What is bacteriostatic water?
Bacteriostatic water is a sterile, non-pyrogenic laboratory solution containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol, which acts as a preservative to inhibit bacterial growth during repeated withdrawals. The benzyl alcohol is what allows a single vial to be accessed multiple times under proper sterile technique, rather than being discarded after one use. Full Scale Peptides supplies it in 10ml multi-use vials for controlled laboratory environments where sterile preparation and compound dilution are required.
How is bacteriostatic water different from sterile water?
| Bacteriostatic Water | Sterile Water | |
|---|---|---|
| Preservative | 0.9% benzyl alcohol | None |
| Vial use | Multi-use under sterile technique | Single use |
| Typical shelf life after opening | Extended | Discard after first access |
| Common laboratory use | Repeated withdrawals from one vial | Single-preparation work |
| Bacterial growth inhibition | Yes | No |
The preservative is the entire distinction. Sterile water is sterile at the moment it’s sealed; bacteriostatic water stays inhibitory after the stopper has been penetrated, which is why it’s the standard choice when a single vial will be drawn from more than once.
What is bacteriostatic water used for in laboratory research?
- Reconstituting lyophilized compounds — dissolving freeze-dried research material into solution
- Preparing dilution series — consistent concentration measurements across an experiment
- Multi-vial protocols — where one diluent vial serves several preparations
- Extended-timeline work — where a diluent needs to remain usable across sessions
How should bacteriostatic water be stored and handled?
Store at controlled room temperature, protected from excessive heat and direct light. Do not freeze. Use proper sterile technique on every withdrawal — wipe the stopper with alcohol before each access and use a fresh needle each time. The benzyl alcohol inhibits bacterial growth; it does not sterilize a contaminated vial, so technique still matters. See storage and handling best practices.
Specifications
| Volume | 10 ml |
| Preservative | 0.9% benzyl alcohol |
| Sterility | Sterile, non-pyrogenic |
| Vial type | Multi-use, rubber stopper |
| Storage | Controlled room temperature, protect from light |
| SKU | BACW-10ML |
What can be reconstituted with it?
Bacteriostatic water is used across the lyophilized compounds in our catalog, including BPC-157, GHK-Cu, NAD+, and retatrutide (GLP-3R). See the full catalog or the COA library.
Research Use Only. All products supplied by Full Scale Peptides are intended strictly for laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption, medical use, or diagnostic purposes. Supplied exclusively to qualified professionals, institutions, and laboratories engaged in scientific research.
