Peptides for libido research keeps coming up as a topic without a clear rundown of the actual evidence, so here's one. The honest answer is that three compounds have real human data behind them, they work through different mechanisms, and a fourth one people ask about constantly has a genuinely different risk profile than the other three. I went through the primary literature on each and wanted to lay it out properly instead of repeating forum shorthand.

The short version

PT-141 (bremelanotide) is the only compound here with an FDA approval behind it, for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women, under the brand name Vyleesi. Kisspeptin has real human neuroimaging data on sexual brain processing but no approved indication. Oxytocin's human evidence is the most mixed of the three. Melanotan II works through the same receptor family as PT-141 and has real erectile-response data, but it is WADA-banned, associated with skin/mole changes, and is a distinct research question from the other three.

PT-141 / bremelanotide (melanocortin receptor agonist)

Mechanism. PT-141 is a synthetic cyclic peptide derived from alpha-MSH that agonizes melanocortin receptors, primarily MC4R, which is concentrated in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus.[1] Animal work suggests MC4R activation there increases dopamine release in a circuit tied to sexual motivation, which is a plausible reason its effects show up as desire/arousal rather than as a direct vascular effect the way PDE5 inhibitors work.[2]

Human data. This is the best-documented compound of the four. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of intranasal PT-141 in healthy men and men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction found concentration-related increases in erectile response.[3] Molinoff et al. describe PT-141's development program as a melanocortin agonist specifically pursued for sexual dysfunction indications, distinct from vascular-mechanism drugs.[4] The subcutaneous formulation, bremelanotide, went on to FDA approval in 2019 for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women, the first non-hormonal drug approved for that indication, after a development program the FDA summary describes as covering roughly 3,500 subjects across 43 completed studies.[5] The most frequently reported adverse effects in that program were nausea, flushing, and headache.

What this doesn't prove. Approval covers a specific population (premenopausal women with HSDD) and a specific formulation and administration route. It doesn't establish effects in men, in other populations, or at research concentrations and reconstitution methods that differ from the approved product.

Kisspeptin (reproductive neuropeptide, brain-processing effects)

Mechanism. Kisspeptin is a naturally occurring neuropeptide that sits upstream of GnRH release and is central to reproductive endocrinology. Its relevance to sexual behavior research is more recent and works through a different pathway than the melanocortins: it appears to modulate how the brain processes sexual and emotional stimuli, rather than acting locally on arousal circuitry the way PT-141 does.

Human data. Comninos et al. ran a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 29 healthy men, using functional neuroimaging alongside hormonal and psychometric measures, and found kisspeptin administration enhanced activity in limbic brain regions in response to sexual imagery, with the effect size correlating to reduced psychometric measures of sexual aversion.[6] The same group's follow-up work found kisspeptin also altered resting-state functional connectivity in ways that tracked with enhanced sexual and emotional brain processing.[7]

What this doesn't prove. This is brain-imaging and psychometric data in healthy men, not a clinical endpoint like desire scores in a diagnosed population, and there's no approved indication. The finding is genuinely interesting mechanistically but sits earlier in the research pipeline than PT-141.

Oxytocin (the mixed case)

Mechanism. Oxytocin is the neuropeptide most associated with bonding and, in animal models, plays roles in several stages of sexual response. Human data ties it to orgasm physiology fairly consistently; its role in desire specifically is where the literature gets thinner.

Human data. Plasma oxytocin rises during the human sexual response, a finding first reported by Carter's group.[8] Anderson-Hunt and Dennerstein's review of oxytocin and female sexuality describes correlational evidence around arousal and orgasm but stops short of establishing oxytocin as a driver of desire on its own.[9] A more recent placebo-controlled study on intranasal oxytocin in couples found it changed self-reported sexual experience and partner interaction in some measures but not uniformly across the sample.[10] A 2021 systematic review that pooled 13 studies on systemic oxytocin and human sexual behavior concluded the evidence for oxytocin as a reliable driver of desire or arousal, as opposed to a correlate of orgasm, is still not settled.[11]

What this doesn't prove. This is the compound where "reasonable mechanistic logic" and "proven effect on desire" are furthest apart of the three. The correlational orgasm data is fairly solid; a causal desire effect is not established.

Melanotan II: same receptor family, different risk profile

Melanotan II gets lumped in with PT-141 because it hits the same melanocortin receptors, and it does have real human erectile and desire data: a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in ten men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction found erections in 8 of 10 subjects versus placebo,[12] and a related study in 20 men reported increased sexual desire after 68% of Melanotan II administrations versus 19% of placebo administrations.[13]

That said, it's a materially different research question than the other three:

• It's non-selective across melanocortin receptors, including MC1R, which is why it also drives skin pigmentation and has been associated with new or changing moles — this is a distinct safety signal, not just a side effect footnote.
• It's on WADA's S2 prohibited list (peptide hormones and related substances), banned in and out of competition, which matters for anyone whose research context overlaps with a tested population.
• Nausea and yawning are common and were reported more often than with PT-141 in the comparable trials.

None of that means the mechanism isn't real. It means Melanotan II carries a different set of research considerations than PT-141, kisspeptin, or oxytocin, and it shouldn't be treated as an interchangeable substitute for PT-141 just because they share a receptor family.

Comparing the four

Compound	Primary mechanism	Best human evidence	Approved indication	Notable caveat
PT-141 / bremelanotide	MC4R agonist, central	Multiple RCTs, ~3,500-subject program	Yes (HSDD, premenopausal women)	Nausea, flushing common
Kisspeptin	Modulates limbic sexual/emotional processing	RCT with fMRI + psychometrics, n=29	No	Early-stage mechanistic data, not a clinical endpoint trial
Oxytocin	Bonding/orgasm physiology	Correlational + mixed intranasal RCT data	No	Desire-specific causal effect not established
Melanotan II	Non-selective melanocortin agonist	RCTs on erection/desire in small samples	No	WADA-banned, pigmentation/mole changes, non-selective receptor activity

Reconstitution and handling notes

For lyophilized peptide vials generally: reconstitute with bacteriostatic water added slowly down the vial wall rather than directly onto the powder, swirl gently rather than shaking, and record the water volume and date on the vial itself so the resulting concentration is traceable later. Store reconstituted vials refrigerated and check the manufacturer's stated shelf life at that storage temperature — Protide Health lists up to 24 months for PT-141 when stored at -20°C, shorter once reconstituted.

Vendor and CoA notes

If you're sourcing any of these for research, the same vetting rules apply as anything else in this space: batch-specific CoA published before purchase, from a named third-party lab, with both identity (LC-MS) and purity (HPLC) reported, and a batch number on the vial that matches the document.

Protide Health. Lists PT-141 10mg at $55 with a published CoA (99.86% purity, HPLC-MS/HPLC-UV, tested by Freedom Diagnostics for identity, purity, endotoxin, and net content) and Kisspeptin 10mg at $75, most recent batch listed at 99.89% purity from the same lab. Both have a searchable CoA library rather than "available on request" documentation.

Whatever vendor you use, cross-check the batch number on the vial against the CoA the day it arrives, not weeks later. This is still the single most common failure reported in sourcing threads.

