Reconstituting a GLOW or KLOW vial comes down to one number: how many units do you draw on the syringe? This calculator gives you that in one step. Enter the total milligrams of blend in your vial, how much bacteriostatic water you're adding, and your target total dose, and it returns the exact insulin-syringe mark, the concentration, how many doses the vial holds — and, uniquely, how much of each peptide that one draw delivers.
A blend is dosed differently from a single peptide: you set a total milligram dose, and every peptide in the vial comes along in one draw, in proportion to the vial's fixed ratio. GLOW is GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500; KLOW adds KPV. So a single small injection delivers all three or four at once. The trick most calculators skip is showing you the per-component split — what your 2 mg total actually means for each peptide. Below the tool we walk through the math, that split, and what real blend users mix. If you are weighing the blend against single skin peptides, our roundup of the best peptides for skin and anti-aging puts the options in context.
Key Takeaways
- Dose by the total, in one draw. A blend is labeled by total mg; one syringe draw delivers every peptide proportionally. You don't dose each one separately.
- Anchor example: an 80 mg KLOW vial + 4 mL of bacteriostatic water = 20 mg/mL; a 2 mg total dose = 0.1 mL = 10 units, and the vial gives 40 doses.
- Per-component split: that one 2 mg KLOW draw delivers 1.25 mg GHK-Cu, 0.25 mg BPC-157, 0.25 mg TB-500, and 0.25 mg KPV (the 50:10:10:10 vial ratio).
- GLOW vs KLOW: GLOW is 3 peptides (GHK-Cu, BPC-157, TB-500); KLOW is the same plus KPV. The math is identical; only the ratio differs.
- Small draws, many doses. Our usage data shows a median draw around 6 units and about 33 doses per vial.
- Unapproved blends. None are FDA-approved; TB-500 is WADA-prohibited. Treat every figure as calculation context, not advice.
| You enter | Value | The calculator returns | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| KLOW total in vial | 80 mg | Concentration | 20 mg/mL |
| Bacteriostatic water | 4 mL | Volume to draw | 0.1 mL |
| Target total dose | 2 mg | Draw to this mark | 10 units (U-100) |
| Syringe type | U-100 | Doses per vial | 40 |
How do you calculate a GLOW or KLOW dose?
Blend reconstitution is two steps on the total blend: work out the vial's total concentration, then convert your total milligram dose into a volume you can read on the syringe. The units you draw are simply that volume — and that one draw carries every peptide.
In plain arithmetic, using the total milligrams:
- Concentration (mg/mL) = total vial mg ÷ bac water mL. An 80 mg KLOW vial in 4 mL is 80 ÷ 4 = 20 mg/mL of total blend.
- Volume (mL) = total dose mg ÷ concentration. A 2 mg dose at 20 mg/mL is 2 ÷ 20 = 0.1 mL.
- Units = volume × 100 on a U-100 syringe (100 units = 1 mL). So 0.1 mL = 10 units.
Collapsed into the single formula the calculator runs:
units = (total dose mg ÷ (total vial mg ÷ bac water mL)) × 100 = total dose mg × bac water mL ÷ total vial mg × 100
Sanity-check our example: 2 × 4 ÷ 80 × 100 = 10 units. For doses per vial, divide the vial's total milligrams by your total dose: 80 mg ÷ 2 mg = 40 doses.
Our take: The mistake we see most with blends is treating one component's dose as the dose. You don't draw "250 mcg of BPC" out of a KLOW vial — you draw a total and the BPC comes along for the ride in the vial's fixed ratio. So set the total, read the units, and let the calculator show you what each peptide works out to. That per-component view is the part worth getting right.
One draw, every peptide: the per-component split
Because a blend is a fixed mixture, a total dose divides into each peptide by the vial's ratio — so a 2 mg KLOW dose is automatically 1.25 mg GHK-Cu, 0.25 mg BPC-157, 0.25 mg TB-500, and 0.25 mg KPV. You set the total; the split is fixed by the vial.
