing cups often found on top of liquid cough medicine bottles)

60ML

  • 1/4-cup
  • 4 tablespoons
  • 2 small dosing cups (e.g. the type often found on top of liquid cough medicine bottles )

90ML

  • 1/3-cup + 2 tablespoons
  • 6 tablespoons

When preparing a standalone formulation of AHK-Cu the mixing ratio is 300mg of AHK-Cu per 30mL of Serum Base. The most commonly accepted topical formulation calls for 300mg: 30mL. However, it should be noted that 1 gram of AHK-Cu is equal to 1,000mg. Because it would be unnecessarily wasteful to waste the 100mg we would be left with were we to blindly follow that protocol, we have modified ours to be “333mg of AHK-Cu per 30mL of serum base.” We recommend that you always mix an entire gram of AHK-Cu at once, for a couple reasons. First, 30mL is an insufficient amount to work with for this type of application. Secondly, if you were to prepare only either 333mg or 666mg of AHK-Cu rather than making it easy and just doing the entire 1 gram vial, you will either need to extract that amount of powder from the full gram prior to mixing it or, and what is actually slightly more difficult, divide the mixture accordingly. To accomplish either of these with any degree of accuracy, this should be accomplished using a scale that has the ability to read thousandths of one gram (shows three numbers to the right of the decimal). Since 1 gram equals 1,000mg we divide 1,000mg by 333mg= 3. Take that 3 and multiply it by 30mL, and you’ll have the total amount of Serum required to mix your 1 gram vial of AHK-Cu is 90mL.

  1. Prior to using your new screw-top container, wash it and allow it to dry thoroughly.
  2. Use an alcohol swab to swipe the inside of the container, including the inside of the cap.
  3. Use another alcohol swab to wipe the top of the AHK-Cu vial thoroughly.
  4. Add your AHK-Cu to your storage container.
  5. Draw some distilled water into a clean syringe- it is recommended that whatever size syringe you are using for this portion of the protocol, that you go ahead and fill it to capacity (unless you are using a reconstitution syringe- in that case just draw 1mL at a time).
  6. Trickle the water onto the powder, taking care to not shoot the water from the syringe with any force, as agitation can degrade peptides/compounds. Using a sterile stirring device (I recommend removing the plunger from a clean syringe to use for this purpose), mix the water into the powder continually until no veins of dry powder remain.
  7. Gently add the predetermined quantity of serum to the liquid AHK-Cu.
  8. Mix. Then mix some more. When you think you’re done, recruit a responsible offspring or unsuspecting spouse to keep going… When they think they’re done, get them to keep going, just a little while longer.
  9. Once you are certain that your blending efforts rival any electric blender, secure the lid onto the container- time to either use it for the first time or store it until you’re ready to try it out.
  10. Store in the refrigerator. When the mixing has achieved absolute perfection, refrigerate. Is it necessary? Pretty much. You will lose a lot of efficacy if you don’t keep it in the proper storage environment. If you dislike the idea of slathering on a face cream that has absorbed some of the smells of its refrigerator neighbors? Worry not! I have stored my topicals in the fridge constantly over the years without detecting a suspicious feta or ham-esque odor emanating from the product as I put the lotion on the skin… Should the idea of storing your topicals with your foodstuffs bother you still, use it as an excuse to buy a “makeup” fridge for your bathroom, which you can then use to house the entirety of your personal peptide supplement collection (assuming that you’ve gone down the rabbit hole)…

When preparing a blend with GHK-Cu, the mixing ratio is 300mg of AHK-Cu plus 1.8g of GHK-Cu to every 30mL of Serum Base. We recommend always prepping at 60ml-90ml at once. Therefore 60mL of serum would contain 600mg of AHK-Cu and 3.6 grams of AHK-Cu. A 90mL batch of serum would contain 1 gram* of AHK-Cu and 5.4 grams of GHK-Cu. With your amounts determined, you will follow the same preparation procedure set forth above.

  1. Prior to using your new screw-top container, wash it and allow it to dry thoroughly.
  2. Use an alcohol swab to swipe the inside of the container, including the inside of the cap.
  3. Use another alcohol swab to wipe the top of the AHK-Cu vial thoroughly.
  4. Add your AHK-Cu to your storage container.
  5. Draw some distilled water into a clean syringe- it is recommended that whatever size syringe you are using for this portion of the protocol, that you go ahead and fill it to capacity (unless you are using a reconstitution syringe- in that case just draw 1mL at a time).
  6. Trickle the water onto the powder, taking care to not shoot the water from the syringe with any force, as agitation can degrade peptides/compounds. Using a sterile stirring device (I recommend removing the plunger from a clean syringe to use for this purpose), mix the water into the powder continually until no veins of dry powder remain.
  7. Gently add the predetermined quantity of serum to the liquid AHK-Cu.
  8. Mix. Then mix some more. When you think you’re done, recruit a responsible offspring or unsuspecting spouse to keep going… When they think they’re done, get them to keep going, just a little while longer.
  9. Once you are certain that your blending efforts rival any electric blender, secure the lid onto the container- time to either use it for the first time or store it until you’re ready to try it out.
  10. Store in the refrigerator. When the mixing has achieved absolute perfection, refrigerate. Is it necessary? Pretty much. You will lose a lot of efficacy if you don’t keep it in the proper storage environment. If you dislike the idea of slathering on a face cream that has absorbed some of the smells of its refrigerator neighbors? Worry not! I have stored my topicals in the fridge constantly over the years without detecting a suspicious feta or ham-esque odor emanating from the product as I put the lotion on the skin… Should the idea of storing your topicals with your foodstuffs bother you still, use it as an excuse to buy a “makeup” fridge for your bathroom, which you can then use to house the entirety of your personal peptide supplement collection (assuming that you’ve gone down the rabbit hole)…