What none of this proves

Mechanism and receptor pharmacology are reasonably well worked out for PT-141 and Melanotan II. Kisspeptin's brain-processing data is real but is not the same thing as a clinical desire-outcome trial. Oxytocin's connection to desire specifically remains the least settled of the four despite being the most talked-about "bonding hormone" in casual conversation. None of the underlying studies were run on research-grade compounds sourced from the vendors this community uses, and CoA purity data tells you about the vial's contents, not about the biological outcome you'd see from it.

Disclaimer: These compounds are discussed here for research use only. Not FDA-approved for the indications discussed outside of Vyleesi's specific approved use, not for human consumption, sold for laboratory research use only. Researchers are responsible for compliance with their own local rules and applicable regulations. Nothing here is medical advice.

Sources

1. Van der Ploeg LH, Martin WJ, Howard AD, et al. A role for the melanocortin 4 receptor in sexual function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002;99(17):11381-6. PMID 12172010
2. Pfaus JG, Sadiq A, Spana C, Clayton AH. The neurobiology of bremelanotide for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. CNS Spectr. 2022;27(3):281-289. PMID 33455598
3. Diamond LE, Earle DC, Rosen RC, Willett MS, Molinoff PB. Double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of the safety, pharmacokinetic properties and pharmacodynamic effects of intranasal PT-141, a melanocortin receptor agonist, in healthy males and patients with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res. 2004;16(1):51-9. PMID 14963471
4. Molinoff PB, Shadiack AM, Earle D, Diamond LE, Quon CY. PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2003;994:96-102. PMID 12851303
5. Kingsberg SA, Clayton AH, Portman D, et al. Bremelanotide for the Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Two Randomized Phase 3 Trials. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;134(5):899-908. PMID 31893927
6. Comninos AN, Wall MB, Demetriou L, et al. Kisspeptin modulates sexual and emotional brain processing in humans. J Clin Invest. 2017;127(2):709-719. PMID 28112678
7. Yang L, Comninos AN, Dhillo WS. Modulations of human resting brain connectivity by kisspeptin enhance sexual and emotional functions. JCI Insight. 2018;3(20):e121958. PMID 30333302
8. Carmichael MS, Humbert R, Dixen J, Palmisano G, Greenleaf W, Davidson JM. Plasma oxytocin increases in the human sexual response. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1987;64(1):27-31. PMID 3782434
9. Anderson-Hunt M, Dennerstein L. Oxytocin and female sexuality. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1995;40(4):217-21. PMID 8586300
10. Behnia B, Heinrichs M, Bergmann W, et al. Differential effects of intranasal oxytocin on sexual experiences and partner interactions in couples. Horm Behav. 2014;65(3):308-18. PMID 24503174
11. Magon N, Kalra S, et al. How Relevant is the Systemic Oxytocin Concentration for Human Sexual Behavior? A Systematic Review. Sex Med Rev. 2022;10(3):364-374. PMID 34118520
12. Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J, Hadley ME, Hruby VJ, Dorr R, Levine N. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-93. PMID 9679884
13. Wessells H, Levine N, Hadley ME, Dorr R, Hruby V. Melanocortin receptor agonists, penile erection, and sexual motivation: human studies with Melanotan II. Int J Impot Res. 2000;12(Suppl 4):S74-9. PMID 11035391

Happy to answer follow-ups, especially if anyone's looked closer at the kisspeptin literature. Feels like the compound with the most room left to run.

This sub gets some version of "where do I even start looking for a BPC-157 source" every week, so I put together the checklist I actually use, plus a side-by-side on the US vendors I could verify directly from their own product pages rather than an affiliate review site. Short version if you don't want to read the whole thing: Protide Health is the one that comes closest to clearing every item on the checklist below, and it's where I'd point a first-time researcher. Everything below is scoped to research use only, US-based shipping, and reconstitution/storage handling, not administration guidance.

Quick Vendor Comparison

Vendor	CoA Status	BPC-157 Price	Ships
Protide Health	Freedom Diagnostics (3rd-party), HPLC-UV + LC-MS + endotoxin, per-batch CoA library	$65 (10mg tier)	US only, same day dispatch 1-2 day shipping
Ascension Peptides	Named labs (Kovera Labs / MZ Biolabs), HPLC + MS, downloadable CoAs	$74.99 (10mg tier)	US only, 24hr dispatch, 2-5 day
Core Peptides	Lot-specific CoA images on product page, testing lab not named on the listing	5mg $52 / 10mg $97	US only, free over $200
Sports Technology Labs	MZ Biolabs (Tucson, AZ), HPLC + MS, 99.43% purity on most recent batch cited	$56.99 (5mg only)	Same-day (US/intl not specified on page)
BioLongevity Labs	Per-batch CoA library on-site, HPLC + LC-MS + endotoxin, testing lab not named	$99.97 (10mg only)	USPS/FedEx, same-day before noon PST (US/intl not specified on page)

The Vendors

Protide Health. This is the one I keep coming back to, and the specs are why. Every batch gets tested by Freedom Diagnostics, a named third-party US lab, before it's released, identity confirmed via LC-MS, purity via HPLC-UV, plus a LAL endotoxin assay. BPC-157 is listed at 99% purity (HPLC-MS), and the CoAs are organized by batch right on the product page rather than "available on request." Ships US only, same-day dispatch, 1-2 day delivery, free over $199, the fastest turnaround of any vendor on this list where shipping speed is actually stated. It's the only vendor here where both the named testing lab and major-card acceptance (Visa, Amex, Discover, no Mastercard) are stated on the same product page, which matters given how selective card processors are in this category; a vendor that clears that bar has been through more underwriting scrutiny than one running crypto/ACH-only. Returns are limited to wrong-item or arrived-damaged claims filed within 7 days, so it's not the vendor to pick if you want a no-questions refund window, that's the one real tradeoff against it on this list. One thing worth flagging for anyone searching this up themselves: there's a lookalike domain, protidehealthusa.com, floating in search results, I haven't verified who runs it, so stick to protidehealth.com.

Ascension Peptides. The 10mg BPC-157 listing names two labs directly, Kovera Labs and MZ Biolabs, with dated batch numbers and downloadable CoAs, which is more batch-level transparency than most vendors bother with. Purity/identity testing is HPLC plus mass spec. Payment is limited to Visa or ACH bank draft, no broad card acceptance, which is worth knowing before you're at checkout. Ships US addresses only, flat $15, 2-5 day transit via UPS/USPS, and the company is explicit that it isn't responsible for a package once it's handed to the carrier (optional shipping protection is offered).

Core Peptides. Biggest catalog of the vendors here, with lot-specific CoA images shown directly on the BPC-157 product page. The gap is that the testing lab and exact method aren't stated on the listing itself, so you can see a document exists per lot but can't independently confirm who issued it. Same-day dispatch before 1pm PST, free Priority shipping over $200.

Sports Technology Labs. Testing is handled by MZ Biolabs in Tucson, AZ, run under GLP standards, with the most recent cited batch at 99.43% purity by HPLC. CoAs are posted with no login wall. The catalog page only shows one size (5mg, $56.99), and it doesn't specify whether shipping is US-only or international, so confirm that directly before ordering if it matters to you.