A standard 80 mg KLOW vial is built from 50 mg GHK-Cu, 10 mg BPC-157, 10 mg TB-500, and 10 mg KPV — a 50:10:10:10, or 5:1:1:1, ratio. Whatever total you draw keeps that proportion. Each component's milligrams is just the total dose times that component's share of the ratio:
component mg = total dose mg × (component ratio ÷ sum of the ratio)
For a 2 mg KLOW dose (ratio sum = 8): GHK-Cu is 5/8 × 2 = 1.25 mg, and each of BPC-157, TB-500, and KPV is 1/8 × 2 = 0.25 mg.
This is why you can't compare a blend dose to a single-peptide dose head-to-head: a 2 mg KLOW draw gives only 0.25 mg of BPC-157, far less than a typical standalone BPC-157 dose. If you want a specific amount of one component, work backward from it — but most people simply dose the total and accept the fixed split.
GLOW versus KLOW: three peptides or four
GLOW is a three-peptide skin-and-healing blend (GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500); KLOW is the same blend plus KPV, a four-peptide version — and the only difference for the math is the ratio used to split a total dose. Pick the blend, and the calculator handles the rest.
- GLOW — GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500, commonly a ~50–70 mg total vial in a 5:1:1 ratio (e.g. 50 GHK-Cu / 10 BPC-157 / 10 TB-500). A 2 mg GLOW dose splits into about 1.43 mg GHK-Cu and 0.29 mg each of BPC-157 and TB-500.
- KLOW — GLOW plus KPV, commonly an 80 mg total vial in a 5:1:1:1 ratio. A 2 mg KLOW dose is the 1.25 / 0.25 / 0.25 / 0.25 mg split above.
The reconstitution and units math is identical; only the component breakdown changes. For the individual peptides on their own, see our GHK-Cu calculator, BPC-157 calculator, and TB-500 calculator.
How much bacteriostatic water should you add to a blend?
With GLOW and KLOW, 2–4 mL on the total vial keeps the small dose on a readable mark — more water makes a larger, easier-to-read draw, with no overflow risk at these small total doses. The water sets the total concentration.
A blend dose (1–3 mg total) is a small fraction of a 50–80 mg vial, so draws are small and the water choice is about readability. Because ProtocolPlus tracks reconstitutions, we can show the total-vial × water-volume combinations real blend users log.
The pattern: 2–3 mL is the dominant water choice. A 50 mg vial in 2 mL gives 25 mg/mL, where a 2 mg dose is 8 units; an 80 mg vial in 3–4 mL gives 20–27 mg/mL, keeping a 2 mg dose around 7–10 units. People avoid 1 mL because it shrinks an already-small draw.
Reading a small blend draw on an insulin syringe
Blend draws are small — usually well under 15 units — so a U-50 syringe, whose marks are twice as far apart as a U-100's, makes a 1–3 mg total dose easier to hit accurately. The "units" you read are a volume, not the blend's milligrams.
Across our tracked blend injections the median draw is just 6 units, with most under 15.
The distribution hugs the low end of the barrel. For a blend, a U-50 or U-30 syringe is often the better tool because it stretches a small draw across more readable spacing. Always confirm which syringe you're holding, since a unit means a different volume on each.
Blend reconstitution chart: units by total vial and dose
This chart shows the concentration each total vial makes at the common water volumes and the U-100 units to draw, so you can pick a setup that lands your total dose on a readable mark. For any other setup, use the calculator.
| Setup (total) | Concentration | 1.5 mg | 2 mg | 3 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 mg + 2 mL | 25 mg/mL | 6 u | 8 u | 12 u |
| 50 mg + 3 mL | 16.7 mg/mL | 9 u | 12 u | 18 u |
| 80 mg + 3 mL | 26.7 mg/mL | 5.6 u | 7.5 u | 11 u |
| 80 mg + 4 mL | 20 mg/mL | 7.5 u | 10 u | 15 u |
The most readable setups for a 2 mg total dose are the more dilute ones (50 mg + 3 mL, or 80 mg + 4 mL), which lift the draw into the 10-to-12-unit range. The most-searched single conversions, for a quick sanity check:
- 2 mg blend on a 25 mg/mL vial = 0.08 mL = 8 units; on a 20 mg/mL vial = 10 units.
