Proof

What the research shows

A measured look at what is well studied, what is not, and where our confidence ends.

The boundary

We would rather show you the evidence than talk around it

This page sets out what the published research says about our two active ingredients — the copper peptide GHK-Cu, and topical magnesium. It also says plainly where the evidence is thin.

First, the boundary. Our Beauty Bar and Recovery Lotion are cosmetic products for external use on intact skin. Nothing below should be read as a medical claim.

They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

GHK-Cu

The better studied of the two

GHK-Cu is a copper-binding peptide that occurs naturally in human plasma, and its measured level in the body tends to fall with age. It has been studied for decades in laboratory and skin models. A 2018 review by Pickart and Margolina in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences gathers this work, describing signals related to skin remodelling and antioxidant activity in the models examined.

We read that as encouraging, not conclusive.

Much of the strongest data comes from cell and animal models rather than large human trials on finished cosmetic formulas. So we say GHK-Cu has been studied, and may support the look of the skin over time. We do not say it repairs or cures anything.

GHK-Cu is the leave-on active in the Recovery Lotion, not the bar.

Topical magnesium

Well liked, and less proven

Magnesium is where we have to be candid.

Applied to the skin, magnesium is widely used and appreciated for muscle comfort after activity — and that is the role we give it in the Recovery Lotion.

The evidence that topical magnesium meaningfully improves the skin barrier is limited. Some small studies point in interesting directions, but the picture is far from settled.

So we keep the claim narrow. We use magnesium chloride for the after-effort feeling many people like, and we do not tell you it rebuilds your barrier.

If new and stronger evidence arrives, we will update this page rather than quietly leave the old wording in place.

The ledger

What we are confident about, and what we are not

  • Well studied

    GHK-Cu has a substantial published literature, reviewed in 2018.

  • Reasonable

    Our formulas use these actives at cosmetic levels, for external use on intact skin.

  • Honest limit

    Much GHK-Cu data is from models, not large human trials of finished products.

  • Thin evidence

    Topical magnesium for skin-barrier claims is not well established. We use it for muscle comfort.

  • Out of scope

    None of this treats a medical condition, and we make no such claim.

If we cannot point to a real source, we do not make the claim. That is the rule this page follows.

Sources

The papers behind this page

  1. Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and Protective Actions of the GHK-Cu Peptide in the Light of the New Gene Data. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018;19(7):1987.
  2. Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration. BioMed Research International, 2015;2015:648108.
  3. Gröber U, Werner T, Vormann J, Kisters K. Myth or Reality: Transdermal Magnesium? Nutrients, 2017;9(8):813.
  4. Chandrasekaran NC, Sanchez WY, Mohammed YH, et al. Permeation of Topically Applied Magnesium Ions Through Human Skin. Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2016;27(3):287–290.

For external use on intact skin only. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.