There are more published studies on beneficial actions of Copper-Peptides than any other non-drug, skin care product. Studies at over 40 leading Universities and Medical Research Institutes by leading dermatologists and scientists have established the effectiveness of the Copper-Peptide tissue regeneration methods invented by Dr. Pickart.

With copper-peptide products, great care must be taken to produce a product that has minimal interactions with the ionic copper in the product. Magnetic proton resonance measurements found that copper (II) exchanged slowly between GHK molecules, despite the very high binding affinity of GHK for copper (II). Often the chemical ingredients of creams, lotions, and solutions interact with the ionic copper and neutralise the positive copper-peptide actions and, in some cases, generate copper-complexes that inhibit cell replication. Any product should be tested carefully for its effect on skin repair. Some companies have recently sold cosmetic skin products using EDTA-copper, but this complex inhibits fibroblast function and skin repair.

Only Copper (II) which is blue/green in color has been shown to be of great benefit in skin renewal while copper (I), which is clear, has no effects upon the skin.

During human ageing, skin becomes thinner and accumulates various skin lesions and imperfections. The structural proteins are progressively damaged causing collagen and elastin lose their resiliency. The skin’s water-holding proteins and sugars diminish, the dermis and epidermis thin, the microcirculation becomes disorganized, and the subcutaneous fat cells diminish in number. Decades of exposure to ultraviolet rays, irritants, allergens, and various environmental toxins further intensify these effects. The result is a wrinkled, dry, inelastic skin populated by unsightly lesions.
The application of copper-peptide complexes to the skin's surface produces a tighter skin barrier and increases the density of collagen and elastin aiding in the removal of skin lesions. Skin imperfections (hypertrophic scars, pitted scars, skin tags, moles, actinic keratosis) can be removed or greatly reduced, by repeated daily use of hydroxy acids to loosen and dissolve the lesions followed by strong copper peptides to aid skin regeneration. Hydroxy acids such as 2% salicylic acid (pH=3.2) or 14% glycolic acid (pH=3.9) are effective with copper peptides but obtaining a cosmetically satisfying result may require several month of applications. The use of stronger hydroxy acids, followed by the application of copper peptides, greatly speeds the removal of lesions and scars, but can be very irritating if not expertly applied. For example, to remove moles, 70% glycolic acid is applied for 6 minutes, washed off, then the strong copper peptides are applied to the moles. Two to three days of this procedure often removes moles permanently.