- 3 mg blend on a 25 mg/mL vial = 0.12 mL = 12 units.
- 1.5 mg blend on a 25 mg/mL vial = 0.06 mL = 6 units.
How many blend doses are in a vial, and what does each cost?
Doses per vial is total vial milligrams ÷ your total dose — and because blend doses are small, a single vial holds many. Dividing the vial price by that number gives a true cost per dose.
An 80 mg KLOW vial at a 2 mg dose yields 40 doses; a 50 mg GLOW vial at 1.5 mg gives 33. Across our tracked blend vials the median works out to roughly 33 doses per completed vial at about $2.90 per dose.
| Economics output | How it's computed | Example (80 mg vial, 2 mg dose, $95 vial) |
|---|---|---|
| Doses per vial | total vial mg ÷ total dose mg | 40 doses |
| Cost per dose | vial price ÷ doses per vial | $2.38 |
| Weekly cost | cost per dose × doses per week | $11.90 (5×/week) |
| Approx. monthly cost | weekly × 4.3 | ~$51 |
For a full schedule rather than a single calculation, see our GLOW/KLOW dosing and protocol guide.
Total mg, component mg, units, and mL
The total milligrams measure the whole blend; each component's milligrams are a fixed slice of that total; millilitres and units measure the liquid you draw. Keep "total dose" and "component dose" separate and the blend math is simple. Here is a 2 mg KLOW dose expressed several ways on a 20 mg/mL vial:
| Label | Value | What it describes |
|---|---|---|
| Total dose | 2 mg | mass of all four peptides combined |
| GHK-Cu in the dose | 1.25 mg | the 5/8 share |
| BPC-157 / TB-500 / KPV each | 0.25 mg | the 1/8 share each |
| Volume to draw | 0.1 mL | liquid volume |
| Units to draw (U-100) | 10 units | liquid volume on the syringe |
Why concentration is the number that actually matters
Concentration (total mg/mL) is the hinge of every blend calculation — it connects the total milligrams in the vial to the units on the syringe. Change it and the same total dose lands on a different mark.
Concentration is an exchange rate between total milligrams of blend and millilitres of liquid. A 20 mg/mL vial trades every 1 mL for 2 mg of total blend; your total dose occupies a volume set by that rate, and the syringe scale turns it into a unit mark. The component ratio never changes with the water — only the volume and unit count do.
It's also why you can never compare unit numbers across reconstitutions. "Draw 10 units" means 2 mg of total blend on a 20 mg/mL vial but 2.5 mg on a 25 mg/mL vial. Every unit instruction online is valid only for that exact vial and water volume. The same mg-to-units logic underpins our general peptide dosage calculator for any single compound.
How to reconstitute a GLOW or KLOW vial, step by step
Add the bacteriostatic water slowly down the vial wall, swirl gently until clear, and never shake. Blends contain delicate peptides, and rough mixing degrades them before your first dose.
- Calculate first. Use the tool above to set your water volume and target unit mark, and note the per-component split.
- Room temperature, then swab both stoppers with a fresh alcohol swab.
- Draw your measured water into a reconstitution syringe.
- Add slowly down the wall of the blend vial, onto the glass rather than the powder.
- Swirl, don't shake until the solution is completely clear. GHK-Cu gives the solution a blue tint, which is normal.
- Inspect. Clear (blue-tinted) and particle-free, or don't use it.
- Label and refrigerate at 2–8 °C, then dose at the unit mark the calculator gave you.
Common blend reconstitution mistakes
- Dosing one component as if it were the total. You set the total; the components follow the ratio. Don't enter a single peptide's dose as the blend dose.
- Comparing a blend dose to a standalone dose. A 2 mg KLOW draw is only 0.25 mg of BPC-157 — far less than a typical standalone BPC dose.
