What Is E-Liquid And What Are The Ingredients?
E-liquid is the juice that’s administered to your vape device. Once the e-liquid – also known as vape liquid, vape juice or e-juice – is administered to the device’s tank, it then soaks into the cotton before being heated up and vapourised. This is a basic explanation of how the vapour from an e-cigarette is produced.
While most people know what e-liquid is, many don’t have the first idea of what’s actually in it. So, what is in vape liquid? Let us explain what vape liquid ingredients go into your e-liquid which helps create those delicious flavours we all love!
Propylene Glycol:
One of the two main ingredients found in most e-liquid is propylene glycol (PG). This versatile compound is commonly found in cosmetics, food products, and pharmaceuticals. Its wide-ranging applications mean it plays a surprisingly crucial role in our everyday lives, and without us many of the products we use would be vastly different.
When it comes to e-liquid, PG is used as a base for a few reasons. First, it’s an approved, safe product that produces vapour when heated up, which is obviously important! It’s also flavourless, so it carries the juice’s flavourings well without hampering their taste.
The last reason we manufacturers use PG in our e-liquids is it helps provide a throat hit, which many vapers enjoy – especially those who are just quitting smoking who are looking for an experience that mimics the draw of a cigarette.
Vegetable Glycerine:
The other ingredient that forms the base of your typical e-liquid is vegetable glycerine (VG).
This natural substance is derived from plant oils – usually coconut or soybean – and it’s commonly found in skincare products due to its moisturising benefits and ability to lock in hydration. VG is alo found in various foods as a sweetener and preservative, and even in medications for its ability to improve solubility.
VG is used in e-liquid for similar reasons as PG – it’s safe, produces clouds and has a mild, slightly sweet taste which makes it perfect for carrying flavour. Having said that, there are some distinctions, the main differences being that VG is much smoother on the throat and produces significantly thicker clouds compared to PG.
If you want to learn more about VG and PG, please check out our article.
Flavourings:
Ever wondered how we manage to perfect your favourite fruit, fizzy drink, or confectionery flavours in our e-liquid recipes? Well, the answer is the thousands of different flavourings that are used to achieve these flavours.
The flavourings are what gives your e-liquid its delicious taste. A few examples are vanillin, which is used for vanilla flavours, and koolada, the minty-fresh flavouring that’s typically found in menthol or ice vapes.
In all honesty, it would be impossible to list all the flavourings used in our e-liquid recipes here as literally hundreds are combined to create our recipes!
The most important thing to remember is all of the flavourings that go into our e-liquids are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing these regulations.
This helps to ensure that e-liquids are produced and marketed in a way that minimises health risks, providing peace of mind and ensuring you stay safe while using your e-cigarette.
Nicotine:
Nicotine is a natural alkaloid that’s extracted from tobacco leaves or synthesised. Nicotine is used in e-liquids in order to satiate the cravings of those who have recently quit smoking. Without it, e-cigarettes would be ineffective as a stop-smoking aid and smokers would imply return to cigarettes once their cravings kicked in!
Contrary to popular belief, nicotine itself is not a carcinogen. People often mistakenly believe nicotine causes the wealth of health issues associated with smoking, however these are mainly a result of the tar present in tobacco.
Nicotine is offered in a choice of different strengths, while some prefer to taper all the way down to 0mg and enjoy their vape device nicotine-free.
Types Of E-Liquid Ratios
E-liquids come in a range of different ratios. Each of these ratios provides a slightly different vaping experience from the rest.
70PG/30VG
With a higher proportion of PG, this 70/30 e-juice places an emphasis on flavour, delivering a toothsome vape with a serious throat hit.
Due to its harder kick, this e-liquid should only be used for mouth-to-lung (MTL) plus-ohm vaping carried out with a lower-powered device. Using this juice in a powerful, sub-ohm device would make even the most experienced vaper cough!
70VG/30PG
This type of e-liquid is more popular and is the go-to ratio for many sub-ohm vapers. Due to the higher proportion of VG, this liquid is smooth and produces an abundance of vapour, making it perfect for cloud-chasers!
The increased thickness due to the VG means this device is not suitable for devices with higher resistance coils as they would struggle to heat up the liquid, causing blockages and faults with the device. Powerful kits only for this one!
80VG/20PG
Take everything we just said about the 70/30 and magnify it by 10%! This one is thicker, cloudier and requires even more power to vape optimally!
50PG/50VG
This one provides a perfect middle ground, providing excellent flavour and decent cloud production. With 50% PG, you probably wouldn’t want to DTL vape this e-liquid, but if you’re an MTL or even RDL vaper then this ratio should provide the tasty vape with just the right amount of throat hit
Nic Salts
Nicotine salts, or nic salts as they’re more commonly known, are a relatively new form of nicotine that’s become incredibly popular over the last few years. Unlike traditional “freebase” nicotine, which is used in standard e-liquid, nic salts are a more stable compound with a lower pH which allows for higher nicotine concentrations in e-liquids without the usual harsh throat hit.
Due to their smoother hit, nic salts work particularly well with pod systems and small vaping devices, and the quicker absorption nic salts offer makes it perfect for smokers looking to switch to vaping.
Like standard freebase e-liquid, nic salts come in a variety of ratios with the same guidance above applying to both types of juice.
