Should you use copper peptides in the morning or at night?
Copper peptides (GHK-Cu) have no proven best time of day. No study has compared morning and evening use, and The Ordinary's own directions say to apply its copper serum in the morning and evening. What decides the slot is the rest of your routine: copper peptides do best in whichever half of the day has no vitamin C, exfoliating acid or retinoid in it.
- People who already use a retinoid at night and want a second anti-aging step in the morning.
- People with a vitamin C serum in the morning who want something for the evening that won't compete with it.
- Anyone with a simple routine of cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen, who can choose either slot.
- Anyone who wants to stack copper peptides, vitamin C and a retinoid in the same routine. The brand advises against that combination.
- People with broken, freshly treated or actively irritated skin. The Ordinary says to use the serum only on unbroken skin.
- Anyone expecting a dramatic overnight change. The evidence points to slow, modest results at best.
Why there is no proven best time
GHK-Cu research describes what the peptide does once it is in skin. Lab and gene expression studies link it to collagen and glycosaminoglycan production, antioxidant activity and wound repair (Pickart 2015, Pickart 2018). None of that work tested the time of day it was applied. A 2026 systematic review also called the human evidence thin and fragmented: most trials are small and use facial creams (Najafi 2026). If anyone tells you copper peptides work better at night because skin repairs while you sleep, that is a reasonable-sounding idea, not a tested result.
What the label says
The Ordinary's Multi-Peptide + copper peptides 1% Serum says to apply a few drops to the face in the morning and evening. It advises a patch test before first use and says to use it only on unbroken skin. The same page lists direct acids, direct vitamin C, retinoids, strong antioxidants and salicylic acid as products not to use with it (The Ordinary copper serum page). That list does more to decide your timing than any study does.
Mornings: when this slot makes sense
If you use a retinoid, mornings are usually the easier slot for copper. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that retinoids can make skin more sensitive to the sun, which is why dermatologists keep them for the evening and pair them with daytime sun protection (AAD retinoid guide). That leaves the morning free. A morning copper routine is short: cleanse, copper peptide serum, moisturizer, then broad-spectrum sunscreen as the last step.
Evenings: when this slot makes sense
If your morning already holds an L-ascorbic acid serum, put copper at night. Vitamin C in that form has to be formulated below pH 3.5 to get into skin (Pinnell 2001), and the brand lists direct vitamin C as a product not to combine with its copper serum. Pinnell's pig skin data also showed vitamin C levels in skin stay up for days after a few applications, with a half-life of about 4 days, so the morning dose isn't wasted by keeping it apart from copper. An evening copper routine: cleanse, let skin dry, copper peptide serum, then moisturizer.
Twice a day
The label allows morning and evening use, but that doesn't mean you need it. Start with one application a day for the first week or two. If your skin stays calm, add the second one. If you use a retinoid on some nights, skip the evening copper on those nights rather than layering the two.
Pair it with or keep it apart
Easy partners: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, ceramide moisturizers and sunscreen, none of which appear on the brand's avoid list. Keep apart: L-ascorbic acid serums, glycolic, lactic and salicylic acid exfoliants, and retinoids including retinol and tretinoin. Give each of those its own half of the day, or its own nights.
A sample week
Retinoid user: copper peptides every morning, retinoid at night, and a plain moisturizer on any night your skin feels tight. Vitamin C user: vitamin C every morning, copper peptides most evenings, and an exfoliating acid on one or two separate nights with no copper. If you use all three, give each its own slot and don't double up just to fit everything into one day.
Warning signs
Stop and rinse off if you get burning, a rash, swelling or itching that doesn't settle. The brand says to stop using it and see a doctor if irritation occurs. Some people report temporary rough, bumpy texture in the first weeks. It hasn't been studied, so treat it like any irritation: cut back, and stop if it spreads. A serum that has changed color from its usual blue may have degraded.
Products with copper peptides
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum
Picked for copper peptides
Copper tripeptide-1 is listed first, backed by several other peptides.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)FAQ
Do copper peptides make skin more sensitive to the sun?
No such effect is reported, unlike retinoids and AHAs. Wear sunscreen in the morning either way.
Can I put copper peptides on at night and vitamin C in the morning?
That is one of the most common setups, and it matches the brand's advice to keep the two apart.
Do copper peptides go before or after moisturizer?
Before. Use thin serums first and creams after.
Will using copper peptides twice a day give faster results?
There's no evidence it does. Consistency over months matters more than frequency.
I use tretinoin every night. Where does copper go?
Mornings only. The brand lists retinoids as a product not to combine with its copper serum, and a morning slot keeps them apart.
Sources
- Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK peptide as a natural modulator of multiple cellular pathways in skin regeneration. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:648108.
- Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(7):1987.
- Najafi N, Maatouk H, Vardanyan KG, Vartanian KB, Agrawal DK. A Systematic Review of the Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications of GHK-Cu in Topical Microneedle Delivery: A Case for Expanded Clinical Trials. Arch Intern Med Res. 2026;9(3):269-293.
- The Ordinary. Multi-Peptide + copper peptides 1% Serum: product page, directions and compatibility list (accessed October 23, 2026).
- American Academy of Dermatology. Retinoid or retinol? Tips for when to use these skin care powerhouses (last updated May 25, 2021).
- Pinnell SR, Yang H, Omar M, et al. Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies. Dermatol Surg. 2001;27(2):137-142.