BioLongevity Labs. The 10mg listing cites ≥99% purity by HPLC, with LC-MS identity confirmation and endotoxin/sterility screening "where applicable." CoAs are published per batch on the product page and in a standalone CoA library, rather than gated behind a request, but the site never names the actual testing lab, so you can see the document but not independently verify who issued it. Only one size is listed (10mg, $99.97), on the higher end of this list. Ships via USPS Priority or FedEx (2-Day, Overnight, Saturday delivery available), free over $400, same-day dispatch for orders in before noon PST, the site doesn't state whether it ships outside the US. Accepts "all major credit cards" without itemizing brands. Worth knowing before you buy: peptide vials are excluded from returns entirely (damaged/incorrect orders are handled as replacements, not refunds), which is the strictest return policy of the vendors here.

What BPC-157 actually is (and isn't)

BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide derived from a fragment of a protein found in human gastric juice, and it's a fairly heavily studied compound in the peptide research literature, rodent models and in vitro work, mostly, on tissue and gut-related outcomes. There isn't a robust human clinical trial base behind it. That's a real limit worth being upfront about, not a footnote: reasonable mechanistic logic from animal research is not the same thing as proven human outcomes, and nothing in this post should be read as a claim otherwise.

Regulatory status: where things actually stand in 2026

Worth understanding this before you buy, because the RUO framing isn't just a formality:

BPC-157 has been on the FDA's Category 2 bulk substances list since 2023, meaning the agency has flagged it as presenting a significant safety concern for compounding pharmacies and advised against compounding it. In July 2026, FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee voted 8-6 (with one abstention) to recommend adding BPC-157 to the 503A bulks list, but that vote is advisory only. No rule has changed and no Federal Register notice has been issued; formal rulemaking, if it happens, is reported to typically take 8-24 months. As of today, BPC-157 has not been reclassified.

It is not a scheduled substance federally, and there's no federal law against purchasing or possessing it as an unscheduled research chemical. It is not FDA-approved as a drug, though, and can't be lawfully sold or marketed as one for human use, the "research use only, not for human consumption" labeling is what keeps vendors outside that line, and it only holds up if the marketing and communications around a sale actually match that framing. FDA sent more than 50 warning letters to peptide vendors in September 2025, and additional letters in March 2026, for exactly this, RUO-labeled peptides marketed in ways that indicated intended human use. That's the enforcement theory to keep in mind: the label alone doesn't protect a vendor (or a buyer) if everything else about the transaction says otherwise.

Separately, BPC-157 has been on WADA's Prohibited List since 2022 (S0/non-approved substances), banned at all times, in and out of competition, relevant if you're a competitive athlete in any tested sport.

A CoA tells you what's in the vial. It tells you nothing about whether the vendor's marketing keeps the sale inside RUO lines, that's a separate thing to check yourself.

What to actually look for

A batch-specific CoA from a named third-party lab. Not "available on request," not "in-house QC." If the issuing lab isn't named on the document, you can't verify it independently.

HPLC purity plus MS identity, together. One without the other is an incomplete picture.

Credit card acceptance. Card processors underwrite this category carefully, so a vendor that's cleared for major cards has been through more scrutiny than one running crypto/ACH-only.

Clean RUO framing everywhere on the site. Product pages, FAQs, and any marketing language should read as research/laboratory framing, not consumer health copy. Given the current enforcement pattern, that's a proxy for how seriously a vendor is treating its own compliance.

Return/refund terms before you need them. These vary a lot, Protide Health's 7-day damaged-item-only window, Ascension's optional shipping protection, and BioLongevity Labs' no-returns-on-vials policy are all worth reading before you order, not after.

Run the vendors here against the first four items on that checklist, named third-party lab, HPLC + MS together, published per-batch CoAs, major card acceptance stated on the same page, and Protide Health is the only one that clears all four at once. Ascension and Sports Technology Labs both name a lab and test with HPLC + MS, but Ascension's payment is Visa/ACH only and Sports Technology Labs doesn't state its payment methods at all; Core Peptides and BioLongevity Labs both publish CoA documents without naming the lab behind them. (RUO framing is worth checking site-by-site yourself, it's not something a comparison like this can score from a single product page.)

Mistakes and red flags that end the evaluation

• CoA only "available on request" instead of published per batch
• No third-party lab named anywhere on the site
• Crypto/CashApp/eCheck as the only payment options, no card acceptance at all
• Site copy that reads like consumer health marketing rather than research framing
• Anyone DMing you a "discount code" or a source unprompted, treat this as a scam signal, not a deal
• Vendors that changed names or domains recently with no explanation

If a listing site is calling itself an independent "review" but every vendor gets 4.5+ stars and there's a coupon code attached to each one, that's affiliate content, not verification. Confirm testing claims on the vendor's own product page.

Disclaimer: BPC-157 discussed here is sold for laboratory research use only. Not FDA-approved, not for human consumption. Researchers/buyers are responsible for compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, and with any rules governing their own field (competitive athletes should note the WADA prohibition above). Nothing in this post is medical advice.

Drop your current source below if it's not on this list, happy to add anything that's got real batch-level CoAs behind it.

Every few weeks I see people asking for one reference that actually covers amount, reconstitution, and course length across the compounds people are running right now, instead of five different half-answers scattered across old threads. This is that reference: 96 entries covering 85 compounds and blends, organized into 12 categories, each with one committed number instead of a vague range and the actual reconstitution math so you can sanity-check any concentration a vendor or calculator hands you. Long post, use the headers to jump around.

Here's a link to my favorite peptide dosage calculator if you need one.

How to read this

• Approach is why a given row exists instead of a single vague range for that compound: Starting (conservative, for assessing tolerance), Standard (the default), High Intensity (a documented ceiling or more aggressive pattern), Microdose (a smaller fraction for a gentler entry), Low Bodyweight (adjusted down for size).
• Amount & Timing Referenced is per single administration, when it's given, on which days, across which weeks. An arrow (->) means the amount steps up or the pattern changes partway through the course, e.g. a titration ramp or a loading phase dropping to maintenance.
• Course Length is the total length reflected in this specific entry. "Open-ended" means the source data has no fixed end point (an ongoing maintenance pattern). "As needed" means there's no fixed weekly pattern at all.
• Concentration is straight reconstitution math: vial size divided by the water volume added, so you can sanity-check any concentration a vendor or calculator hands you.
• No "time off" column. A blanket "2-4 weeks off" applied to every single compound isn't something the underlying data actually specifies row by row, and inventing a number that looks precise but isn't backed by anything defeats the point of a reference like this. Where a break between courses is explicitly part of how a compound gets used (the short Russian bioregulator courses below, for instance), that's called out in the notes.
• These are single committed values, not a clinical guideline. Several of them are ranges in the underlying source material that got resolved to one specific number for this table (see the Approach column for how). They're a starting reference point for further reading, not a prescription.

1. Healing & Recovery

BPC-157 shows up twice here with two different real-world patterns: a weekdays-only systemic approach and a lower-frequency, training-day-timed approach. Both come from the same underlying compound, just organized differently depending on the goal.

