Cream
Acne Cream
Triple-action topical for acne: antibiotic (clindamycin + erythromycin) and antifungal (ketoconazole). Covers bacterial and fungal acne.
Starting at $101/mo
Dark spotsMelasmaHydroquinone 6%
GHK-Cu Brightening Cream
RxPrescription onlyApplied to the skin · Once a day · Dark spots · Melasma · Hydroquinone 6%
Starting at $138/mo
A prescription cream for dark spots and melasma: hydroquinone 6% to fade pigment, niacinamide 4% to even tone, and GHK-Cu with hyaluronic acid to support the skin while it works. Compounded by a licensed US pharmacy and applied once a day at bedtime.
Choose your plan
Real prices from our pharmacy. Longer plans cost less per month and are billed up front. Pause or cancel anytime.
- Hydroquinone 6% fades melasma, sun spots and dark marks
- Niacinamide, GHK-Cu and hyaluronic acid support an even, comfortable skin barrier
- Once a day at bedtime, in courses your physician sets (usually 3 to 4 months)
Every plan includes
- Personalized, physician-guided plan
- Monthly, 3-month and 6-month plans
- Dispensed by a US-licensed compounding pharmacy
- Unlimited protocol adjustments and messaging
- Ongoing support and check-ins
- Pause or cancel anytime
- Reviewed by our in-house physicians
- Physician-guided care
- Ongoing, expert support
- 100% online
- Free, discreet shipping
What is GHK-Cu Brightening Cream?
(hydroquinone 6% + niacinamide 4% + GHK-Cu + hyaluronic acid)
It is a compounded prescription cream for hyperpigmentation. Hydroquinone, the most studied topical lightener, slows tyrosinase, the enzyme that makes melanin. Niacinamide reduces how much pigment reaches the surface of the skin and calms it. GHK-Cu, a copper peptide, and hyaluronic acid support repair and hydration, which helps the skin tolerate treatment. It treats melasma, sun spots and marks left after acne or irritation. It is not for moles or for spots that are changing.
- How it is taken
- Applied to the skin
- How often
- Once a day
- Form
- Dark spots · Melasma · Hydroquinone 6%
6%
hydroquinone, a prescription strength above the 2% that used to be sold over the counter
Results build gradually: most people see fading after 4 to 8 weeks. Daily SPF 30+ is part of the treatment, or the spots come back.
How it works,
week by week.
Week 1
A physician reviews your skin, your spots and your health, and chooses the formula and how long to use it. You test the cream on a small area first.
Weeks 2–4
Some redness, dryness or peeling is common while the skin adjusts. Daily sunscreen starts now and does not stop.
Weeks 4–8
Spots begin to fade. Brightening Cream usually completes its short course around week 8.
Months 2–4
Hydroquinone courses usually end by 3 to 4 months, followed by a break and a gentler maintenance plan your physician sets.
What you may notice,
and when.
Daily SPF is part of the treatment
without it, spots return and can get darker
Gradual fading
most people see change after 4 to 8 weeks
Used in courses
breaks between courses lower the risk of ochronosis
More even tone
a maintenance plan keeps results after the course
Individual results vary. Benefits reflect what Zepym Health members commonly report to their physician at check-ins; they are not the results of a clinical trial.
Safety first:
what to know before you start.
Important safety information and common side effects
These creams contain hydroquinone and are prescription treatments. Do not use them if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding; Brightening Cream also contains tretinoin, which must not be used in pregnancy. Do not use them if you are allergic to hydroquinone or sulfites, and tell your physician if you have asthma. Apply only to the dark spots, never on broken or irritated skin, and keep away from the eyes and lips. Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ every day. Hydroquinone is used in courses with breaks: with long continuous use it can rarely cause ochronosis, a blue-black darkening of the skin. If the treated skin gets darker instead of lighter, stop and contact your physician. Do not use peroxide products such as benzoyl peroxide on the same area. A new or changing mole or spot needs an in-person check, not a brightening cream.
The research behind
GHK-Cu.
GHK-Cu is a copper-binding peptide. Its skin evidence is laboratory, animal and gene-expression work, reviewed by its main researchers. We did not find a controlled human trial of the topical cream.
- Reviewlaboratory and animal
A 2018 review of GHK-Cu's regenerative actions. Its abstract describes evidence from cell, animal and gene-expression studies, and makes no claim of a controlled human skin trial.
Pickart and Margolina, Int J Mol Sci 2018;19(7):1987 - Cells and tissuecollagen and elastin up
The same review states that GHK stimulates blood vessel and nerve outgrowth and increases collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycan synthesis. These are cell and tissue findings, not measured results in people.
Pickart and Margolina, Int J Mol Sci 2018;19(7):1987 - Human datano human trial found
We found no controlled human trial of topical GHK-Cu for skin or hair. A Russian-language clinical review exists, but we could read only its abstract.
Our search, PubMed and the 2018 review
What the studies found
- Cell and animal studies, reviewed in 2018, describe GHK-Cu increasing collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycan synthesis; unproven in people (Pickart and Margolina, Int J Mol Sci 2018).
