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So What Is in Vape Juice Anyway?

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Different elements combine to make vape juice; here’s what they are.

holding e liquid bottle for electronic cigarette, isolated ecig flavor bottle for vape devices over a black background Getting to grips with vaping means understanding the various components that make up an e-cigarette. One of the most important is vape juice, because that's what will ultimately provide you with the experience you're after, including the taste and flavour, and the nicotine hit, if you want it. So what is in vape juice, and what kind might be best suited to you? Here, we provide a brief overview of vape juice, so that you can enhance your own vaping experience. People who are new to vaping, or perhaps those who are considering taking up vaping, might be puzzled by all the different terms for vape gear, including the liquid that goes into them. Maybe one day the terminology will become more streamlined and uniform, but, for now, we're stuck with either vape juice, e-juice or e-liquid to describe the refills that go into your e-cigarette or other vaping device. E-liquid refills differ depending on what kind of device you're using, and if it's a disposable e-cigarette you won't have any refills anyway. But most vape gear comes with refills, which are typically made up of a combination of two bases — propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) — to which nicotine salts might also be added. Again, this all may sound fairly strange, but these substances are actually commonplace.

Vape Juice: PG or VG?

PG is a popular base for manufacturing e-liquid found in a range of common food and drink products, including antioxidants, baking ingredients, and stabilisers and thickeners. PG is also added to various soft drinks, food colourings, dairy products, cake mix, popcorn and more. For the purpose of vape juice, PG provides a thin and runny base and is easily absorbed and flavourless. This enables a smooth, flavour-rich vaping experience that satisfies many vapers. As for VG, as you might imagine, it’s also found in many kinds of food and drink. It's made from vegetable fats and is thicker than PG, has a mildly sweet taste and creates a lot more vapour on the exhale — perfect for those interested in cloud chasing, either as a pastime or competitive sport. Possibly the only downside with VG is that it doesn't provide the kind of intense throat hit that PG does. Many e-liquids will have a base that is a mix of the two. For a balance between flavour and vapour production, a 50/50 split of VG and PG may be used, while those who want to compete in cloud-chasing competitions will want an e-liquid with a predominantly VG base. Another variation of vape juice is nicotine salts, an acidic-type base that allows for a higher concentration of nicotine, and which is found in popular vape pens such as the Juul. This provides an experience that's somewhat similar to smoking, making it suitable for those trying to get off tobacco and be healthier. Otherwise, they might give up on vaping and relapse to smoking, putting their health in jeopardy all over again.

Nicotine in Vape Juice

Another consideration with vape juice is the amount of nicotine in it. E-liquid refills come in a variety of strengths and you'll need to choose one that's right for you. So a heavy smoker, for instance, might want to go for max strength, while casual or light smokers, and people who rarely smoke and light up only occasionally, are best advised to get a low-nicotine level. If you've never smoked before, but are thinking about vaping, it might be best to get a vape juice refill that contains zero nicotine — allowing you to enjoy the many and varied flavours now available. It's not advisable to begin with high-strength nicotine vape juice, as it can make you feel dizzy and unwell, and ruin the entire experience for you. It turns out there's a lot packed into those little vape juice refills — a solid base, nicotine or none, and a world of exciting fruity and other flavours to keep you vaping and far away from smoking. A huge array of vape juice awaits at the Electric Tobacconist online store — and if you find you just can't make up your mind, that's no problem. Try our Lucky Dip and enjoy a pack of five randomly selected e-liquids at a low, low price. You'll also get fast delivery, free in the UK on orders over £10!