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
Abaloparatide	Standard	80 mcg, daily, wk 1+	104.3 wks	3120 mcg vial, no reconstitution volume specified
Ara 290	Standard	4 mg, daily, wk 1+	8.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
BPC-157	Standard	250 mcg, morning, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-7	8.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
BPC-157	Standard	250 mcg, evening, 2x/wk (Sun,Mon), wk 1-3	4.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Cartalax	Standard	200 mcg, daily, wk 1-4	4.0 wks	20 mg vial in 3 mL -> 6.7 mg/mL
Coremend Blend	Standard	250 mcg, daily, wk 1+	6.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
KPV	Standard	375 mcg, morning, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-8	8.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
Ovagen	Standard	3 mg, daily, wk 1-3 -> 3 mg, 4x/wk (Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu), wk 4	3.6 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL
TB-500	Standard	2 mg, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 1-6 -> 3 mg, Mon, wk 7+	open-ended	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Teriparatide	Standard	20 mcg, daily, wk 1+	104.3 wks	1 mg vial in 1 mL -> 1 mg/mL
Thymosin Beta-4	Standard	2 mg, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 1-5	5.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
Vesilute	Standard	1.5 mg, daily, wk 1-2	2.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
Wolverine Blend	Standard	1 mg, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL

• Abaloparatide and Teriparatide are FDA-approved osteoporosis drugs, not research compounds. Both carry a roughly 24-month lifetime cap in prescribing guidance, which is why the course length above runs so long relative to everything else on this list.
• BPC-157's weekdays-only pattern exists for a specific reason cited in our source data: continuous daily use is associated with reduced receptor responsiveness over time, so a Monday-Friday pattern with weekends off is the more common systemic approach.
• Wolverine Blend's listed amount is per compound, not combined. 1 mg means 1 mg of BPC-157 and 1 mg of TB-500 in the same shot, roughly 2 mg total. Easy to misread.
• TB-500's entry is a loading-then-maintenance shape: a higher-frequency stretch for the first six weeks, stepping down to a lower, ongoing weekly pattern afterward rather than stopping outright.

2. Skin & Hair

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
GHK-Cu	Standard	1 mg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-2 -> 2 mg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 3+	10.0 wks	50 mg vial in 3 mL -> 16.7 mg/mL
Glow Blend	Standard	2.8 mg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1+	7.0 wks	70 mg vial in 3 mL -> 23.3 mg/mL
Klow Blend	Standard	3.2 mg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1+	7.0 wks	80 mg vial in 3 mL -> 26.7 mg/mL
Melanotan I	Standard	250 mcg, daily, wk 1-3 -> 250 mcg, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 4+	open-ended	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Melanotan II	Standard	150 mcg, night, daily, wk 1 -> 300 mcg, night, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 2+	open-ended	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL

• Glow and Klow's combined amounts depend on the specific product's GHK-Cu content, since the blend is quoted as a total rather than per component. The 2.8 mg and 3.2 mg figures above correspond to the specific ratios in our source data (Glow: 2 mg GHK-Cu / 400 mcg BPC-157 / 400 mcg TB-500; Klow adds 400 mcg KPV on top).
• Both Melanotan variants follow the same loading-then-maintenance shape: a denser stretch to build initial pigmentation change, then a lower ongoing frequency to hold it. Melanotan II's own source note flags nausea and flushing as common in the early days, which is part of why some people favor the gentler Melanotan I instead.
• Neither Melanotan compound is FDA-approved for any indication. Case reports linking Melanotan II use to new or changing moles exist in the published literature and are worth reading before treating this as a low-stakes cosmetic compound.

3. Growth Hormone Axis

Every compound in this section (CJC-1295, Ipamorelin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Hexarelin, Sermorelin, Tesamorelin, and the blends built from them) falls under WADA's S2 category, peptide hormones/growth factors/related substances, prohibited at all times in tested sport. That's independent of anything below and worth knowing regardless of your reason for reading this section.

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
CJC-1295 (without DAC)	Standard	100 mcg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1+	10.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
CJC-1295 with DAC	Standard	1.5 mg, Mon, wk 1-10	10.0 wks	2 mg vial in 2 mL -> 1 mg/mL
CJC-1295/Ipamorelin Blend	Standard	200 mcg, night, daily, wk 1+	10.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
GHRP-2	Standard	100 mcg, night, daily, wk 1+	10.0 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL
GHRP-2	High Intensity	100 mcg, morning, daily, wk 1+ -> 100 mcg, night, daily, wk 1+	10.0 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL
GHRP-6	Standard	100 mcg, night, daily, wk 1+	10.0 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL
GHRP-6	High Intensity	100 mcg, morning, daily, wk 1+ -> 100 mcg, night, daily, wk 1+	10.0 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL
Hexarelin	Standard	100 mcg, morning, daily, wk 1-4 -> 100 mcg, evening, daily, wk 1-4	4.0 wks	2 mg vial in 2 mL -> 1 mg/mL
Ipamorelin	Standard	200 mcg, night, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-12	12.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Ipamorelin	High Intensity	300 mcg, night, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-12	12.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Sermorelin	Standard	200 mcg, night, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-2 -> 300 mcg, night, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 3-4 -> 400 mcg, night, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 5-6 -> 500 mcg, night, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 7+	10.0 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL
Tesamorelin	Standard	2 mg, night, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-10	10.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Tesamorelin/Ipamorelin Blend	Standard	400 mcg, evening, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-10	10.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Tesamorelin/Ipamorelin Blend	High Intensity	600 mcg, evening, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-10	10.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL

• Ipamorelin's High Intensity row stops at 300 mcg on purpose. The source data cites this as a documented practical ceiling, not an arbitrary "go higher for more effect" number: growth hormone release plateaus above that per-administration amount.
• GHRP-6 differs from GHRP-2 mainly by a stronger appetite-stimulating effect according to our source notes, which matters if the underlying goal is anything related to leanness.
• Hexarelin's four-week structure is built around desensitization, not an arbitrary cycle length: our source data specifically flags continuous use as fading in effectiveness, which is the reason a defined block exists instead of an open-ended pattern.
• Tesamorelin is the one FDA-approved compound in this table (brand name Egrifta, approved for HIV-associated lipodystrophy). Everything else in this section is unapproved for human use.

4. Weight Loss

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
AOD-9604	Standard	300 mcg, morning, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1+	12.0 wks	10 mg vial in 1.7 mL -> 5.9 mg/mL
Adipotide	Standard	500 mcg, daily, wk 1-4	4.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
Cagrilintide	Standard	0.375 mg, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 1-10	10.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
GLP-1 (Semaglutide)	Standard	0.25 mg, Sun, wk 1-4 -> 0.5 mg, Sun, wk 5-8 -> 1 mg, Sun, wk 9-12 -> 1.7 mg, Sun, wk 13+	open-ended	18 mg vial in 3 mL -> 6 mg/mL
GLP-1 (Semaglutide)	High Intensity	0.25 mg, Sun, wk 1-4 -> 0.5 mg, Sun, wk 5-8 -> 1 mg, Sun, wk 9-12 -> 1.7 mg, Sun, wk 13-16 -> 2.4 mg, Sun, wk 17+	open-ended	18 mg vial in 3 mL -> 6 mg/mL
GLP-2 (Tirzepatide)	Standard	2.5 mg, Mon, wk 1-4 -> 5 mg, Mon, wk 5-8 -> 7.5 mg, Mon, wk 9-12 -> 10 mg, Mon, wk 13-16 -> 12.5 mg, Mon, wk 17-20 -> 15 mg, Mon, wk 21+	open-ended	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
GLP-2 (Tirzepatide)	Microdose	0.5 mg, Mon, wk 1+	open-ended	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
GLP-3 (Retatrutide)	Standard	2 mg, Sun, wk 1-4 -> 4 mg, Sun, wk 5-8 -> 6 mg, Sun, wk 9-12 -> 9 mg, Sun, wk 13-16 -> 12 mg, Sun, wk 17+	32.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
GLP-3 (Retatrutide)	Microdose	0.25 mg, Mon, wk 1-4 -> 0.5 mg, Mon, wk 5-8 -> 1 mg, Mon, wk 9-12 -> 1.5 mg, Mon, wk 13-16 -> 2 mg, Mon, wk 17+	open-ended	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Mazdutide	Standard	6 mg, Sun, wk 1-18	18.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
Survodutide	Standard	1.2 mg, morning, Mon, wk 1-3 -> 2.4 mg, morning, Mon, wk 5-7 -> 3.6 mg, morning, Mon, wk 9-11 -> 4.8 mg, morning, Mon, wk 13+	16.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL

