Why Does My Vape Juice Turn Dark? Causes and Fixes
The primary reason for e-liquid darkening is the oxidation process, where the ingredients in vape juice are exposed to oxygen and react accordingly. Although this isn’t an immediate problem that renders your e-liquid unusable, there are ways to prevent it.
To work towards prevention, you must understand the many variables that can cause e-liquid darkening, such as: Flavour or sweetener pairing, environmental influence including temperature or poor storage and time passing. By knowing the causes, it’s easier to prevent.
How Long Does Vape Juice Last?
Based on stability testing results undertaken in our labs to assess shelf-life, we advise that e-liquids are best to consume anywhere up to 2 years after the date of manufacture. This, of course, depends on storage and environmental factors, and it should be noted that while it may not look or taste very nice anymore, e-liquid is microbiologically stable for up to 10 years thanks to the natural anti-microbial properties of nicotine.
Due to a lack of British Medical Association (BMA) and Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) accreditation, there is currently no true regulated expiration date for e-liquid, which is why we undertook our own lab tests to establish a best practice.
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What Ingredients Make E-Liquid Turn Dark?
The ingredients that cause the most significant colour changes in vape juice are nicotine and flavourings.
Nicotine is the main ingredient contributing to e-liquid turning darker. Higher-strength e-liquids will most often be slightly darker in colour naturally, being a more golden or amber colour as soon as they are made, simply because they contain more nicotine in their recipe. They can, however, turn darker faster than lower-strength e-liquids because of this. Nicotine is sensitive to light, which is why we advise storing vape juice away from direct sunlight to prevent excessive colour changes beyond the norm.
Flavourings can also contribute to the darkening of e-liquid, especially sweet or dessert flavours. It is important to note that certain flavourings have natural colouration to them, meaning some e-liquids can be slightly tinted even when freshly made - liquorice flavours like Black Jaques and tobacco flavours like British Tobacco are a classic example of this. Flavours develop and change over time in vape juice because of a process called steeping. Ensuring you avoid leaving bottles open for a long time, and store them away from extreme temperatures or sunlight will help slow down these changes.
How Should I Store my E-Liquid?
You should keep your e-liquids in a cool, dark place, most ideally in their original container.
When storing your vape juice, try to follow these steps:
- Keep in a cool, dry place
- Ensure they are sealed tight
- Avoid direct sunlight
- Only open your bottle when intending to use it
So long as you follow the above steps, your e-liquid should be safe to use for up to two years+ after its production date.
My E-Liquid Colour Has Changed in the Bottle
A notable sign that your e-liquid has aged is a colour change. This can begin with an orange or brown shade but will progress gradually over time until it appears black. As a rule of thumb, an e-liquid changing colour is a strong indicator of it being near its expiration date. If it's turned completely black, there’s a good chance it has gone off.
You should always ensure your container has an airtight seal. We would still advise keeping liquids stored in drawers or cupboards, however.
My Vape Juice Goes Dark in the Tank
Vape juice can change colour in your vape tank or pod for a number of reasons, the most common are:
- Exposure To Light
As you’re carrying your vape device around, it will more than likely be exposed to direct sunlight. This will greatly speed up the process of the liquid darkening. This is only applicable to less frequent vapers, who may have e-liquid sitting in their tank for longer periods without topping up.
- E-Liquid Ingredients
Certain vape flavours, like Butterscotch Caramel, have more sweetener than others, and this can contribute to the darkening of e-liquid in your vape tank or pod by degrading the coil faster than simple vape juice like menthol. Dessert flavour vape liquids are typically the biggest culprit for this, however the same is true of modern nic salts like our Bar Salt range - these are double-concentrated and often are quite sweet, so be aware if these are your preferred products.
- Vape Kits Settings
Having your vape kit's power output (wattage) set too high for your chosen coil/vape pod can burn the wicking material. This material (often cotton) is in direct contact with the e-liquid in the tank/pod, which can cause it to be contaminated by the burnt coil and turn it darker in colour. The best remedy is to always stick to the recommended wattage range for your chosen coil, and replace it immediately if you accidentally burn it out.
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Can I Vape Darkened or Browned E-Liquid?
