Blue Me Away: Skin Biology 7% GHK-Cu Accelerant Review

Say “hai” to Skin Biology 7% GHK-Cu Accelerant ($70 for 1,000 mgs), a super concentrated solution strictly intended to make things pretty mix into other skincare for an added copper peptide boost.

Is 7% a lot? YES. For reference, the highest concentration in a Skin Biology serum/lotion is 3%, and NIOD CAIS (Copper Amino Isolate Serum) is 2% (and used to go up to 5%, but CAIS 5% appears discontinued). Skin Biology warns of irritation if the concentration is too high.

I tried Skin Biology as a potential replacement for my beloved (blue-loved?) but pricey CAIS (reviewed here). Skin Biology’s products are a better value in terms of both per-ml cost and the “free samples,” which–woohoo!–consist of full-size or deluxe-size products worth about $20 each.

Skin Biology 7% GHK-Cu Accelerant Review

I’d repurchase this. For $70, you receive 1,000 mgs of 7% copper-peptide solution. That’s equivalent to about 400 drops.

The watery solution mixes easily into toners and stays mixed. No separation afterwards. With one of the toners, I did notice what looked like blue crystals at first, but extra shaking got rid of them.

The squeeze-dropper bottle is also easy to use, although a pipette might have been better. Sometimes a few errant drops squirt out–ahem–when I turn the bottle over (also happens with Sriracha). Worry not, it didn’t stain when I quickly blotted the carpet with a dry towel and then some water.

Also, it’s scent-free whereas Skin Biology’s other copper-peptide stuphs smell…bad. I tried GHK Luxe Eye Cream, Super CP Serum, and LacSal Serum, which came as samples with my order. The funky/sour/fishy smells were dealbreakers.

Skin Biology 7% GHK-Cu Accelerant Ingredients

Pasted from the product page:

Purified water, Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu), and phenoxyethanol.

How to Use Skin Biology 7% GHK-Cu Accelerant

The Accelerant is a booster intended solely to be added to finished cosmetic products–not used on its own. Here are the two ways I’ve used it:

Combined with a ceramide sake toner in an empty and cleaned Tatcha mist bottle to create a ~1% copper peptide mist.
Combined with a thick hydrating toner (this Leegeehaam Grow Hyal B5 Toner *gifted by the brand*) to create a ~1% copper peptide toner.

To determine how many drops of the Accelerant to add, use the handy calculator on the product page. With 400 drops in a bottle, the Accelerant can create quite a bit of copper peptide stuphs!

I’ve enjoyed my homemade toner the most, about 120 ml(!) of blue heaven. The toner is very hydrating to begin with (and I totes recommend it), and 1% copper peptide seems to keep my skin calm and free of redness.

Hard to say though whether it’s done anything for signs of aging given all the other things I slather on (tretinoin, azelaic acid, retinol, mandelic acid, etc.). And as I said in my NIOD CAIS review, copper peptides are not do-it-all miracle workers.