MyReconGuide
Intro to Peptides
A quick, plain-language primer before you dive into the library - what peptides actually are, why your body is already familiar with them, and what the most talked-about ones are used for.
Your Body Already Makes These
A peptide is just a short chain of amino acids - the same building blocks that make up every protein in your body, strung together in a shorter sequence. Your body produces thousands of its own peptides naturally, including hormones you've definitely heard of: insulin, oxytocin, and growth hormone are all peptides.
With advances in science, versions of these peptides can now be produced and are often re-introduced to the body through injection - working with signaling pathways your body already has in place, rather than introducing something entirely foreign.
The Two Most People Already Know
You already know the most popular peptide, even if you didn't realize it: Ozempic. That's the brand name for Semaglutide - one of two GLP-1-class compounds, alongside Tirzepatide, that have become household names through their weight-loss results.
Semaglutide
Sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. Dosed once a week, it's best known for curbing appetite and "food noise," leading to steady, sustained weight loss - along with reported benefits for blood sugar control.
Tirzepatide
Sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. Also dosed weekly, it works on two appetite-and-metabolism pathways instead of one, which is why it's often associated with larger average weight loss than Semaglutide.
What the Rest Are Known For
Beyond weight loss, the peptide community uses different compounds for very different goals. Here's the quick map:
Weight Loss & Metabolism
Retatrutide ("GLP-3"/"Reta") and Cagrilintide ("Cagri") build on the same idea as Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, often combined for a stronger effect.
Recovery & Healing
BPC-157/TB-500 (nicknamed "The Wolverine") and KPV are go-tos for injury recovery, joint pain, and gut inflammation.
Growth Hormone & Longevity
CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, Sermorelin, and Tesamorelin ("Tessa") boost your body's own GH release. NAD+ and Epithalon are popular cellular-aging support picks.
Focus, Mood & Sleep
Semax and Selank are nootropics used for focus and calm. DSIP is used specifically for deeper, more restorative sleep.
Skin, Hair & Anti-Aging
GHK-Cu ("copper peptide"), the GLOW and KLOW blends, and Glutathione ("GSH") are popular for skin quality, collagen support, and antioxidant effects.
Hormones & Libido
PT-141 is used for low libido in both men and women. HCG supports natural hormone production during testosterone therapy and PCT.
Why You'll See "Research Use Only"
Many of these compounds are tightly regulated - patented and distributed only by specific pharmaceutical companies, sold through a doctor's prescription. The research-use space grew up around that restriction, giving people a way to access these compounds without needing to go through a doctor or pharmacy first. Labeling and selling something for laboratory research, rather than medical use, is what allows it to be sold outside that prescription-only system - which is why you'll see "Research Use Only" or "RUO" printed on vials, labels, and vendor sites across this space, language anyone who's spent time in the community understands as soon as they see it. Many companies also send their products to third-party labs for independent testing, to verify that the formulation in the vial actually matches what's on the label. Take Semaglutide as an example: the research-use version sold in this space is molecularly identical to the Semaglutide inside Ozempic - the difference is regulatory and distributional, not chemical.
info Everything on this site is informational and anecdotal, based on what's discussed across the peptide community online - nothing here is sold on this site or intended as medical advice. Ready to go deeper? Head to the Peptide Library to explore each compound in detail.
