So, you’ve researched the beginner vape kits, got to grips with vaping as a newbie, and know the difference between direct-to-lung and mouth-to-lung vaping. But how much do you know about what is in vape liquid?
If you’ve turned to vaping as a way to quit or cut back on smoking, knowing what is in your vape juice is important to safely and fully enjoy your vape experience. In this article, we’ll be looking at the four key components, with tips on how to guide your choice of vape liquid ingredients.
What Is in Vape Juice?
Vape juice is a liquid you add to your vape kit's tank or pod. There are four main ingredients in vape liquid:
- Propylene Glycol (PG)
- Vegetable Glycerine (VG)
- Food-grade flavourings
- Nicotine, if preferred
Different vape juices contain different ratios of these ingredients depending on the formulation. You may see other ingredients listed on the packaging of your e-liquid, but these will be flavouring components. Let’s explore these vape liquid ingredients in more detail.
What are VG and PG in vape juice?
Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerine (VG) form the base of your vape juice, often in a 50:50 or 70:30 ratio (although pure PG or VG e-liquids are also available). These liquids are then combined with flavourings and sometimes nicotine to enhance the vape experience.
For beginners, choosing a combined PG and VG e-liquid is recommended. This will give you a satisfying throat hit and a strong flavour payoff.
You may choose a high PG e-liquid if you prefer a stronger throat hit and faster flavour delivery, whereas a high VG content may be better if you enjoy a smoother vaping experience with more vapour and a less intense throat hit. Avoid a high VG content if you want to be discreet in your vaping – VG does produce large clouds, and you’ll need a more powerful vape, such as a sub-ohm vape, to vaporise the thicker liquid.
The liquids have the same function, providing a solution for mixing flavourings and nicotine within your e-liquid. But, the two liquids have slightly different characteristics, which we’ll highlight below.
What Is PG in Vape Juice?
How PG is used in vape liquid: As a low-viscosity liquid, PG is very runny. Because of its thin consistency, PG is very effective at carrying flavours more strongly than other vape liquid bases, such as VG. Its solvent and emulsifier properties make it a fantastic base for liquid flavours, meaning you never have to shake your e-liquid bottle when filling up your tank or pod.
PG is an ingredient partially responsible for providing the throat-hit sensation and nicotine, which is optional, mimicking the sensation of smoking traditional cigarettes. When heated by the coil in your vape tank, the Propylene Glycol evaporates, along with the flavourings contained in the e-liquid.
Other uses: Propylene Glycol isn’t just found in vape juice; it is also used to carry flavour in food products, as an ingredient in food colouring, and as an additive in certain medicines. Fortunately, Propylene Glycol is non-toxic and is proven to be safe for use by humans, which is why it is a popular ingredient across various industries.
What Is VG in Vape Juice?
Vegetable Glycerine is a clear, odourless, vegetable-based liquid. You can tell VG apart from PG by its thicker, more viscous consistency. There are VG-only vape liquids out there for those sensitive to PG.
How VG is used in vape liquid: Because of this thicker consistency, pure VG vape juice is better for creating big vapour clouds. It’s also smoother on the throat, which is ideal for vapers seeking less throat irritation than high-PG e-liquids.
Furthermore, VG is known for its slightly sweet flavour, which can help sweeten the taste of your e-liquid.
While it is typically well-tolerated when inhaled, heavy vaping of high-VG liquids may trigger minor dehydration or throat dryness. This makes it important for vapers to stay hydrated when vaping high-VG liquids.
Other Uses: Like PG, VG is also non-toxic and safe for use by humans. This makes it no surprise that it is used in many applications other than vapes, including food and cosmetics; its ability to retain moisture makes it a popular ingredient in skincare and haircare products.
Nicotine in Vape Liquid Ingredients
Vape juice is available in nicotine or nicotine-free (nic-free) formulations.
If you’re trying to switch from smoking to vaping, you may need a hit of nicotine with your vape. Some vape juices have premixed nicotine in the liquid, though this isn’t always the case. Be sure to check whether the e-liquid contains nicotine at your preferred strength before buying to avoid disappointment.
For more information, take a look at our detailed guide to nicotine for vape.
Nicotine Strengths:
The nicotine strength you opt for will depend on your previous smoking habit if you are using vaping to quit smoking. If you are a non-smoker, opt for an e-liquid with a 0mg nicotine strength. If you are trying to quit smoking, opt for a higher nicotine content and gradually reduce your levels as time goes on.
Due to restrictions brought in as part of the Tobacco Products Directive (and the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 in the UK), there are limits on how much nicotine a vape juice can contain. E-liquids premixed with nicotine are available in 3mg, 6mg, 12mg or 18mg strengths, or when using premixed salt-based juice, you’ll likely see strengths like 5mg, 0mg, and 20mg. However, it is also possible to customise your vape juice to your own preferred nicotine strength.
Tip: Nic shots and nicotine salts can be added to shortfill vape juices to reach your preferred nicotine strength. See our guide to nicotine salts for more information.
Flavourings in Vape Liquid
When considering what is in vape liquid, we can’t forget to mention flavourings. Today’s e-liquids come in a staggering array of flavours, which means you’ll be sure to find something you can use as an All-Day Vape (ADV). The synthetic flavourings used in vape juice are safe for human consumption and are found in other products, such as sweets and drinks.
It is necessary to use synthetic flavourings in e-liquids rather than natural flavourings because they pack a much stronger punch. Natural flavourings wouldn’t be noticeable once combined with vape liquid and heated to produce the vapour you ultimately inhale.
What Vape Flavours Should I Choose?
When it comes to flavours, you should have a general idea of what flavours you’d like based on your personal tastes. If you have a sweet tooth and like fruit flavours, an apple e-liquid could be for you. Or, if you prefer something smoother and less fresh, then a coffee or bakery-flavoured vape juice might be better.
Ultimately, finding the right vape juice flavour is a bit of trial and error. But, with our multi-buy offers across many of our high-quality e-liquids, you can get a great deal on a huge range of flavours. This means you can have fun experimenting with different tastes and may even discover one you love that you’d never previously considered.
Check out some of our most popular flavoured e-liquids, such as fruity, mint, and sweet flavours. Use our blog to find out what your favourite vape juice flavour says about you!
Concluding on Vape Liquid Ingredients
So, that’s a wrap on vape liquid ingredients! We hope you’re now more clued up on what’s in vape liquid and which suits your preferences.
If you have any more questions about what’s in vape juice or anything else, please feel free to contact us or visit us in one of our stores to speak to a member of the team.
We are here to help you and want to ensure you know how to get the best from your e-liquid and vaping equipment. The e-liquid that we sell is TPD-regulated and chosen for its high-quality ingredients. However, Vape Town cannot be held responsible for any side effects from unsuitable nicotine levels.
For more information on all things vapes, please check out our blog.