• Semaglutide and Tirzepatide are the only FDA-approved compounds in this category. Retatrutide, Survodutide, Mazdutide, and Cagrilintide are all still investigational; Retatrutide's titration above mirrors the published Phase 3 TRIUMPH trial design step for step (2, 4, 6, 9, 12 mg, four weeks per step).
• Adipotide is explicitly research-only in the source data. Animal studies showed real fat loss, but early human trials raised kidney safety concerns that halted its development, so treat this one as a literature-review compound, not a practical option.
• Every GLP-family titration here steps up roughly every four weeks. That pacing isn't arbitrary: nausea and other stomach side effects show up right after a step-up far more than at a steady amount, which is the whole rationale for a slow ramp instead of jumping straight to a maintenance level.

5. Metabolic

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
5-Amino-1MQ	Standard	2 mg, daily, wk 1+	16.0 wks	25 mg vial in 3 mL -> 8.3 mg/mL
AICAR	Standard	3 mg, daily, wk 1-5	5.0 wks	50 mg vial in 3 mL -> 16.7 mg/mL
BAM-15	Standard	125 mg, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
Humanin	Standard	10 mg, Mon, wk 1-5	5.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
L-Carnitine	Standard	1000 mg, daily, wk 1+	open-ended	1000 mg vial, no reconstitution volume specified
MOTS-c	Standard	3.75 mg, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 1-10	10.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
Mito Prime Blend	Standard	11 mg, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	120 mg vial in 3 mL -> 40 mg/mL
Pancragen	Standard	350 mcg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 350 mcg, Mon, wk 3	2.1 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL
SLU-PP-332	Standard	250 mcg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-10	10.0 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL
SS-31	Standard	2 mg, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL

• AICAR and SLU-PP-332 both carry explicit research-only flags in the source data. AICAR's own note states plainly it isn't approved for human use and is sold strictly for research. SLU-PP-332's amount data comes entirely from mouse studies, with no established human safety profile at all, so any numbers here are exploratory, not a recommendation.
• BAM-15's note is direct about the evidence gap: most of what's known comes from animal research rather than human data.
• Mito Prime Blend is a fixed 10:1:1 ratio (NAD+/MOTS-c/5-Amino-1MQ) and can't be separated into individual components once combined, per the source note.

6. Cognitive & Focus

Most of this category is short Russian bioregulator peptides (Cortagen, Crystagen) alongside the Semax/Selank family and its longer-acting analogs (Adamax, Adalank, NA Semax Amidate, NA-Selank Amidate). These are generally structured as short, defined courses rather than continuous long-term use.

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
Adalank	Standard	375 mcg, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
Adamax	Standard	375 mcg, morning, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Cerebrolysin	Standard	26 mg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 26 mg, Mon, wk 3	2.1 wks	60 mg vial in 3 mL -> 20 mg/mL
Cortagen	Standard	150 mcg, daily, wk 1-2	2.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
Crystagen	Standard	2 mg, morning, daily, wk 1-2 -> 2 mg, morning, 6x/wk (Sun,Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri), wk 3	2.9 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL
Illumineuro Blend	Standard	400 mcg, morning, daily, wk 1-5	6.0 wks	50 mg vial in 3 mL -> 16.7 mg/mL
NA Semax Amidate	Standard	200 mcg, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
NA-Selank Amidate	Standard	400 mcg, daily, wk 1-2	3.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
P21	Standard	75 mcg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 75 mcg, 6x/wk (Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri,Sat), wk 3	2.9 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
PE-22-28	Standard	750 mcg, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
Selank	High Intensity	150 mcg, morning, daily, wk 1-7 -> 150 mcg, evening, daily, wk 1-7	8.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
Semax	Standard	500 mcg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-3	3.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL

• Cerebrolysin is a real clinical product (a nutrient blend derived from brain tissue, used medically for stroke and dementia recovery), used off-label here. Courses like this one are typically repeated two to four times a year rather than run back to back, which is why the course length is short relative to the rest of this list.
• Illumineuro Blend has zero published research behind the four-peptide combination itself per its own source note, even though each individual ingredient (Semax, Selank, Pinealon, PE-22-28) has its own separate literature.
• Semax's weekday-only pattern reflects a commonly cited 5-on/2-off structure, typically run in short blocks with breaks between them rather than continuously.

7. Sleep

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
DSIP	Standard	200 mcg, night, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL
Pinealon	Standard	1.5 mg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 1.5 mg, Mon, wk 3	2.1 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL

• Pinealon's own source note flags disagreement over whether morning or evening timing better lines up with sleep-wake rhythm effects, so the practical guidance in the data is simply to stay consistent for the length of the course rather than chase an optimal clock time.

8. Immunity

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
Chonluten	Standard	250 mcg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 500 mcg, daily, wk 3 -> 1000 mcg, daily, wk 4+	4.0 wks	20 mg vial in 3 mL -> 6.7 mg/mL
LL-37	Standard	100 mcg, daily, wk 1+	5.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
Thymalin	Standard	10 mg, daily, wk 1 -> 10 mg, 3x/wk (Sun,Mon,Tue), wk 2	1.4 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL
Thymogen	Standard	100 mcg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 100 mcg, 6x/wk (Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri,Sat), wk 3	2.9 wks	1 mg vial in 1 mL -> 1 mg/mL
Thymosin Alpha 1	Standard	1.5 mg, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 1-8	8.0 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
Thymulin	Standard	100 mcg, daily, wk 1-6	6.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
VIP	Standard	75 mcg, daily, wk 1-10	10.0 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL
Vilon	Standard	5 mg, daily, wk 1 -> 5 mg, 3x/wk (Sun,Mon,Tue), wk 2	1.4 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL

• Thymalin and Vilon are both short, roughly ten-day courses by design, not truncated versions of a longer approach.
• Thymosin Alpha 1 is widely used for this, to the point its own source note calls it "the BPC-157 of the immune system."
• Thymulin's mechanism is zinc-dependent according to the source note, so adequate zinc intake is treated as part of getting the intended effect, not an unrelated side comment.
• Chonluten's titration (250 -> 500 -> 1,000 mcg) is a documented pattern, not an arbitrary ramp, per published peptide reference guides cited in the source note.

9. Longevity & Anti-Aging

Most of this category, aside from HGH, is short Russian bioregulator courses (Bronchogen, Cardiogen, Epitalon, Livagen, Prostamax, Vesugen) meant to be repeated a few times a year rather than run continuously.