- Reading "units" as milligrams. Units are a volume; always convert through the calculator.
- Copying someone else's unit count. Valid only for that person's exact total vial and water volume.
- Wrong syringe (a U-100 makes a tiny draw harder to read than a U-50), and not labeling the date.
Blend vial sizes, supplies, and water
GLOW and KLOW come as total-mg vials — GLOW commonly around 50–70 mg, KLOW around 80 mg — reconstituted with 2–4 mL of water for a small, readable draw and many doses. Pick the water volume that lands your total dose on a readable mark.
- GLOW (~50–70 mg total) — three peptides (5:1:1); in 2 mL a 50 mg vial is 25 mg/mL, where a 2 mg dose is 8 units and the vial gives about 25 doses.
- KLOW (~80 mg total) — four peptides (5:1:1:1); in 4 mL it's 20 mg/mL, where a 2 mg dose is 10 units and the vial gives about 40 doses.
A quick supplies checklist: the lyophilized GLOW or KLOW vial, bacteriostatic water (sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol), a reconstitution syringe (1–3 mL), a U-100 or U-50 insulin syringe, alcohol swabs, and a marker for the date.
How long does a reconstituted blend last?
Once mixed, a blend is far less stable than the dry powder, and there's no validated shelf life — the common ~28-day refrigerated convention is a usage habit, not data. Judge by appearance, not just the calendar.
Keep a mixed vial in the refrigerator at 2–8 °C, kept dark, and never frozen; the GHK-Cu component gives a normal blue tint, but discard the vial if it turns cloudy, changes beyond that blue, or shows particles. In our usage data the median reconstituted blend vial is finished in about 21 days. For the deeper science, see our peptide storage and stability guide.
What the evidence says about blend dosing
GLOW and KLOW have no trials of their own — the evidence is at the level of the individual peptides, most of it preclinical — so the total-milligram amounts people use are community conventions, not validated human doses. We give them only so you know what to enter into the calculator.
The blends combine peptides each studied separately, mostly in laboratory and animal models: GHK-Cu, a copper tripeptide investigated for skin and wound repair (Int J Med Sci, 2025, "Tripeptides in Wound Healing and Skin Regeneration", retrieved 2026-06-16); BPC-157, a pentadecapeptide studied for tissue healing (NCBI/PMC, 2021, "Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Wound Healing", retrieved 2026-06-16); TB-500/thymosin β4, studied for tissue repair (PubMed, 2008, "Thymosin beta4 enhances repair by organizing connective tissue", retrieved 2026-06-16); and KPV, an anti-inflammatory tripeptide (PubMed, 2008, "The melanocortin tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential", retrieved 2026-06-16). None of the blends is FDA-approved, and TB-500 is prohibited in sport by WADA at all times. There is no validated human dose for any of them. Treat the common 1–3 mg total figures as a community convention to calculate from if you choose to, not as evidence-based guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Factual claims (component peptides, regulatory and anti-doping status) are sourced below. Dose values in examples are illustrative, not recommendations; the blends have no trials of their own and the figures are community convention. ProtocolPlus usage figures are first-party app data.
- Int J Med Sci (2025) — Exploring the Role of Tripeptides in Wound Healing and Skin Regeneration (GHK-Cu). https://www.medsci.org/v22p4175.htm — retrieved 2026-06-16.
- NCBI / PMC8275860 (2021) — Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and Wound Healing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8275860/ — retrieved 2026-06-16.
- PubMed (2008) — Thymosin beta4 enhances repair by organizing connective tissue and preventing myofibroblast formation (TB-500/Tβ4). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20536458/ — retrieved 2026-06-16.
- PubMed (2008) — The melanocortin tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18092346/ — retrieved 2026-06-16.
About this guide. Written by Jordan Vance, peptide and biohacking researcher (placeholder, replace before publish), and medically reviewed by Dr. Maya Ellison, MD, biochemistry (placeholder, replace before publish), for the ProtocolPlus Research Team. This calculator and article are educational and not medical advice.