Once confined to niche bodybuilding forums and hardcore gyms, unproven injectable peptides are now being openly marketed online to the average gym-goer by social media influencers – and regulators struggling to keep up.
Across Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, unapproved and harmful peptide products are being promoted as shortcuts to fat loss, anti-ageing, health and recovery and muscle growth.
Peptides actually occur naturally in our body. They regulate a variety of important functions, including metabolism, appetite, hormone production and tissue repair.
Synthetic versions of peptides are also used in some medicines, which are legitimate and have been clinically proven. These include GLP-1s (which are used for weight loss and managing diabetes) and insulin.
But a booming, parallel “grey market” now exists online for unapproved peptide compounds. These products are primarily being sold by so-called wellness brands and in influencer-led storefronts. Many of these products are marketed as cutting-edge solutions for optimising health and body enhancement.
The problem is that many of these substances have not undergone full clinical safety evaluation and are not approved for human use. Many have also been found to be contaminated with other harmful ingredients.
Unapproved injectable peptides therefore pose serious health risks. Some of the risks they may pose include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal issues, headaches and fatigue or weakness. Immune issues, as well as allergic reactions and infections have also been reported.
Moreover, there’s a clear lack of rigorous human safety data. Yet these risks often aren’t disclosed by the people selling them.
Influencer marketing tactics
Fitness influencers, some of whom have millions of followers and harness great social power, are increasingly presenting peptides as modern self-improvement tools.
They often draw their followers in with dramatic before and after photos and claims these peptide products improve energy, recovery, physique and performance. Content is framed as personal experience. This gives the impression of authenticity and trustworthiness.
But behind much of this content sits a sophisticated affiliate marketing system.
Influencers frequently provide personalised discount codes, offering followers between 5% and 30% off purchases. Each click redirects buyers to online peptide vendors, generating commission for the influencer. Trust, attention and admiration are converted directly into revenue.
This matters because it fundamentally blurs the boundary between personal recommendation and commercial advertising. Followers may perceive influencers to be relatable peers sharing genuine experiences – rather than salespeople who have a financial incentive to drive sales.
Influencer sponsorship arrangements are often vague, poorly disclosed or hidden entirely. This is a concern, given advertising standards and many social media platforms state that commercial partnerships must be explicitly disclosed.
At the same time, platform algorithms intensify the problem. Sophisticated algorithms learn from users’ behavioural patterns and predictively direct content based on prior engagement, interactions and viewing habits.
In doing so, the platform feeds users with peptide promotions, transformation videos and enhancement-focused accounts. Social media users quickly become immersed in these digital environments, where peptides appear normal and safe to use.
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Injectable peptides are re-framed by influencers as routine and essential tools of self-optimisation. Yet the influencers promoting these products often have no relevant medical qualifications. Consumers may therefore not realise the risks of using unlicensed peptides and the harm they can cause.
Worryingly, young people may be particularly vulnerable to harms, given their high exposure to online enhancement cultures and reduced comprehension of risk.
Where are the regulators?
Currently, unapproved peptide sales sit in a difficult enforcement space. This is shaped by legal loopholes, resource constraints, evidentiary burdens and regulatory priorities.
One way online peptides vendors attempt to sidestep medicine and consumer protection laws is through how products are labelled. Many peptide products are labelled as being designed for “research purposes” or “not for human consumption”.
But these disclaimers aren’t really intended to be genuine safety warnings for consumers. Rather, they act as legal positioning. The label allows sellers to distance themselves from therapeutic claims while continuing to profit from products.
Read more:
Peptides: performance-boosting, anti-ageing drugs or dangerous snake oil?
The regulatory challenge is equally substantial. In the UK alone, responsibility spans the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Advertising Standards Authority, Competition and Markets Authority, Trading Standards and Ofcom. Social media platforms also have their own advertising and safety policies.
This matters because no single regulator fully owns the peptide market. Responsibility is spread across multiple agencies, making enforcement slow and fragmented while the market rapidly expands. This is particularly problematic when vendors operate anonymously or offshore, as it further fragments responsibility and enforcement.
At the same time, influencers are accelerating demand faster than regulators can respond. The market is also becoming increasingly industrialised, with influencers providing YouTube tutorials on how to set up your own peptide business and targeted adverts encouraging new peptide entrepreneurs.
This makes it possible for anyone to start a fully operating business, complete with supplier networks, fulfilment systems, branding kits, website templates and social media marketing strategies. This dramatically lowers barriers to entry for new online vendors. It means anyone – even those with no medical or scientific qualifications – can promote and sell these products.
The online peptide market is expanding faster than regulators can keep up. Influencers and sophisticated affiliate marketing systems are partly to blame. It’s imperative that regulatory bodies begin investigating these issue fast to prevent consumers from being harmed.
Luke Cox is co-founder of Safe Pulse, a charity focused on harm reduction for individuals who use human enhancement drugs.
Timothy Piatkowski receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, Queensland Mental Health Commission, and Hyphen Health. He is affiliated with Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action (Vice Chair), The Loop Australia (Research Lead – QLD), and The Enhanced Games (Performance Enhancement Task Force).
