Guide · reconstitution

How to reconstitute peptides, step by step

Lyophilized peptides ship as a freeze-dried powder puck. Before they can be measured into a syringe they need to be dissolved — reconstituted — in bacteriostatic water. The process takes two minutes; getting it wrong wastes a vial.

Not medical advice. This guide covers logistics and tracking mechanics only. Doses, compounds, and protocols belong in a conversation with a licensed clinician.

What you need

The peptide vial (sealed, refrigerated until use for most compounds)
Bacteriostatic water (BAC water — sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol so a multi-dose vial stays usable)
A sterile syringe for transferring the water, and alcohol swabs for both stoppers

Step 1 — Choose your water volume

This is the step people overthink. The amount of water changes concentration only — a 5 mg vial contains 5 mg whether you add 1 mL or 3 mL. More water means each dose is a larger, easier-to-read draw on the syringe; less water means smaller injection volumes. Common choices are 1–3 mL.

A practical trick: pick the volume that makes your dose land on a clean tick mark. Run the numbers in the free calculator before you mix — thirty seconds there beats squinting at half-units for a month.

Step 2 — Mix gently

Swab both rubber stoppers with alcohol and let them dry.
Draw your chosen volume of BAC water.
Inject it into the peptide vial slowly, angling the stream down the glass wall rather than blasting the powder directly.
Swirl gently or let it sit until the solution is clear. Never shake — peptides are fragile chains, and aggressive agitation can degrade them.

Step 3 — Label and refrigerate

Write the date and water volume on the vial, and refrigerate it. From this point the clock is running — most reconstituted peptides are used within about 28 days (see how long reconstituted peptides last). The date matters as much as the contents: an unlabeled vial three weeks later is a guessing game.

Step 4 — Know your draw before the first dose

Concentration = total mcg ÷ mL of water. Draw volume = dose ÷ concentration. Units on a U-100 syringe = volume × 100. The calculator does all three instantly.

Log the vial the moment you mix it

PepShot records the water volume, computes your units automatically, and starts the vial's day counter — so the label never has to do the remembering.

Download PepShot