Basic Lab Copper Peptides serum actually helps with fine line visibility
Actives:
- 0.5% Copper Peptides (GHK-Cu)
- Peptides that minimise wrinkle visibility
- Growth factors (plant origin)
On application:
Watery, lightweight, non-sticky light blue serum. Very easy to use, fragrance-free. For every skin type.
My thoughts:
The serum is effective. It reduces the appearance of fine lines, and this surprised me quite a bit – it’s probably the most effective peptide serum I’ve had. It also gives the impression of faster skin regeneration. The serum has a hydrating effect, which also helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles even more. It’s effective at what it promises – it does indeed give the feeling of smoother skin.
Copper peptides – controversy
Should I use this serum in one skincare routine with retinal? vitamin C? – is a common question I get. To answer it, we need to pinpoint why some people say you can’t. This is one of the often-repeated skin care claims that no one can pinpoint the source of.
A copper peptide can lose copper and then become inactive. It can either be ‘taken away’ from it by another copper chelating molecule, or the pH of the environment can change, etc. Until now, using somewhat outdated data, it was argued that copper peptides could not be used with retinoids, vitamin C, acids, etc. citing as an argument the ‘stealing’ of copper by these molecules. The question is, theoretically, if you apply retinal at a concentration of 0.1% (5 times lower) 5 minutes after a cosmetic with 0.5% copper peptides, does it have a chance to steal copper from the peptide? Is the affinity of copper for retinal (which is not given much credit for its metal chelating properties) so high that this process will occur? I don’t think so. The same with cosmetics with vitamin C derivatives, even solutions of ascorbic acid – here with a few minutes of distance I would not have a problem. With acids? If you apply gentle acid toners a few minutes before the copper peptides, the skin is more likely to return to a pH that won’t hurt the copper peptides, but it depends on whether the acid is chelating or not. Even if the copper is detached from the peptide, we still have a peptide with its own effect.
A great video summarizing this by a cosmetic chemist familiar with copper peptide research is here: LINK
The answer, in my opinion, is this: ingredients with a chelating effect (mainly EDTA, but also phytic acid, citric acid, gluconolactone and more…) are the only ones that probably should not be used in one routine with copper peptides, because there’s a higher possibility that you actively lose money due to destabilisation of the ingredient. But, did the EDTA (used in a very low concentration in skincare) already chelate a metal ion in its own formula it comes from? Well, that’s the question.
The need to… just work around them is tiresome to me. In terms of scientific output, they are rather inferior to retinoids in terms of stimulating collagen synthesis and maintaining overall skin health. They are most promising in terms of skin regeneration after damage or post-inflammatory lesions, and this is where there is indeed the most data on the subject. There is also the issue that copper is a substrate for tyrosinase, so theoretically high doses could stimulate pigment production. But it’s theoretical – just like theoretically, copper is pro-oxidant, and when combined with a peptide, their complex is considered an antioxidant. Is the same thing happening when it comes to stimulating tyrosinase activity? What bothers me about copper peptides is precisely this complexity. I for one like things not to be difficult to understand and use. My skepticism about copper peptides is not limited to this product – I have the same problem with the NIOD serum I’m testing after Basic Lab. However, this does not mean that the products are not effective. I simply look at the issue as a whole.
For you, if: you’re looking for a serum that will visibly smooth the skin and help decrease the visibility of wrinkles.
Not for you, if: you can’t be bothered to care this much about your skincare.
Buy it here: https://basiclab.shop/serum-ujedrniajace-miedziowe
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