Storage
Storage and shelf life
Peptides are fragile. Heat, light, and shaking are what ruin them.
The short version: keep it cold, keep it dark, and be gentle with it.
Where to keep it
| State | Where | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed vial, still dry powder | Refrigerator is best. A cool, dark drawer is fine short term. | Months to years while it stays dry and sealed. |
| Dry powder, long term storage | Freezer. | Longest option. Let it reach room temperature before mixing. |
| Mixed with bac water | Refrigerator, 36 to 46 degrees F. | Commonly used within 4 to 8 weeks. |
| Mixed, left on the counter | Not recommended. | Hours to a day or two. Put it back in the fridge. |
| Travelling | Insulated bag with a cold pack, carried with you. | A day or two of cool transit is normal. |
Individual vials vary. When a product label gives a different window, follow the label.
Handling it well
- Let a cold vial sit out for a few minutes before you mix or draw. Cold liquid stings more.
- Add water slowly down the inside wall of the glass, never straight onto the powder.
- Swirl gently. Never shake. Shaking breaks the peptide apart.
- Wipe the rubber top with an alcohol wipe every single time before the needle goes in.
- Put it back in the fridge as soon as you are done.
Light and heat
- Keep vials in the box or a dark corner of the fridge. Light slowly degrades them.
- Never leave a vial in a car, a window, or a gym bag.
- Do not store it in the fridge door, where the temperature swings every time it opens.
- A vial that froze solid after mixing is best replaced.
When a vial is done
- The liquid looks cloudy, colored, or has floating bits.
- The rubber top has been punctured many times and looks chewed up.
- It has been in the fridge well past the window on the chart above.
- You cannot remember when you mixed it.
Write the mixing date on the vial with a marker. It solves most of this page.