By Liv Tyree
So, you’ve started vaping as a means of quitting smoking and found it to your liking; you’ve tried a couple of different e-liquid flavours, but to be honest, the wealth of choice is a little bit overwhelming, and you think what e-liquid is best for me? Let see if we can explore the main ingredients of e-liquid, the different categories available to the vaper and what each type of e-liquid is best suited to.
What’s in My E-Liquid?
E-liquid or e juice comprises five main components: Vegetable Glycerin (VG), Propylene Glycol (PG), food-grade flavouring, and water. The fifth element is nicotine, it is possible to buy e-liquid either with the nicotine already added or to add it your own required strength, but we’ll get to that later. The VG/PG levels are changed to create e-liquids with different characteristics which are more suitable to certain types of vape devices.
Lower Strength Liquids
If you’re just starting out with a vape pen or similar starter device, it’s a good bet you’re using an e-liquid with either a 50/50 or 60/40 VG/PG mix; this type of e-liquids is best suited to most starter style kits that use a low power plus ohm coil. This lower strength closely replicates a cigarette sensation type of vape. The nicotine levels of e-liquid of all kinds start at 3mg per 10ml bottle and work upwards through a middling level of 8mg to a maximum of 20mg.
A Higher-Powered Option
A stronger e-liquid is called high VG and is commonly a 70/30 VG/PG mixture; Vegetable Glycerin is a thick, sweet liquid used in conjunction with a more powerful sub-ohm coil to create large denser clouds of vapour with a more intense flavour. Using high VG e-liquid is not recommended using a lower-powered (Plus ohm) device as it will be too thick and not burn sufficiently well; subsequently, this e-liquid is used in higher-end sub-ohm machines such as a Vape pod or Vape mod.
Mixing Your Own Juice
After a decent period of your vaping life, you’ve got a good grasp of what you want from your e-liquid, and you want to move on to mixing your e-liquid. Most retailers stock vape juice without the added nicotine; this is called Shortfill e-liquid; it is then possible to add the nicotine element, which is referred to as the Shot. It’s always best to check online using a nicotine shot calculator to get the correct amounts of ingredients, but with some basic utensils, it is possible to create your own unique blend of e-liquid.
And Then There’s the Flavours!
When it comes to all the different flavours, you could try a new one every week and still be trying new tastes years later; there is so much out there; this vaper’s advice is just to keep trying new ones. Also, it is possible to mix flavours too, so there is no limit to your e-liquid experience.
