Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 (CAIS3) — Reddit Reviews
by NIOD
Updated September 28, 2026
Copper peptides for healing and anti-aging; very watery, pricey, breakouts for some.
What the community says
A watery copper-peptide serum people use for post-retinoid recovery, barrier support, and general anti-aging. It suits tretinoin or exfoliation-heavy routines, but daily leave-on use has triggered random breakouts for some and the bottle stings the wallet.
What this means for you
What people love
- Copper peptides plus multiple peptide species
- Barrier support and redness help
- Watery texture layers fast
Watch out for
- Random breakouts with daily leave-on use
- Very expensive for a serum
- So liquidy it is hard to apply
Product details
Key Ingredients
Skin type data limited
Where to buy
What the science says
Anti-Aging
Not proven yet
Few or mixed studies. This claim isn't established.
Peptides: 2 studies tested it on its own. See all 6 studies
What the studies found
- Both studies that tested it on its own found it helped with signs of aging
- Studies found it improved firmness and made skin texture look smoother
- One study found it reduced wrinkles and improved how much water the skin held
- One study found it worked better than a human-derived growth factor serum for skin texture and firmness
- No stinging, itching, or discomfort was reported in one study
Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.
Real Reddit threads — 13 mentions across 12 threads
NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 (CAIS3) on Reddit, in one place — 12 threads from r/tretinoin, r/SkincareAddiction and 4 more, summarized.
“Morning: Niod CAIS3”
Positive
“If my skin is feeling angry that night I’ll skip the Fabior and do another dose of CAIS3.”
Positive
“I was using it everyday as a leave on and I kept getting random breakouts.”
Positive
“In the PM I always use NIOD COPPER AMINO ISOLATE SERUM 3 1:1”
Positive
“it accelerates the skin’s natural healing process, repairing microdamage from retinoids and exfoliants”
Positive
“Yes I use copper peptides every night with taz. I use taz first then after it dries I apply a few drops of NIOD (copper peptides)”
Positive
“I’m considering trying the NIOD Copper Peptide serum (since they’re both Deciem), but I’m hesitant.”
Mentioned
“Is NIOD actually a step up, or is it just more of the same?”
Mentioned
“NIOD is better, cheap for a reason.”
Mentioned
“When it comes to copper peptides i always recommend NIOD CAIS3..”
Mentioned
“excellent ingredients and much more potent serum...”
Mentioned
“Bit more expensive tho.”
Mentioned
“I was considering NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 (CAIS3), although it’s expensive.”
Mentioned
“I used to use the ordinary copper peptide serum, but I switched to Niod about a year ago.”
Mentioned
“From my research, NIOD seems to be the best. I might actually purchase it. The price hurts though lol”
Mentioned
“NIOD CAIS 311 is my HG and I’ve definitely seen an improvement in barrier strength, redness, and it makes my skin glow.”
Positive
“I use 4 drops every morning on clean dry skin.”
Positive
“It’s a very watery formulation.”
Positive
