Do you find yourself staring at the display stands or scrolling through endless pages of e-liquid options? All the abbreviations, numbers, and flavors you are not familiar with, and the wide range of products can be confusing, especially for first-time users.
The huge selection makes shopping for vape juice, not an easy task, and there are many factors you need to consider. Luckily, you have us on your side with our guide that covers the basic categories of e-liquids and helps you make your choice.
Read on to find the information that will make your decisions easier, and the next time you hit your favorite store, you’ll know what to order to get a smokin’ experience!
E-liquid Ingredients
Before heading to an online vape store, you need to know what e-liquids are and what they’re made of. The two base ingredients are propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), both alcohols without oils. There is also water, flavors, and optional nicotine. Why are PG and VG ratios in vape juice so important? Keep reading to find out.
PG
Propylene glycol is colorless and nearly odorless with low viscosity. Besides e-liquids, PG can be found in food preservatives, tobacco products, and certain medications.
PG is the preferable e-liquid base because of its features. Being odorless means that it doesn’t get in the way of your chosen flavors and produces higher flavor intensity. Its low viscosity leaves less residue and gunk build-up in your smoking device, which you’ll appreciate daily.
Also, it is easily absorbed, and you can start vaping faster. PG vapor feels warmer, and produces a strong throat hit, giving you the feeling of an authentic smoking experience.
VG
Vegetable glycerin is a natural product with high viscosity and a certain flavor and sweetness, often used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. VG is the ideal base for thick smoke, making it the perfect choice for vapers who enjoy bigger, denser vapor clouds. It delivers a weaker throat hit, though.
VG has its own flavor, which interferes with the added flavors and makes the vapor a bit sweeter. A downside to consider is the viscosity which causes gunk build-up around the coil and in the device.
PG VG Ratio
E-liquid producers mix the two ingredients in different proportions to get the best of both worlds. The combinations aim to give you a balanced flavor intensity, throat hit, and vapor density.
New vapers prefer a 50:50 ratio because it provides a solid throat hit and works well with starter kits and smaller vape pens. With a larger VG ratio, you should use a more advanced vape device because of the cloud size and the amount of residue that can lead to clogging.
Now that you know what they bring to the e-juice, you can choose what aspects of the vaping experience you want to enhance. Higher PG will give you a stronger throat hit and potent aroma clouds, whereas higher VG will make smoking smoother on the throat but with massive, dense clouds. Look for the vape juice with the right ratio and vape on!
Added Flavor
One of the perks of vaping is the myriad of flavors to choose from, and, unlike smoking, vaping can actually make you smell good. Everyone loves a good scent, and the market caters to all kinds of taste buds. But, the options can be overwhelming in this department also.
If you’re unsure where to start, try the aromas you already like, and gradually get bolder with your choices. In the beginning, you can stick to the familiar chocolate or vanilla e-liquid but then proceed to the more exotic ones, such as rhubarb or jackfruit.
If you’re trying to quit smoking, go with the familiar taste of tobacco or menthol. As time goes by, you can move on to flavors of fruit, desserts, candy, nuts, spices, and even beverages such as lemonade or slushies.
Stores offer a huge range of e-liquid flavors and will let you try different samples to help you make up your mind. Make the most of it by trying something you’ve never tried before, such as pizza, cocktails, and wine. And, for the ones with a more adventurous nose, there are combined flavors of two or more aromas.
Flavors are a personal matter, and you should never forget to enjoy the process of picking the ones that work best for you. Experiment with different options and choose a flavor that will give your taste buds a kick.
Nicotine Strength
Nicotine is an optional ingredient, and reputable e-liquid brands always disclose the nicotine concentration on the package. It is marked as a percentage per mL or mg per mL and the usual concentration can range from 0 to 18 mg per ml. There are extreme products, though, with very high concentrations of nicotine intended for heavy smokers.
Ex-smokers can start at 15 mg/mL to quench the addiction, gradually decreasing the amount. As most vapers are former smokers or trying to quit smoking, nicotine is a very important component of e-liquids. On the other hand, social vapers can do without nicotine from the start.
Nicotine Base
There are two types of nicotine bases in vape juice – freebase nicotine and nicotine salts. Freebase nicotine is the OG, and it gives a strong hit on the back of the throat.
Nic salts were introduced a few years ago and have since become the more popular product. They get absorbed much faster and increase the level of nicotine delivery to the body. They create a much smoother throat hit and overall provide a more satisfying vaping experience.
Conclusion
There are so many options and variations of vape juice that it will take some time to find the perfect product for you. But that is just the beauty of vaping; it is varied and allows you to create your own personalized vaping experience.
So, don’t be afraid to try new e-liquids and experiment with unconventional aromas. You’ll get to the desired PG/VG ratio, nicotine level, and pleasing flavor that will give you a superb vaping experience.
We hope this guide will be helpful in your vaping adventures and future explorations of the exciting world of e-liquids!