copper peptides
NIOD vs The Ordinary Copper Peptides: What the Labels Say
NIOD vs The Ordinary copper peptides: what's actually different? Both brands belong to the same company, DECIEM. The Ordinary's serum is a multi-peptide formula where copper peptide is one of several. NIOD's CAIS3 is built around copper peptides and states its GHK-Cu percentage. NIOD's CAIL uses a different, oil-friendly form of the peptide. Which suits you depends on whether you want a mix of peptides or a stated copper dose.
People ask this on Reddit a lot. We didn't use threads for the answers. Everything below comes from the brands' own product pages, checked in September 2026, and from published research. We make a copper peptide serum ourselves, so factor that in.
Same company, different products
DECIEM's own site describes itself as home to both The Ordinary and NIOD. So this isn't a contest between rival companies. It's two product lines from one maker, aimed at different buyers.
Three products come up in the comparison:
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum, 30 ml.
- NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1, known as CAIS3, in 15 ml and 30 ml.
- NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1%, known as CAIL, 15 ml.
Prices change often and vary by country, so check them on the day. The more useful comparison is what's on the label.
NIOD vs The Ordinary copper peptides, label by label
| The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% | NIOD CAIS3 | NIOD CAIL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper peptide on the label | Copper tripeptide-1 | Tripeptide-1 copper acetate, plus tripeptide-1 acetate | Copper tripeptide-1 palmitamide |
| Stated amount | "1%" in the name | 1% GHK-Cu plus 1% GHK | 1% |
| Other peptides | Seven more, no individual percentages | Several more, listed | Not the focus |
| Base | Water | Water | Oil (squalane leads the list) |
| Brand's suggested use | Morning and evening | See brand page | Evening |
What "1%" means on each label
The Ordinary: one peptide among several
The Ordinary's page describes the serum as combining five peptide technologies: GHK-Cu, SYN-AKE, Matrixyl synthe'6, Matrixyl 3000 and ARGIRELOX. On the ingredient list, copper tripeptide-1 is fourth, after water, glycerin and a ferment lysate. Seven other named peptides follow, without individual percentages.
The "1%" is in the product name. The page we read didn't spell out whether that's the copper peptide on its own or something broader. That's normal in skincare, not a red flag. It just means you can't line it up exactly against a label that does spell it out.
NIOD CAIS3: copper peptide first
NIOD states that CAIS3 contains 1% GHK-Cu alongside 1% GHK without copper, which is the "1:1" in the name. On the list, tripeptide-1 copper acetate and tripeptide-1 acetate sit fourth and fifth, after water, glycerin and another peptide, tripeptide-29.
So the practical difference is focus and disclosure. The Ordinary's serum is a peptide assortment with copper in it. CAIS3 is a copper peptide serum with a stated dose. Neither is automatically better. They answer different questions.
CAIS3 or CAIL?
If you've settled on NIOD, these two aren't a weaker and stronger version of the same thing. They use different forms of the peptide.
- CAIS3 is water-based, with GHK-Cu and plain GHK.
- CAIL is oil-based, with squalane and caprylic/capric triglyceride at the top of the list. Its copper peptide is copper tripeptide-1 palmitamide: GHK-Cu with a fatty tail attached so it mixes with oil. NIOD suggests using it in the evening and mentions dry, mature skin.
Why the fatty tail might matter
Getting GHK through the top layer of skin is the hard part, because it's small and loves water. A 2025 review in BioImpacts notes that attaching copper and adding an oil-loving group both help it get through. That's a reasonable mechanism behind the lipid form. It's a mechanism, though, not a head-to-head result on faces.
What the research does and doesn't show
The same BioImpacts review is useful precisely because it cuts both ways. Based on cell studies, it says GHK "can be considered as an anti-wrinkle ingredient". It also says there's "a surprising absence of clinical studies" using GHK-Cu and its palmitoyl form, and that published information on how well they get into skin is "insufficient".
The most-cited human result is described in a 2018 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences: 71 women with visible sun ageing used a GHK-Cu facial cream for 12 weeks, and their skin measured denser and thicker with shallower fine lines. That was one formula. The review's point applies to finished serums in general, ours included: we're not aware of published trials on any of these finished formulas.
So read confident claims in either direction with care. The cell science is strong. The trial record for finished serums is thin.
How to decide
- You want several peptide types in one bottle: The Ordinary's serum is built that way.
- You want a stated GHK-Cu percentage in a water-based serum: CAIS3 gives you that.
- You want an oil-based format for evening: CAIL is the one of the three designed for that.
- You've never used copper peptides: start with whichever you'll use consistently, patch test, and judge it over a few months.
Whichever you pick, check its directions. The Ordinary's page, for example, advises against using its copper serum alongside direct acids, retinoids and strong antioxidants like vitamin C. Our guide to copper peptides with vitamin C explains why that pairing is a problem. And a serum that has turned from blue to green may have lost its copper, as we cover in how to spot an oxidised copper peptide serum.
Where our serum fits
We'll keep this short, since we're not neutral. The serum is 2% GHK-Cu in a 45 ml bottle, with the percentage printed on the box. If you want a single stated copper peptide dose, that's the case for it. If you want a mix of peptide types, a multi-peptide serum does a different job. Our guide to what 2% GHK-Cu means explains how to compare percentages.
Frequently asked questions
Are NIOD and The Ordinary the same company?
Yes. DECIEM describes itself as home to both The Ordinary and NIOD. They're separate product lines with different formulas, not the same serum in different bottles. The Ordinary's copper serum is a multi-peptide product, while NIOD's copper serums are built around copper peptides.
Is The Ordinary's 1% the same as NIOD's 1%?
Not necessarily. NIOD states CAIS3 has 1% GHK-Cu plus 1% GHK. The Ordinary puts "1%" in its product name, and the page we read didn't define what it's a percentage of. So the two numbers can't be compared directly.
Which is better for peptide variety, not just copper?
The Ordinary's Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides serum names five peptide technologies. If you want a broader look at how copper peptides compare with Matrixyl and Argireline, our guide to the best peptide serum covers the evidence for each.
The short version
Same parent company, different jobs. The Ordinary's serum is a multi-peptide formula with copper peptide among several. NIOD's CAIS3 states 1% GHK-Cu plus 1% GHK in water. CAIL uses an oil-friendly form for evening. The cell research on GHK is strong, and the trial record for finished serums is thin. Pick the format you'll use, and judge it over a few months.
