Snap-8 Reconstitution: How Much Bacteriostatic Water
A 10 mg vial of Snap-8 reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water gives a concentration of 5 mg/mL; with 1 mL it gives 10 mg/mL. The calculation depends only on the quantity in the vial and the volume of water added, so the figures below apply to any 10 mg vial.
There is no single correct volume. Adding more water does not change how much is in the vial. It spreads the same quantity through a larger volume, which changes how many syringe units correspond to a given amount. The tables on this page use volumes that produce round numbers on a U-100 syringe; other volumes work identically as long as the resulting concentration is written on the vial.
View product →Peptide reconstitution calculator
Set to this vial below. Change the vial size, water volume, amount or syringe and it recalculates the concentration and the syringe units. For laboratory research use only.
All products are sold strictly for laboratory research use only and are not for human or veterinary consumption. This calculator is provided as a general reference tool.
How much bacteriostatic water for 10 mg Snap-8?
A 10 mg Snap-8 vial is commonly reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, which gives 5 mg/mL; 1 mL gives 10 mg/mL, 3 mL gives 3.33 mg/mL and 5 mL gives 2 mg/mL. The table shows how much Snap-8 each 0.1 mL of solution contains at each volume. Adding more water does not change the 10 mg in the vial; it only lowers the concentration.
| Water added | Concentration | Amount in 0.1 mL (10 units on a U-100 syringe) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | 10 mg/mL | 1 mg |
| 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 0.5 mg |
| 3 mL | 3.33 mg/mL | 0.33 mg |
| 5 mL | 2 mg/mL | 0.2 mg |
For any other water volume, enter it in the peptide calculator on this page and it works out the concentration.
Before choosing a larger volume, check that the vial has headspace for it. One multi-dose vial of bacteriostatic water covers several research vials.
Reading the concentration on a U-100 syringe
A U-100 insulin syringe is graduated in units, and 100 units equal 1 mL. Units are therefore millilitres multiplied by 100: 0.1 mL is 10 units and 0.25 mL is 25 units. A 0.5 mL syringe carries 50 units and a 0.3 mL syringe carries 30 units on the same scale, with finer markings that make small volumes easier to read.
To find the volume that contains a given amount, divide the amount by the concentration. At 5 mg/mL (a 10 mg vial with 2 mL of water), the volume that contains 1 mg is 1 divided by 5, which is 0.2 mL, or 20 units. The table below runs the same calculation for four arbitrary amounts. They illustrate the arithmetic and nothing else.
| Amount (illustrative) | Volume at 5 mg/mL | U-100 units |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | 0.05 mL | 5 units |
| 0.5 mg | 0.1 mL | 10 units |
| 1 mg | 0.2 mL | 20 units |
| 2 mg | 0.4 mL | 40 units |
At 10 mg/mL, which the same vial gives with 1 mL of water, every volume in the table moves in proportion: a 1 mg draw measures 10 units instead of 20. Volumes below about 0.1 mL are hard to read accurately on a 1 mL syringe. Either move to a 0.3 mL or 0.5 mL syringe, or reconstitute with more water so that the same mass occupies a larger, more legible volume.
Snap-8 is a lyophilised material for laboratory research use only. The quantities on this page illustrate the arithmetic of dilution and measurement only.
What Snap-8 is
Snap-8 is the trade name for acetyl octapeptide-3, an eight-amino-acid peptide (Ac-Glu-Glu-Met-Gln-Arg-Arg-Ala-Asp-NH2) that extends acetyl hexapeptide-3 (Argireline) by two residues. Both are modelled on the N-terminal end of SNAP-25, a protein of the SNARE complex that drives neurotransmitter release, and both are studied in cosmetic science for expression lines.
- In a 28-day comparative study in 24 healthy subjects, a dissolving microneedle patch containing acetyl octapeptide-3 with ascorbic acid 2-glucoside and cyclic lysophosphatidic acid improved eye wrinkles against a hyaluronic acid placebo patch, with lower trans-epidermal water loss, better skin elasticity and lifting, and no adverse effects (Shin et al., 2024).
