Sealed vial to ready solution.
Six steps, one diagram each. Aseptic technique that won't denature your peptide. For research use — this guide is not a recommendation to dose any human or animal subject.
What you'll need.
Lyo vial
Sealed, refrigerated. Inspect cake for clarity and absence of cracks.
BAC water
Bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol). USP-grade, Rx.
3 ml syringe
Slip-tip preferred. 21G needle for the draw, swap to 27–30G for use.
Alcohol swabs
70% isopropyl, individually packaged. One per puncture.
Clean tray
Plastic or stainless. Wipe with isopropyl, let dry 30 seconds.
Sharpie + log
Date the cap with reconstitution date. Note volume in your log.
Six steps. Two minutes, end to end.
Bring vial to room temp.
Pull the lyo vial from the fridge 10–15 minutes before reconstituting. Cold glass + cold BAC water can crack a stopper or shock the cake.
Swab both stoppers.
Pop the plastic flip-cap. Swab the lyo vial stopper and the BAC water stopper with separate alcohol pads. Let air-dry 10 seconds — wet alcohol on the stopper transfers into your draw.
Draw BAC water.
Pull air into the syringe equal to the volume you want — typical 2.0 ml. Insert into BAC vial, push the air in (this equalises pressure), then invert and draw your 2.0 ml. Tap to dislodge bubbles, push them back into the vial.
Slow stream down the vial wall.
Pierce the lyo vial. Angle the needle so the BAC water runs down the inside wall — do not squirt directly onto the cake. The cake should dissolve in seconds without foaming.
Swirl, don't shake.
Gently swirl in your palm for 30 seconds. The solution should clarify completely — no haze, no particulates. If anything floats or settles, do not use; contact us.
Date, label, refrigerate.
Sharpie the reconstitution date on the cap. Store upright on a back shelf of the fridge — not the door. The 28-day clock starts now.
Reconstitution variants.
Single-use reconstitution
- Use sterile water (no preservative) — for one-time use only, no benzyl alcohol needed.
- Reconstitute the full vial. Smaller volume (typically 1.0 ml) for a more concentrated solution.
- Use within 4 hours of mixing. No multi-day storage.
- Discard the vial after the single use; do not re-pierce or refrigerate.
Larger-volume multi-dose
- BAC water, 3.0–5.0 ml. Larger volume = more dilute solution = lower concentration per unit.
- Pre-calculate units per dose. Use the dosing calculator before reconstituting so you know how the syringe markings map to your dose.
- Limit punctures to ≤ 20. Track on the cap with tally marks; replace earlier if stopper looks worn.
- Rotate vials weekly if running multiple compounds — pierces add up faster than people think.
Troubleshooting matrix.
Slow dissolution.
Add 30 seconds of slow swirl. If still cloudy after 2 minutes, the vial may be too cold — let warm to room temp and retry. Do not vortex regenerative peptides.
Excessive foam on top.
Caused by injecting BAC water too fast or shaking. Foam aggregates protein. Let the vial rest 5 minutes; if foam remains, return for replacement.
Visible particles.
Stop. Do not use. Photograph the vial and email support@elementmd.com with your lot number — we replace under the guarantee.
Vial creates vacuum.
Normal at first puncture. Add 0.2 ml of air before drawing solution. If pressure persists, the stopper may be compromised — discard.
Rubber bits in solution.
Rare but possible after 15+ punctures. Filter through 0.22 µm before next use, and replace vial. Use a fresh stopper position for each puncture.
Yellow / pink tint.
GHK-Cu is naturally blue when reconstituted; that is expected. Other peptides should be colorless. Tint = oxidation. Discard.
Need a specific volume?
The dosing calculator converts mg to syringe units for any vial concentration in seconds.