While vaping older or darker e-liquid is highly unlikely to cause you any health issues, the older the bottle, the more likely it is that your vaping experience will be unpleasant.
This is because of two main factors:
- Over-Steeping
Steeping is the process by which an e-liquid's flavour matures to the point where it tastes its best, similar to how wine develops over time. From the moment an e-liquid is mixed, it begins to steep, and manufacturers like LiQuid will allow different flavours to steep for a preset amount of time to ensure they are at their best before being sold. The steeping process, however, does not ever truly stop, and so older bottles of e-liquid that have been steeping for over 2 years, can sometimes taste far different than they should, often being unpleasantly strong or just plain weird. Steeping can be accelerated if e-liquid is stored at higher temperatures, so avoid keeping them anywhere to warm for too long.
- Nicotine Separation
The nicotine in our original £1 range of 50/50 e-liquids is called "freebase" because the nicotine particles are freely suspended in a base material. This means, however, that over time, the suspended nicotine molecules can settle at the bottom of your e-liquid bottle, meaning the nicotine dose will be inconsistent. This will almost always negatively impact your vaping experience, as you may find, for example, that the e-liquid at the top of the bottle is very weak vs that at the bottom, which now contains all the nicotine, making it very hard to manage cravings properly.
Does Vape Juice Have An Expiry Date?
While certain brands may use expiry dates on their vape juice, here at LiQuid we take a different approach - opting for a produced on date or POD, so you can work out how old a bottle of e-liquid is and assess for yourself if it is worth vaping.
This is because, as we mentioned earlier in this article, there is no established industry standard for the true shelf-life of an e-liquid. In the absence of official government guidance in this area, we undertook our own laboratory stability tests to establish a science-backed 2-year recommended consumption window from the date of manufacture (the POD). After 2 years, while not posing any microbial risks, the flavour and nicotine content become unpredictable.
As you might with a food item, the best thing to do if you have an e-liquid that is approaching or has gone past its 2-year window, the best things to check are:
- how dark it has become (extreme colour change)
- how it smells (does it match the flavour profile?)
- how it looks (are there any signs of separation?)
- how it tastes (only if you are able to test this safely)
If any of the above factors do not meet your established expectations for the e-liquid in question, it may be worth cutting your losses and using a more recently produced bottle instead.
When to Throw Away E-Liquid
Keeping in mind that vape juice darkening is very common and does not always mean it cannot be vaped, there are certain changes to note that mean it is probably better to throw it away and use a fresh batch. Luckily, it can be quite obvious when to draw that line, so be sure to check for factors such as:
- An extreme change in colour
- An unpleasant smell
- A change in flavour, or an odd taste
- Exceeding the use-by date or being 2 years+ past the date of production (POD)
E-liquids can remain in good condition for a long time, provided they are stored correctly, but it is often better to be safe than sorry when using vape juice - if it doesn't look or smell how you expect, cut your losses, as if the flavour has changed, it likely means the nicotine content will have been affected too.
While some of these factors occur naturally over time, to prevent the above from happening too quickly, be sure to only open vape juice once you plan on using it and keep it stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Summing Up: The Facts Behind Vape Juice Darkening
After reading this article, you should have a much better understanding of why e-liquid changes colour, and how to tell if it you should still consider vaping it once it has turned dark. Let's review the key points:
- E-Liquid most often turns dark because of a combination of exposure to light or extreme temperatures, the nicotine concentration, and the type of flavourings used in the recipe.
- E-liquid darkening is a natural process and does not always mean the e-liquid is unsafe to use.
- The best way to test if it is worth vaping is to observe the extent of the colour change, look for any signs of splitting, and check for any strange aromas beyond the norm for the flavour profile.
- There is no officially recognised expiry date for e-liquids; instead, we recommend vaping them within 2 years of their POD (produced on date).
- While not recommended, vaping an e-liquid that has turned very dark or is well outside of the 2-year window of consumption past the POD does not pose known health risks, but will likely have an unpleasant taste or inconsistent nicotine dose.
If you have any old, dark bottles of vape juice hanging around and don't want to risk using them, you can replace them for only £1 from our extensive range of 50/50 freebase e-liquids below:
