What is bacteriostatic water?
Bacteriostatic water is sterile water for injection with 0.9% benzyl alcohol added as preservative. The benzyl alcohol inhibits bacterial growth - hence "bacteriostatic" - and allows multiple withdrawals from the same vial over about 28 days.
It is the standard diluent used to reconstitute lyophilized (freeze-dried) peptides before injection. Without bac water the peptide stays as dry powder and cannot be injected.
How to reconstitute peptides
The standard process in five steps:
- Bring both vials (peptide and bac water) to room temperature.
- Draw the desired amount of bac water with a sterile insulin syringe (typically 2-3ml for a 5mg vial).
- Insert the needle into the peptide vial and add the bac water - it does not matter if it hits the powder directly, that is a myth.
- Swirl or shake the vial until everything dissolves - both are fine, the old no-shaking rule is a myth.
- Wait until the solution is fully clear (1-2 minutes).
The amount of bac water determines the concentration. More water = lower concentration per unit on the syringe, less water = higher concentration.
Step by step
Dissolving the powder
Four steps, the same for every vial size.
- 1Wipe the cap
Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab.
- 2Add BAC water
Just add it, it does not matter if it hits the powder directly.
- 3Swirl or shake
Until everything has dissolved, both are fine.
- 4Draw up
With the U-100 insulin syringe.
Dosing on the insulin syringe
Dosing
Dosing, titration and syringe
Loading the dosing information …
- Getting started and stepping up, drawn as a staircase
- Units on the U-100 syringe for every step
- How long one vial lasts
Storage and shelf life
- Unopened: stable at room temperature until the printed expiry date.
- Opened (vial punctured): 28 days at room temperature per standard guidance.
- Reconstituted peptide: refrigerated, stable for at least 4 to 6 months with barely any loss of potency, in practice considerably longer.
Never freeze - it destroys the peptide structure. Keep protected from light.
Sterile vs bacteriostatic water
Two related products often confused:
- Bacteriostatic water: with 0.9% benzyl alcohol. Multi-use possible. Standard for most peptides.
- Sterile water for injection: no preservative. Single-use only. Needed for rare applications (e.g. infants or specific clinical procedures).
For standard peptide reconstitution: always bacteriostatic water.
Study results
What the trials measured
Interactive: switch tabs, tap points, show or hide arms. Arms are named relative to each other, no dosing advice.
Who reported pain on injection2
Share in percent, 120 patients before anaesthesia, randomised
15 of 39 with benzyl alcohol, 22 of 42 with lidocaine, 33 of 39 without. Benzyl alcohol and lidocaine were each better than placebo.
Pain on a scale of 0 to 1003
68 patients, double-blind, mean values
No significant difference between saline with benzyl alcohol and buffered lidocaine. No adverse events occurred.
Research status
Where the research stands
There is no registered trial on bacteriostatic water itself. Shown are trials with saline containing the same additive (0.9 percent benzyl alcohol), mostly as gentle numbing before an injection. As of 26 Oct 2026. 6
- Preclinical 62 studies on saline with benzyl alcohol since 1928
- Phase 1 no registered trial
- Phase 2 no registered trial
- Phase 3 no registered trial
- Approval in the US as a diluent for injections
Show all 6 phase 4 trials on a timelineHide timeline
NCT02162680 · 99 participants, started Mar 2010, primary endpoint reached Jul 2011.
Registry entry ↗ · Results not yet in PubMed
NCT01759459 · 150 participants, started Jan 2013, primary endpoint reached Jun 2013. Tests several agents.
Registry entry ↗ · Results not yet in PubMed
NCT02209272 · 68 participants, started Aug 2014, primary endpoint reached Feb 2018.
Registry entry ↗ · Results: Kruse et al., PM&R, 2021
B-RECON · NCT03698409 · 68 participants, started Jan 2019, primary endpoint reached Aug 2019.
Registry entry ↗ · Results not yet in PubMed
NCT04495868 · 40 participants, started Jan 2021, primary endpoint reached Apr 2022.
Registry entry ↗ · Results not yet in PubMed
NCT05294640 · 95 participants, started May 2022, primary endpoint reached Feb 2023.
Registry entry ↗ · Results not yet in PubMed
Bar: start to primary endpoint (planned for running trials). Green = completed, blue = progress until 26 Oct 2026.
How much bac water you get at TPD
We only ship as much bacteriostatic water as your reconstitution-required vials actually need - calculated at a maximum of 3ml per vial. Bacteriostatic water therefore cannot be bought "in stock". That is exactly why our automated system always adds the right amount to your cart when you order.
The same applies to single vials: 3ml per vial is included. If you order, say, 30ml but only have 5 vials, you receive 15ml - the difference is credited to your account as balance.
Safety notes
- Use a fresh sterile syringe every time, never reuse.
- Disinfect the vial septum with an alcohol swab before each withdrawal.
- Watch for a clear solution - discard if cloudy or discolored.
- Store out of reach of children.
Where it acts
What matters in the body
Tap a point or a card. Grey = finding from the label and studies.