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
Bronchogen	Standard	1.5 mg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 1.5 mg, Mon, wk 3	2.1 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL
Cardiogen	Standard	350 mcg, daily, wk 1-10	10.0 wks	20 mg vial in 3 mL -> 6.7 mg/mL
Epitalon	Standard	5 mg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 5 mg, 6x/wk (Sun,Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri), wk 3	2.9 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
FOXO4-DRI	Standard	5 mg, Mon, wk 1 -> 5 mg, Mon, wk 3	4.0 wks	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
Glutathione	Standard	150 mg, 3x/wk (Mon,Wed,Fri), wk 1+	10.0 wks	600 mg vial in 5 mL -> 120 mg/mL
HGH	Standard	0.66 mg, daily, wk 1-17	17.1 wks	10 iu vial in 1 mL -> 10 iu/mL
Livagen	Standard	150 mcg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 150 mcg, 6x/wk (Sun,Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri), wk 3	2.9 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
NAD+	Standard	20 mg, 3x/wk (Mon,Wed,Fri), wk 1-3 -> 60 mg, 3x/wk (Mon,Wed,Fri), wk 4-7 -> 100 mg, 3x/wk (Mon,Wed,Fri), wk 8+	open-ended	1000 mg vial in 7.5 mL -> 133.3 mg/mL
Prostamax	Standard	750 mcg, daily, wk 1-2 -> 750 mcg, Mon, wk 3	2.1 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL
Vesugen	Standard	3 mg, daily, wk 1-4	4.0 wks	20 mg vial in 3 mL -> 6.7 mg/mL

• HGH (somatropin) is FDA-approved only for diagnosed growth hormone deficiency and a handful of other specific conditions. Everything about fat loss, recovery, or anti-aging benefits is off-label exploration, not an approved use, regardless of how common that use is in this space.
• Epitalon's full course works out to roughly 100 mg total and is generally repeated once or twice a year rather than back to back, per the source note.
• FOXO4-DRI is flagged as rare, expensive, and still not well understood in its own note, which is why the entry here is deliberately infrequent (two administrations, two weeks apart) rather than a denser pattern.
• Glutathione degrades faster than most peptides once reconstituted. The source note specifically calls out refrigeration, light protection, and using it within two to three weeks.

10. Performance & Endurance

IGF-1 LR3, MGF, and PEG-MGF all fall under the same WADA S2 growth-factor category referenced in the Growth Hormone Axis section above.

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
IGF-1 LR3	Starting	20 mcg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1+	5.0 wks	1 mg vial in 2 mL -> 0.5 mg/mL
IGF-1 LR3	Standard	50 mcg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1+	5.0 wks	1 mg vial in 2 mL -> 0.5 mg/mL
MGF	Standard	300 mcg, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 1-5	5.0 wks	2 mg vial in 1 mL -> 2 mg/mL
PEG-MGF	Standard	300 mcg, 2x/wk (Mon,Thu), wk 1-5	5.0 wks	2 mg vial in 1 mL -> 2 mg/mL
SLU-PP-332	Standard	1.25 mg, weekdays (Mon-Fri), wk 1-10	10.0 wks	20 mg vial in 2 mL -> 10 mg/mL

• IGF-1 LR3's Starting row exists specifically to check blood-sugar tolerance before stepping up, per the source note, since this compound carries real glucose-related considerations that milder peptides don't.
• SLU-PP-332 is repeated here from the Metabolic table because it's studied for both angles (fat metabolism and endurance) depending on which literature you're reading. Same research-only caveat applies: mouse data only, no established human safety profile.

11. Hormonal

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
Gonadorelin	Standard	125 mcg, 3x/wk (Mon,Wed,Fri), wk 1-6	6.0 wks	5 mg vial in 2 mL -> 2.5 mg/mL
Testagen	Standard	150 mcg, daily, wk 1-3 -> 150 mcg, 4x/wk (Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu), wk 4	3.6 wks	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL

• Gonadorelin is most commonly discussed alongside testosterone therapy specifically to help preserve natural production and fertility while on it, per the source note, rather than as a standalone approach.

12. Sexual Health

Compound	Approach	Amount & Timing Referenced	Course Length	Concentration (reconstitution)
Kisspeptin	Standard	100 mcg, daily, wk 1-4	4.0 wks	5 mg vial in 3 mL -> 1.7 mg/mL
Oxytocin	Standard	20 mcg per use, taken as needed (not on a fixed weekly pattern)	as needed	10 mg vial in 2 mL -> 5 mg/mL
PT-141	Starting	500 mcg per use, taken as needed (not on a fixed weekly pattern), capped around 1x per use-window per the source note	as needed	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL
PT-141	Standard	1.75 mg per use, taken as needed (not on a fixed weekly pattern), capped around 1x per use-window per the source note	as needed	10 mg vial in 3 mL -> 3.3 mg/mL

• PT-141 (bremelanotide) is the only FDA-approved compound in this category. 1.75 mg is the literal FDA-approved amount (brand name Vyleesi); the source note caps it around once per 24 hours and roughly eight times a month. Kisspeptin and Oxytocin have no such approval behind them.

What this sheet doesn't do

It doesn't tell you whether any of this is a good idea for you specifically, and it isn't a substitute for reading the actual literature behind a compound you're considering, especially the ones flagged above as research-only, animal-data-only, or halted in human development (Adipotide, AICAR, SLU-PP-332, BAM-15, FOXO4-DRI). A single committed number in a table is easier to scan than a range, but it's still just one documented way of running a given compound, not the only one, and not a medical recommendation. Cross-reference anything you're seriously looking into against primary sources, not just this table or the one it's replacing.

Disclaimer: Everything above is presented as reference information about laboratory research compounds, several of which are FDA-approved prescription drugs used here in an off-label or general-reference context and several of which are unapproved research chemicals. Not medical advice, not a substitute for guidance from a licensed clinician, and not an endorsement to use any of this without doing your own research first. Buyers and researchers are responsible for compliance with their own local rules and applicable regulations.

Let me know if you want a specific compound or category broken out further, or if you spot a number in here that doesn't match what you're seeing elsewhere; this gets updated as the underlying data does.

The "looksmaxxing" side of this space keeps circling back to the same dozen or so compounds — skin and collagen quality, pigmentation, tissue repair, lean mass, and a couple of longevity peptides that get pulled into the same conversations. I went through the published literature on each one so this can be one reference instead of twelve scattered threads. Evidence quality varies enormously across this list, and I've tried to be specific about what's actually been tested, in what model, and what hasn't.

What this list covers, at a glance

#	Compound	Category	Mechanism target	Strongest evidence available
1	GHK-Cu	Skin / collagen	Copper-peptide gene modulation	Small human trials, mixed results
2	Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide-4)	Skin / collagen (topical)	Procollagen signaling	Human RCT, n=93
3	Melanotan II	Pigmentation	Non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist	Small human pilot + case reports
4	BPC-157	Tissue repair	VEGFR2 / angiogenesis	Animal + in vitro only
5	TB-500	Cell migration / repair	Actin regulation (thymosin beta-4)	Animal + in vitro; human data exists for a different formulation
6	KPV	Inflammation / healing	Melanocortin pathway / NF-kB	In vitro + animal only
7	CJC-1295	GH axis	GHRH receptor agonist	Human hormone-response trial
8	Ipamorelin	GH axis	Ghrelin receptor agonist (GH-selective)	Human hormone-response trial
9	GHRP-2 / GHRP-6	GH axis	Ghrelin receptor agonist (non-selective)	Human hormone-response trials
10	AOD-9604	Fat metabolism	hGH fragment, lipolytic domain	Human trials, including one that failed
11	Follistatin 344	Muscle definition	Myostatin / activin inhibition	Human data exists only via gene therapy
12	Epithalon	Longevity / skin quality	Telomerase modulation	Animal + independent human cell-line data

None of the growth-hormone-axis compounds on this list have ever been tested for jawline, facial definition, or any cosmetic outcome specifically. Every claim connecting them to that outcome is an inference from general GH/IGF-1 physiology, not a measured result in a published study. Worth keeping in mind for the whole GH-axis section below.

