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  1. #1
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    Does bacteriostatic water actually expire, WTF???

    Hey... So in the past I have been buying pharmaceutical grade bacteriostatic water OTC at my local pharmacy...

    Just noticed on my bottle that it has an expiration date on it.

    It doesn't say when the bottle was manufactured though.

    I just don't get how something distilled water + BA could go bad??? I would think the shelf life would be like a decade. lol
    Last edited by muscle_dysmorphia; 01-03-2011 at 07:07 AM.

  2. #2
    Far from massive's Avatar
    Far from massive is offline Knowledgeable Member
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    Yeah it looks like it maybe it has a 2 year consumer lifespan, I bought mine back in August and its labelled exp aug 2012. Anyway depending on how its stored and how its packaged would probably have a big effect on how long it lasts, mine is in a plastic serum vial with a crimped stopper so I am sure light exposure, temperature, humidity and pressure variations all have an effect on shelf life since a stoppered vial does "breathe" to some extent. Because of this and how cheap it is they probably just use a worse case senario of high humidty with variable temps and atmospheric pressure to set the shelf life. On the other hand if it were in an ampoule and left in a cool dark environment then yeah a decade would be no problem at all.

    Ever had bottled water (filtered, spring or distilled) that sat in the back of a truck or a race car trailer for a couple of years? I have an even though its sealed and just water it gets nasty.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Far from massive View Post
    Yeah it looks like it maybe it has a 2 year consumer lifespan, I bought mine back in August and its labelled exp aug 2012. Anyway depending on how its stored and how its packaged would probably have a big effect on how long it lasts, mine is in a plastic serum vial with a crimped stopper so I am sure light exposure, temperature, humidity and pressure variations all have an effect on shelf life since a stoppered vial does "breathe" to some extent. Because of this and how cheap it is they probably just use a worse case senario of high humidty with variable temps and atmospheric pressure to set the shelf life. On the other hand if it were in an ampoule and left in a cool dark environment then yeah a decade would be no problem at all.

    Ever had bottled water (filtered, spring or distilled) that sat in the back of a truck or a race car trailer for a couple of years? I have an even though its sealed and just water it gets nasty.
    Good analogy.... the only thing I see that's different though is that the water in bacteriostatic HAS benzyl alcohol added at 1% to it, which is a preservative....

    soooo yeah...

    lol, and yeah, I know it's cheap.. but just wondering.
    Last edited by muscle_dysmorphia; 01-03-2011 at 07:06 AM.

  4. #4
    Bonaparte's Avatar
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    It doesn't go bad. That's just an FDA mandate. Everything needs an expiration date.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bonaparte View Post
    It doesn't go bad. That's just an FDA mandate. Everything needs an expiration date.
    Ok, that's exactly what I'm thinking as well.

    I was thinking WTF, if grape-seed oil can be preserved for years with 1% BA, why wouldn't distilled water be any different.

    Thanks.

    Stupid FDA

  6. #6
    Duckhombre is offline Associate Member
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    Light breaks the preservative down, esp sunlight, flourecent light, and HID (Industrial) lighting.

  7. #7
    Bonaparte's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duckhombre View Post
    Light breaks the preservative down, esp sunlight, flourecent light, and HID (Industrial) lighting.
    Very true. So just keep it in a dark place and it will be fine.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duckhombre View Post
    Light breaks the preservative down, esp sunlight, flourecent light, and HID (Industrial) lighting.
    Thanks.
    Last edited by muscle_dysmorphia; 01-10-2011 at 09:30 PM.

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