- In a 12-week clinical study of hyaluronic acid microneedle patches combining acetyl octapeptide-3 with palmitoyl tripeptide-5, an arginine/lysine polypeptide, adenosine and seaweed extracts, fine lines and wrinkles decreased by 25.8%, skin hydration improved by 15.4%, and dermal density and thickness rose by 14.2% and 12.9%, with no skin reactions reported (Avcil et al., 2020).
The Snap-8 vial
Snap-8 is commonly supplied in research catalogues as a lyophilised powder in a 10 mg vial. Vistara Labs stocks Snap-8 as a 10 mg lyophilised vial. The calculator on this page works for any vial. Other research peptides are listed in the peptide library.
Reconstitution technique
Let the vial reach room temperature, swab both stoppers, and run the measured water slowly down the inside wall of the vial rather than onto the powder. Swirl or tilt gently until the cake dissolves, never shake, and give any remaining powder a few minutes to settle into solution. Label the vial with the date and the concentration, then keep it refrigerated at 2 to 8 °C and protected from light. The full method, with the reason behind each step, is in how to reconstitute peptides with bacteriostatic water.
Why the solution should look clear
Properly reconstituted Snap-8 forms a clear, colourless solution. Cloudiness, strands or a gel that will not disperse usually mean the water went in too fast or the vial was shaken; haze that appears later points to warm or bright storage. The causes are covered in why peptides gel or go cloudy.
Bacteriostatic water, not sterile water
Bacteriostatic water is sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, a preservative that allows a refrigerated vial to be accessed more than once; plain sterile water is intended for single access. The difference is explained in bacteriostatic water explained.
Frequently asked questions
How much bac water for a 10 mg Snap-8 vial?
A 10 mg Snap-8 vial is commonly reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, which gives 5 mg/mL; 1 mL gives 10 mg/mL, 3 mL gives 3.33 mg/mL and 5 mL gives 2 mg/mL. Adding more water does not change the 10 mg in the vial; it only lowers the concentration.
How many 10 mg vials does one vial of bacteriostatic water cover?
One multi-dose vial of bacteriostatic water covers several research vials. Check that the peptide vial has headspace for the volume before choosing a larger one.
How many units on a U-100 syringe contain 1 mg at 5 mg/mL?
At 5 mg/mL (a 10 mg vial with 2 mL of water), the volume that contains 1 mg is 1 divided by 5, which is 0.2 mL, or 20 units. Units are millilitres multiplied by 100, so 0.1 mL is 10 units. The amounts on this page illustrate the arithmetic only.
What should reconstituted Snap-8 look like?
Properly reconstituted Snap-8 forms a clear, colourless solution. Cloudiness, strands or a gel that will not disperse usually mean the water went in too fast or the vial was shaken; haze that appears later points to warm or bright storage. More on the causes in why peptides gel or go cloudy.
Can I use sterile water instead of bacteriostatic water?
Only for a vial that will be accessed once. Bacteriostatic water is sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, a preservative that allows a refrigerated vial to be accessed more than once; plain sterile water is intended for single access. Details in bacteriostatic water explained.
How should a reconstituted Snap-8 vial be stored?
Refrigerated at 2 to 8 °C, protected from light and labelled with the date and the concentration. Unopened lyophilised vials are kept cold and dark until they are needed. The full storage guide is how to store research peptides.
Does Vistara Labs sell Snap-8?
Vistara Labs stocks Snap-8 as a 10 mg lyophilised vial. The calculator on this page works for any vial.
Work it out for a different vial or concentration
Our peptide calculator opens pre-set for a 10 mg vial with 2 mL of water and marks the 1 mg draw of 20 units on a syringe diagram. Change the vial size, water volume, amount or syringe and it recalculates.
Products: bacteriostatic water.
Sources: Shin JY et al. Clinical Safety and Efficacy Evaluation of a Dissolving Microneedle Patch Having Dual Anti-Wrinkle Effects With Safe and Long-Term Activities. Ann Dermatol. 2024. PMID 39082657. Avcil M et al. Efficacy of bioactive peptides loaded on hyaluronic acid microneedle patches: A monocentric clinical study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020. PMID 31134751.
All products supplied by Vistara Labs are intended for laboratory research use only. They are not drugs, are not approved for human or veterinary use, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. Nothing on this page constitutes medical advice or guidance for use in humans.