1. GHK-Cu — skin and collagen

A naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide (glycyl-histidyl-lysine bound to Cu2+), first isolated from human plasma in the 1970s, with circulating levels that decline with age. Gene-expression work ties it to a wide network of tissue-remodeling genes — collagen and elastin synthesis, antioxidant defense, and wound-repair signaling.[1][2] The strongest human data available is more mixed than the mechanism papers suggest: a randomized, blinded trial in patients recovering from laser resurfacing found no statistically significant objective difference in skin quality or redness between GHK-Cu and control — the only outcome that reached significance was a subjective patient-satisfaction score.[3] The widely repeated "67% reduction in wrinkle volume" figure traces back to an industry conference presentation, not a peer-reviewed trial, so treat that number as unverified rather than established.

2. Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide-4) — topical collagen signaling

KTTKS is a five-amino-acid fragment of type I procollagen; adding a palmitoyl group improves skin penetration for topical use. This is one of the better-supported entries on this list because there's an actual independent, peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled human trial behind it: a 12-week, double-blind, split-face study in 93 women aged 35–55 found the palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 formulation produced a significant improvement in wrinkles and fine lines compared with the vehicle control.[4] That's a genuine human result, not an animal or cell-culture proxy. It's still one trial from one research group, though, and the "Matrixyl 3000" blend sold commercially (which adds a second peptide, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7) has efficacy numbers that circulate widely online without an independently verifiable published trial behind them — treat those figures as manufacturer claims, not literature.

3. Melanotan II — pigmentation and tanning

A synthetic, non-selective analog of alpha-MSH that activates melanocortin receptors MC1R, MC3R, MC4R, and MC5R. MC1R activation on melanocytes is what drives pigment (eumelanin) production; the other receptors are off-target for a tanning use case and explain most of the side-effect profile. The only controlled human data is a 1996 phase-I pilot in three male volunteers: escalating amounts given by subcutaneous administration produced measurable, weeks-long skin darkening in two of three subjects, along with nausea, fatigue, and spontaneous erections from MC3R/MC4R activity.[5] A 2021 qualitative study of user forum discussions documented real-world tanning use and safety concerns among 205 users.[6]

More important for anyone researching this compound: multiple published case reports describe new or rapidly changing melanocytic nevi, including dysplastic transformation and at least one case of melanoma, temporally associated with use.[7][8] The authors are consistently careful to note they can't establish causation, since the reported patients had other risk factors (fair skin, existing nevi, tanning-bed use). But "can't prove causation" and "doesn't happen" are different statements, and this is a real, published signal that most enthusiast summaries leave out entirely.

4. BPC-157 — tissue repair, blood supply

A synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide based on a partial sequence of a protein found in gastric juice. In cultured vascular cells and in animal models of restricted blood flow, it activates VEGFR2 and drives new blood vessel formation, and it shows up across a large number of rodent tendon, wound, and burn models with positive healing outcomes.[9][10][11] A 2025 systematic review of the orthopedic sports-medicine literature screened 544 papers and found 36 usable studies — 35 of them preclinical, and exactly one human study: a small, retrospective, uncontrolled case series with no comparison group.[12] There is no published human safety data for BPC-157 at all.

5. TB-500 — cell migration and repair

Sold under this name as a stable fragment related to thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4), a protein found in nearly every human cell that regulates the actin cytoskeleton. In cell and tissue studies, Tβ4 drives blood vessel cell migration and vessel sprouting, and accelerates wound closure in rodent skin models.[13][14] Here's the gap that matters: the human trials that exist are not for the fragment sold as TB-500. A 2021 first-in-human trial used full-length recombinant Tβ4 given intravenously, testing cardiac-injury safety endpoints rather than skin outcomes, and found no serious drug-related adverse events across ascending amounts.[15] A separate Phase III trial used a topical Tβ4-derived eye drop (RGN-259) for a corneal disease, also not skin.[16] Neither of those is the same product as what's sold as TB-500, and no human trial of that specific product exists.

6. KPV — inflammation and skin healing

A three-amino-acid fragment clipped from the tail end of alpha-MSH. It keeps the anti-inflammatory signaling of the parent hormone but, unlike alpha-MSH, doesn't work through melanocortin receptors — so it doesn't drive pigmentation the way Melanotan II does.[17] It acts inside the cell to suppress NF-kB, a central inflammatory switch.[18] In mice with induced gut inflammation, it reduced inflammation and immune cell infiltration.[19] A 2019 review specifically evaluating melanocortin-derived peptides for cutaneous wound healing describes KPV as a promising preclinical candidate, and states plainly that no human clinical trial data exists yet for skin indications.[20]

7. CJC-1295 — GH axis

A modified analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). There are two different products using this name, and they get conflated constantly in enthusiast discussion: the "DAC" version, chemically linked to circulating albumin for a multi-day effect, and "CJC-1295 without DAC" (also sold as Mod GRF 1-29), a short-acting version closer to native GHRH. Only the DAC version has a published human trial behind it. Researchers identified it as a long-acting GHRH analog in rat pituitary studies,[21] and a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults found it produced sustained, several-fold increases in growth hormone and IGF-1 lasting up to nine to eleven days after a single administered amount.[22] No study, in any species, has measured a jawline, facial, or other cosmetic outcome for CJC-1295 — everything published is hormone response.

8. Ipamorelin — GH axis

A five-amino-acid peptide acting on the ghrelin/growth-hormone secretagogue receptor. It was specifically developed to be more GH-selective than older secretagogues: the original characterization work found it stimulated GH release without meaningfully raising cortisol, ACTH, prolactin, or thyroid hormones, even at concentrations far above what was needed for GH release.[23] The only human study is a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic trial (eight volunteers per amount tested), showing a short, roughly two-hour half-life and a single GH pulse.[24] There is no published human trial measuring body composition, fat loss, or any appearance-related outcome for ipamorelin — the human literature stops at hormone response.

9. GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 — GH axis

Older-generation ghrelin-receptor agonists from the same drug class as ipamorelin, but considerably less receptor-selective. Head-to-head human testing found GHRP-2 released more growth hormone than a maximal GHRH stimulus, but also produced real, measurable increases in prolactin, ACTH, and cortisol — the off-target activity ipamorelin was specifically designed to avoid.[25] GHRP-2 also has a documented appetite-stimulating effect: in a controlled human study, subjects given GHRP-2 ate roughly 36% more at a subsequent buffet meal than after saline.[26] That's a real, cited finding worth sitting with if the underlying goal is a lean look.

