Peptides Are Booming. But Are They Safe? 

Supplement Sommelier Toni Carroll believes all consumers should be informed before they buy into any peptide-based treatment hype. 

 

“Not a week goes by without hearing about someone who is ‘getting into’ peptides or wants to start selling them,” says Toni Carroll, a “supplement sommelier” and founder of South African nutricosmetics brand My Beauty Luv. “I would never discourage entrepreneurship, but massive alarm bells have been going off for me.”

 

From longevity clinics and wellness podcasts to gyms and social media, peptides are being promoted for everything from weight management and muscle recovery to skin rejuvenation, sleep and healthy ageing.

 

But while interest has exploded, regulation and consumer understanding haven’t necessarily kept pace.

The Problem With The Peptide Boom

 

“Peptide medicine holds enormous potential, but the word ‘peptide’ covers a very broad category,” says Steve Uria, applied human performance and longevity expert and CEO of WellNest Gold, a physician-led longevity clinic in Cape Town.

 

“It includes established registered medicines as well as those that fall into a poorly controlled ‘grey market’. Consumers need to understand that these products are not interchangeable.”

 

Together with his medical colleague, Dr Raythaan Addinall, Uria is helping consumers understand both the possibilities and limitations of peptide-based treatments.

Their concerns are echoed by Carroll. Working in the supplement industry, she’s particularly concerned about injectable products being sold informally. “When something is this powerful and people are injecting it into their bodies, we need far more regulation and consumer education,” she says.

What Exactly Are Peptides?

 

Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Many occur naturally in the body, where they act as signalling molecules that help regulate appetite, metabolism, inflammation, tissue repair, hormone release and immune activity.

 

Some established medicines are peptides or mimic naturally occurring peptides. Insulin and GLP-1 receptor agonists are familiar examples. However, the term also covers numerous experimental substances being marketed for recovery, body composition, cognition and longevity.

 

“The science is exciting, particularly when it comes to targeting specific biological pathways,” says Uria. “However, consumer interest has moved faster than the evidence, regulation and public understanding. Many peptides currently being marketed for longevity or performance remain experimental.”

 

Not All Peptides Are Created Equally

 

Two vials carrying the same peptide name may differ significantly in the identity and concentration of the active ingredient, purity, sterility, stability and dose accuracy.

 

“A laboratory certificate showing high chemical purity does not prove that an injectable product is sterile, stable, correctly formulated or suitable for human use,” Uria explains. “Terms such as ‘pharmaceutical grade’, ‘laboratory tested’ and ‘research grade’ are frequently used in marketing, but consumers need to ask what those claims actually prove.”

 

Injectable products should be manufactured in appropriately licensed facilities operating according to recognised Good Manufacturing Practice standards for sterile pharmaceutical production. Full batch-level identification and traceability should also be available.

 

Storage and transportation matter too. Peptides can be sensitive to temperature, light, moisture and physical agitation, meaning even a correctly manufactured product may degrade if handled outside its validated conditions.

 

What Do South African Regulations Say?

 

A peptide’s legal status depends on its active ingredient, intended use and registration status. Registered peptide medicines must be authorised by SAHPRA and supplied through licensed medical and pharmacy channels.

 

While certain unregistered medicines may be accessed for individual patients through a Section 21 authorisation, this does not permit their general manufacture or sale. In May 2026, SAHPRA warned consumers about unregistered peptide products that had not been approved for safety, quality or efficacy.

 

“A prescription or recommendation from a healthcare professional does not automatically mean the product itself is SAHPRA-registered,” Uria cautions. “Similarly, a compounded medicine is not automatically equivalent to an approved medicine.” 

 

Red Flags Consumers Shouldn’t Ignore

 

Uria advises consumers to be wary of products sold through social media, gyms or informal sellers, particularly when they are supplied without an appropriate medical consultation or prescription or have no identifiable licensed manufacturer or pharmacy.

 

Other warning signs include guaranteed results, promises of “reversing” ageing, products marked “for research use only” being sold for human use, missing batch numbers or verifiable origins, and testing certificates that cannot be linked to the finished product.

The Future Of Peptide Medicine 

 

Despite their concerns about the current market, Carroll and Uria both remain optimistic about responsibly developed peptide-based treatments.

 

“The future isn’t simply about having more peptides,” Uria concludes. “It’s about more precise medicine built on credible evidence, pharmaceutical quality, lawful access and responsible medical supervision, not hype.”

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For media enquiries, interviews, samples or imagery, please contact:
Kirsten Reynecke, kirsten@kirstenhopwood.co.za , +44 (0)7401570304, @kjreynecke

 

Medical and regulatory disclaimer:

 

This press release is intended for general consumer education and media information only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, treatment guidance or a recommendation to begin, discontinue or alter any medical treatment.

 

Peptide-based treatments may carry risks and may not be suitable for everyone. Consumers should consult an HPCSA-registered medical practitioner before considering any peptide-based treatment and should obtain prescription medicines only through lawful, appropriately licensed healthcare and pharmacy channels.

 

Toni Carroll is a supplement industry specialist and wellness commentator, not a medical practitioner. Her comments relate to supplement quality, traceability, consumer awareness and responsible sourcing.

 

The medical and regulatory information in this article has been informed by publicly available SAHPRA guidance current at the time of publication. Where stated, medical content has been reviewed by Dr Raythaan Addinall.