- The same review describes tissue-repair effects in skin and other tissues, shown in lab and animal work; no human trial is named (Pickart and Margolina, Int J Mol Sci 2018).
- No controlled human trial of topical GHK-Cu for skin or hair was found in our search, so no human benefit is claimed.
The sources do not say whether these creams are compounded. GHK-Cu at the concentrations sold has not been shown in a controlled trial to improve skin. The brightening cream also contains hydroquinone 6%, a prescription drug covered in the hydroquinone section.
What this does not say
- Brightening and collagen claims for GHK-Cu rest on laboratory and animal work; we do not claim a result in people.
- Copper peptides can irritate skin; the trials we found did not report irritation systematically.
- Any brightening effect of this cream comes mostly from its hydroquinone and niacinamide, not from GHK-Cu alone.
The research
behind it.
Hydroquinone is a long-established depigmenting agent for melasma and other hyperpigmentation. Pairing it with niacinamide, which blocks the transfer of pigment to the surface, works on the same problem from two sides.
With long continuous use, hydroquinone can rarely cause ochronosis, a blue-black darkening of the skin. That is why your physician prescribes it in courses with breaks, and why any darkening means stopping and telling your physician.
Getting started
takes a few minutes.
- 1
Connect with a physician
Answer a few questions online and a US-licensed physician reviews your health, history and goals to make sure treatment is right for you. 100% online. No in-person visit required.
- 2
Get your discreet shipment
If approved, your treatment is compounded by a US-licensed, LegitScript-certified pharmacy, inspected for quality, and shipped discreetly to your door.
- 3
Receive continuous support
Start with one goal, then keep building over time. Unlimited physician messaging, easy refills and dose adjustments, all from the Zepym Health app.
Frequently asked questions
Contact supportHow do I use GHK-Cu Brightening Cream?
Applied to the skin, once a day, at bedtime. The starting prescription is 1 mL each time. Your physician sets your own dose and it is printed on your label.
What exactly is in it?
GHK-Cu 0.05%, Hyaluronic Acid 0.2%, Hydroquinone 6%, Niacinamide 4%.
How much arrives in each shipment?
1 tube at the starting strength, shipped to your door from a licensed US pharmacy.
Is this the same as GHK-Cu Cream?
No. GHK-Cu Cream is an anti-aging peptide cream with no hydroquinone. GHK-Cu Brightening Cream is a lightening treatment for dark spots: its main active is hydroquinone 6%, with a small amount of GHK-Cu to support the skin.
Which brightening cream is right for me?
GHK-Cu Brightening Cream (hydroquinone 6% with niacinamide) is the usual first choice: gentler, for melasma, sun spots and acne marks, in courses of 3 to 4 months. Brightening Cream adds tretinoin and a mild steroid: stronger and faster, for stubborn melasma, but more irritating and only for up to 8 weeks; it is not for eczema, rosacea or pregnancy. ClearTone uses a lower hydroquinone strength (4%) with azelaic and tranexamic acids. If you are not sure, choose GHK-Cu Brightening Cream: your physician confirms the right one or switches you.
Can I use it while pregnant or breastfeeding?
No. Hydroquinone is avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and the tretinoin in Brightening Cream must not be used in pregnancy. Tell your physician right away if you become pregnant.
Do I really need sunscreen every day?
Yes. Sun exposure triggers new pigment and undoes the treatment. Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every morning, reapply outdoors, and add a hat in strong sun.
What if my skin gets darker?
Irritation can make spots look darker for a short time. If the treated skin keeps darkening or turns gray or blue-black, stop the cream and message your physician: with long use, hydroquinone can rarely cause ochronosis.
GHK-Cu Brightening Cream educational content reviewed by our physician
Scott Nass, MD Doctor of Medicine, board-certified in Family Medicine
Charles R. Drew University and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Family Medicine residency at Ventura County Medical Center.
More options
in this area.
Cream
Acne Cream with Tretinoin
Acne treatment combining antibiotics (clindamycin/erythromycin/ketoconazole) with tretinoin for faster clearance and post-acne healing.
Starting at $101/mo
Cream
Brightening Cream
Stronger prescription cream for stubborn melasma and dark spots: hydroquinone 6% with tretinoin, hydrocortisone, kojic acid and vitamins C and E. A short course, usually up to 8 weeks.
Starting at $109/mo
Cream
Clarity Cream
Acne and post-acne formula combining azelaic acid, niacinamide, clindamycin, and tretinoin. Anti-inflammatory and cell-renewing.
Starting at $109/mo
References
- 1.Hydroquinone prescribing information: depigmentation, sulfites, ochronosis and use in pregnancy. US prescribing labels (DailyMed)
- 2.Fluocinolone, hydroquinone and tretinoin cream for melasma: indicated for up to 8 weeks. Tri-Luma prescribing information (DailyMed)
- 3.Topical tranexamic acid and azelaic acid in melasma. PubMed
Prescription products require an online evaluation with a licensed medical professional who will determine if a prescription is appropriate. Products are compounded by a licensed pharmacy. The FDA has not reviewed or approved compounded products for any use for safety, efficacy, or quality. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved brand-name products.