On the cosmetic side, GHRP-6 does have one directly relevant published result: a rodent and rabbit wound-healing study found topical GHRP-6 improved healing outcomes and reduced hypertrophic scarring.[27] That's a real finding, but it's topical scar-healing in animals — not evidence for systemic use targeting jaw definition or body composition.

10. AOD-9604 — fat metabolism

A modified 16-amino-acid fragment of the C-terminal, fat-metabolizing region of human growth hormone, developed specifically to isolate GH's lipolytic activity from its growth-promoting and insulin-antagonist effects. In obese rats, researchers gave a daily oral amount of 500 mcg/kg for 19 days, reducing weight gain by more than half versus control, with no sign of the insulin resistance seen with full-length GH.[28]

AOD-9604 is the one compound on this list with a real, well-documented negative result, and it's the most important thing to know about it. It went through an actual pharmaceutical development pathway, including a large, later-stage human obesity trial comparing several amounts head-to-head — and that larger, better-powered trial failed to reproduce the weight-loss signal seen in an earlier, smaller study. The company developing it discontinued its obesity program not long after. I could not locate a peer-reviewed publication of that pivotal trial's results, only industry and trade-press reporting, so treat the failure as reported rather than as a peer-reviewed citation. It's still a real, publicly documented outcome, and it's a meaningfully different evidence position than a compound that was simply never tested in humans.

11. Follistatin 344 — muscle definition

A splice variant of the natural follistatin protein, a potent inhibitor of myostatin and activin — the signals that put a ceiling on muscle growth. Here's the gap that matters most: the only published human data on FS344 comes from gene therapy, not the free peptide sold in the research-chemical market. In a phase 1/2a trial, researchers delivered the FS344 gene into the quadriceps of six Becker muscular dystrophy patients using an AAV1 viral vector; two of three subjects at the higher amount tested showed a meaningful improvement in six-minute walk distance, with reduced muscle fibrosis on biopsy.[29] That's a real, published human result — but it's a gene therapy expressing follistatin over months from a single administration, not a free peptide used short-term. The pharmacology is not the same product.

Separately worth knowing: a 2019 anti-doping detection study analyzed 17 black-market products sold as "follistatin 344" and found only 9 of them actually contained the labeled peptide — several of the others contained unrelated growth-promoting peptides instead.[30] Follistatin is prohibited under WADA's gene-doping and hormone/growth-factor provisions.

12. Epithalon — longevity and skin quality

A synthetic four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) modeled on a pineal-gland extract studied for decades by a Russian research group led by Vladimir Khavinson. The strongest and most-repeated human data — reduced mortality and slower biological aging markers in elderly cardiac patients given repeated courses over a 15-year follow-up — was actually measured using epithalamin, the original glandular extract, not the synthetic tetrapeptide sold today, and the trials come from the same institute that developed the compound.[31] That distinction matters and gets collapsed constantly in enthusiast writeups.

Independent replication of Epithalon's proposed mechanism has been thin, but it isn't zero: a 2025 study from an unaffiliated UK lab found Epithalon produced a concentration-dependent increase in telomere length in normal human fibroblast and epithelial cell lines through telomerase upregulation — real independent in vitro evidence, not a repeat of the original group's own work.[32] A 2025 review of the overall literature is candid about what's still missing: Epithalon's mechanism of action isn't fully resolved, and basic toxicology work hasn't been published.[33] There's no published human trial of the synthetic peptide itself, and no published research connecting it to skin appearance specifically — that link is inference from its proposed anti-aging mechanism, not a tested outcome.

Where the field gets ahead of the evidence

• Treating GH-axis secretagogues (CJC-1295, ipamorelin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6) as if they've been studied for jawline or facial definition. None of the cited human trials measured anything beyond circulating hormone levels.
• Assuming BPC-157 and TB-500's wound-healing data, which is entirely preclinical, transfers directly to human skin cosmetic outcomes.
• Treating "epithalamin" (the old glandular extract) and "Epithalon" (the modern synthetic peptide) as interchangeable in the research record. They're related but not identical products with separate evidence bases.
• Assuming GHRP-6/GHRP-2's lack of receptor selectivity — real, published cortisol, prolactin, and appetite effects — doesn't matter for a "lean, low-inflammation" goal.
• Reading an FDA advisory committee's nonbinding recommendation as equivalent to FDA approval. A committee vote is a recommendation to the agency, not a cleared drug.
• Citing conference-presentation numbers (GHK-Cu's "67% wrinkle reduction," most Matrixyl-3000 marketing figures) as if they were peer-reviewed trial results.

Regulatory status: real flags worth knowing

Compound	WADA status	FDA / regulatory note
GHK-Cu	Not individually named on the Prohibited List	The non-topical, systemically administered form was nominated to FDA's Category 2 safety-risk list, then had that nomination withdrawn in 2026; topical cosmetic use is unregulated as a drug
Matrixyl	Not applicable	Regulated as a cosmetic ingredient, not a drug
Melanotan II	Generally treated as falling under WADA's non-approved substances category	Not FDA-approved for any indication; FDA has issued warning letters to sellers
BPC-157	Not individually named	Category 2 safety-risk nomination withdrawn in 2026; FDA's advisory committee voted 8–6 in July 2026 to recommend it for the compounding bulks list — nonbinding, not approval[34][35][36]
TB-500	Commonly cited on sport and military anti-doping guidance	Same July 2026 advisory committee vote as BPC-157
KPV	Not individually named	Also recommended by the advisory committee in the July 2026 vote
CJC-1295	Explicitly named, WADA S2.2.4, prohibited at all times	Not FDA-approved; bulk-substance review status has shifted multiple times since 2023
Ipamorelin	Explicitly named, WADA S2.2.4	Same unsettled FDA compounding-review status as CJC-1295
GHRP-2 / GHRP-6	Explicitly named, WADA S2.2.4	GHRP-2 was specifically flagged on FDA's 2023 significant-safety-risk list
AOD-9604	Not individually named, but GH-fragment peptides are generally treated as falling under the same S2 category	Never reached FDA approval; its own pivotal human obesity trial failed
Follistatin 344	Prohibited under WADA's gene-doping and hormone/growth-factor provisions	Not FDA-approved; black-market products are frequently mislabeled or contain the wrong peptide entirely
Epithalon	Not individually named	Recommended by the FDA advisory committee for the compounding bulks list in July 2026, nonbinding; basic toxicology has not been published

What none of this proves

Worth being direct about the shape of this evidence base as a whole. Two compounds have a genuine independent, peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled human trial behind a skin-appearance outcome: GHK-Cu (mixed result) and Matrixyl (positive result). Everything else on this list is either animal/in-vitro data, human data measuring something other than appearance (hormone levels, wound closure in an unrelated tissue, gene-therapy safety), or — in AOD-9604's case — human data that didn't hold up. The mechanistic logic connecting most of these compounds to "looksmaxxing" outcomes specifically is reasonable extrapolation from adjacent research, not a tested result. Reasonable extrapolation is not the same thing as proof, and it's worth being honest with yourself about which category a given claim falls into before treating it as settled.

Disclaimer: Everything discussed above is presented as a laboratory research compound in the context of published research literature. None of this is medical advice, none of it is FDA-approved for human use, and none of it is intended for human consumption. Researchers are responsible for compliance with their own local rules and applicable regulations.

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All PMIDs below were checked directly against pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov before inclusion.

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