What's in an E-Liquid?


What's in an E-Liquid? Oliver Norman

Vaping 101 - What's in an E-Liquid?

E-Liquids have been around for a while now and the industry has come a long way since the “wild West” era pre-TPD when bath-tub brews were all the rage and regulations were thin on the ground. Despite this progression, there are still many folks out there who are still wondering what exactly goes into a bottle of vape liquid.

It’s important to understand what makes your liquid tick; having this knowledge will not only help you understand why different juices work the way they do but also why you might want to choose them! Not to mention if any vape haters out there try and tell you there’s something nasty in your bottle, you can tell them exactly why they are mistaken.

While not all e-liquids have the same ratio of ingredients but the below is a typical breakdown of those you will find in a 50-50 style, “standard” vape liquid:
As we have said, not all e-liquids contain this exact ratio of ingredients; HVG juices will typically contain much more VG in their recipe and sometimes more flavour. It also goes without saying that as nicotine strength increases, so too would the amount of nicotine in the mix.
You may also wonder why the flavourings and nicotine are suspended in PG – this is how we do it at LiQuid, and it’s because PG is an excellent carrier and allows the ingredients to mix together to become a stable solution – which means a better quality vape for you to enjoy.

 

What is Propylene Glycol (PG)?

PG is a clear colourless liquid that forms a part of almost all e-liquids on the market. The flavourings and nicotine in our e-liquids are also suspended in PG due to it being such an effective carrier agent.
It is thin in consistency and as such doesn’t add much to the vapour production of a vape juice, which is often why higher strength 50-50 style juices, which typically contain more PG, do not produce particularly big clouds when vaped.
Due to this higher PG content, 50-50 e-liquids are naturally thinner which means they absorb very quickly into your coil – this is why they are better suited to standard devices with a coil resistance of 1.0ohm or higher and smaller wicking points to help optimise your experience.

PG can be found in a whole range of food products we all use every day, including food colouring, cake mixes, soft drinks, popcorn, bread and a lot of fast foods!

 

What is Vegetable Glycerol (VG)?

Just like PG, VG is clear and colourless although that is where the similarities end. Unlike PG, VG has a slightly sweet taste, however when combined with flavourings in an e-liquid it’s very hard to notice.
The most notable property of VG is that it is very thick, this is why High VG juices, which typically contain 70 or 80% VG in their recipes, often appear to be a lot thicker in consistency.
VG is the main contributor to vapour production – the higher the VG, the bigger the cloud! Bigger clouds allow more flavour to be inhaled when vaped which is why HVG vapers often rave about big, bold, weird and wonderful flavours. VG isn’t the best carrier agent, so it’s usually necessary to include some PG in a recipe to ensure the e-liquid is stable and at it’s best when it reaches your door.
High VG juices are better suited to sub ohm devices which are often larger, produce enough power to vaporise the thick VG, and also have bigger wicking points to allow that sticky stuff to absorb properly so you don’t get dry burn! Don’t be confused if you see some companies saying Glycerine instead of Glycerol – it’s just a different name for the same compound.

 

VG is also used in lots of everyday things, including foods, cosmetics, and a range of pharmaceuticals!

 

 

Nicotine

Nicotine is of course the key ingredient for most in any e-liquid. It’s what satisfies those cravings and makes the whole thing worthwhile.
Processed from its raw form, our nicotine is diluted to 7.2% suspended in PG for use in our e-liquids. As we have mentioned, PG is an excellent carrier for nicotine, allowing it to be perfectly blended into our recipes.
In more recent times nicotine salts have become popular amongst vapers – these special forms of nicotine have been modified to absorb faster and provide longer lasting satisfaction – check out our dedicated nic salts blog to find out more!

 

Nicotine levels at LiQuid

We offer a range of strengths to suit all tastes at LiQuid allowing you to vape from 18mg all the way down to zero. If you’re on a journey towards a nicotine-free future, then you can start where you need to and work your way down gradually. If you just want to find that perfect hit to beat your cravings, then you can experiment between our options to find the perfect balance.

 

0mg
For non or casual smokers - 0mg means that the liquid is a nicotine free e-juice. This strength is perfect for casual vapers who want to inhale the  flavours without the addictiveness of nicotine, or as an end point for those seeking to quit the habit altogether.


3mg
For casual smokers, few cigarettes a day - If you’re a casual or a social smoker, this lower mg e-liquid is perfect for you.


6mg
For light smokers, smoking a pack a week - If you’ve been previously using cigarette substitutes like nicotine gum to try and kick your habit this might be the perfect solution.


12mg
For average smokers, smoking around 1 pack a day - Perfect for the heavier smokers 12mg works especially well in beginner vaper’s devices like pen-style e-cigs.


18mg
For those smoking around 2 packs a day - It’s probably best to use this strength of e-liquid in a less powerful machine as this will have the harshest throat hit but will be the best strength for avid cigarette smokers seeking an alternative.
 

Flavourings

At LiQuid we only use the finest quality food-grade flavourings in our recipes. Most of our flavourings are suspended in or at least contain some amount of PG to ensure they can be properly blended.
The flavourings themselves are actually made up of lots of highly concentrated ingredients that all come together in small amounts to create their flavour profile, they are a lot more complicated than you might think!
As with all our ingredients though, we only use those that have been thoroughly tested for safety and quality, so you don’t have to worry about the scientific stuff and can keep on enjoying the flavours you know and love!

 

 

We like to make sure that all tastes are catered for. That’s why we have a massive selection of e-liquid flavours to suit you. Whether you’re on the hunt for something fresh, fruity, sweet, or indulgent – we have the flavour for you!


Desserts
If you have a sweet tooth, then these flavours were made for you! From classic tastes like Cherry Bakewell or Vanilla Custard, to delicious treats such as Strawberry Cheesecake or Key Lime Pie – we have all your favourite pudding flavours!


Drinks 

From Cappuccino to Cherry Cola, we have a great range of drink flavoured e-liquids, so you don’t have to wait for your coffee break to taste your favourites!


Flavourless
Our flavourless e-liquids are the ideal choice for a straight, clean vaping hit or equally for if you want to dilute stronger flavours. Flavourless has never tasted so good.


Fruit
Our collection of fruity flavoured e-liquids may be our biggest range yet, filled with all the classics like Apple and Banana, as well as all things berry, citrus and beyond – we’ve got something for all tastes!


Heizen
One of our most popular flavours, Heizen is a delicate mix of blue raspberry and white grape on the inhale matched with a fresh, minty taste on the exhale with just a dash of anise. A beautiful balance of sweet and fresh!


Menthol
Perfect for those who have made the jump from smoking menthol cigarettes, our menthol e-liquid flavours include straight-up icy classics as well as some frosty fruity twists!


Sweets
Whether you love the taste of the classic Lemon Sherbert or even Rhubarb and Custard, our sweets range includes all your corner shop favourites ready to vape!


Tobacco
Ideal for newcomers to the vaping scene who are trying to kick their cigarette habit, our tobacco flavoured e-liquids will help ease the transition, emulating the bold and iconic tastes you used to crave 

 

That’s The Lot!

So there you have it, everything we at LiQuid include in our juices – simple yet effective, we’re sure you’ll agree!
Some companies do things a little differently, some still include distilled water (we stopped doing this years ago as our experience grew) but we know our e-liquids, and we’re confident that unless it’s on this list, it doesn’t need to be there! So, if you’re looking at a bottle and it says something else on the label – question why it’s there, for your own peace of mind.

 

Check out our range now, to see just what we can do with this simple list of ingredients!

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