E-Liquid Flavours
By far the most exciting part of vaping is the abundance of scrumptious flavours available. If you enjoy a particular flavour—whether it’s dessert, a fizzy beverage, or candy – chances are you’ll find an e-liquid to match. And what’s even better, your juice will contain none of the calories, so you’re free to enjoy your favourite flavour all day without the usual health risks!
We stock hundreds of flavours that cater to every taste. So even those who possess the world’s pickiest palates are sure to find some flavours they love!
Nicotine Strengths In E-Liquids
E-liquids are available in a range of different strengths, usually ranging from 0mg – 20mg. This is to cater to every type of vaper, from those just dipping their toes in the water who want something low in strength, right through to the most seasoned vapers who prefer a strong hit of nicotine with every puff, and everything in between!
If you’re just starting off, but you’re looking to quit smoking cigarettes, we’d always recommend a mid-level strength such as a 10mg or 12mg e-liquid. Although this may seem quite strong, you’ll need something with a good hit of nicotine to keep the cravings at bay once you quit smoking!
Once you become accustomed to your vape device, you can either increase or decrease the strength of your liquid. While some like to go higher once their throat and lungs are used to vaping, others prefer to gradually reduce their strength until they reach zero. It just depends on personal preference.
Low-strength juices are typically designed for using with a DTL vape kit. This is because these powerful devices often deliver a much larger concentration of vapour, which would be extremely harsh if the strength of the juice was high.
What Is Shortfill E-Liquid?
A few years ago, the UK government placed restrictions on the sale of e-liquid that contains nicotine, making it illegal to sell any bottle over 10ml. This created quite the conundrum, as most vapers would prefer not to buy multiple 10ml bottles as not only does this cost more but it’s also inconvenient and creates much more plastic waste.
So manufacturers came up with a clever solution: shortfill e-liquid. So how exactly does it work? Well, basically you purchase the amount of e-liquid you’d like, as well as the nicotine strength, and we send them to you separately for you to mix together at home!
For example, if you wanted to purchase a 120ml of e-liquid at 6mg, you’d simply order a 100ml bottle of juice plus two 10ml nicotine shots. This means you can get a lot more juice for your money, and you won’t need to order large quantities of bottles at once!
How To Make My Own E-Liquid
Although many are content to just mix their own flavours at home – shake and vapers as they’re known – others prefer to go one step further and mix their own flavours. If you’re looking to take full control over your vaping and in particular your flavours, DIY e-liquid might be the solution you’re looking for.
Mixing your own e-liquids is an exciting and enjoyable experience and there’s also money to be saved for hobbyists who choose to mix their own flavours. If you’re interested in DIY e-liquid then we stock a range of kits that should help you start your new hobby.
These include your choice of flavour concentrates, as well as all the propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine and nicotine shots you need to get started. We stock a variety of kits that suit all experience levels, including beginners, intermediates and advanced DIY e-liquid enthusiasts.
You can learn more about making your own liquid from our extensive guide.
The Best E-Liquid Brands
We stock a large range of e-liquid brands and each of them caters to a different type of vaper. Here are ten of the most popular e-liquid brands we stock:
Dinner Lady
Esteemed manufacturer Dinner Lady offers an award-winning range of products and what are undoubtedly some of the best flavours available on the market.
All Dinner Lady e-liquids are made in small batches and use only the very best ingredients and pharma-grade nicotine. For a smooth vape and a delicious flavour, as well as good cloud production, this brand does the lot.
IVG (I Vape Great)
UK vaping brand IVG is renowned for its incredible collection of liquids, with dozens of unique, trend-setting flavours.
You’ll find all sorts of delicious IVG flavours right here in the DIY e-Liquids shop, so browse our extensive range and see if your new favourite awaits!
i-Fresh
In search of a premium e-liquid that comes without the luxury price tag? Then look no further than the i-Fresh range! Here, you’ll find affordable vape juices in a range of delicious flavours.
Although i-Fresh is a relatively new brand, these e-liquids have grown in popularity very quickly, so here’s where you can find out what all the fuss is about!
Just Nerds
For those whose younger years were spent sucking on these sweet, tangy candy rocks, Just Nerds have bottled up that experience for you to vape until your heart’s content!
With a variety of different flavours to choose from, these nostalgia-inducing e-liquids are sure to take you on a trip down memory lane!
Juice N Power
A look at Juice N Power’s exciting range of unique and exciting flavours and you’ll see why this brand’s products are currently flying off the shelves.
With leftfield flavours like Bubblegum Milkshake, Cola Passion, Honeydew and Berries Kiwi Mint, if you’re an adventurous vaper who likes trying weird and wonderful flavours, this is the brand for you!
Nasty
Nasty by name but not by nature, this is a UK-based e-liquid company that’s reached worldwide fame as a result of their fruity, exotic vape flavours.
Nasty Juice e-liquids have grown and grown in popularity and these days they’re some of the most popular to have hit the market in recent years, with multiple awards in the bag to prove it!
Pukka Juice
Pukka Juice is hands down one of the most refreshing and delicious e-liquid brands out there! With fresh, funky flavours like Berry Blaze, Blackberry Lime and Raspberry Menthol, they don’t call these juices pukka for nothing!
Vampire Vape
Another award-winning e-liquid brand we stock is Vampire Vape, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers! You’ll only ever find truly delicious flavours with this company – and we stock them all right here in the DIY e-Liquids online shop!
Seriously Nice
For the discerning vaper who prefers the more premium vapes Seriously Nice is a range of juices manufactured by the uber-popular Doozy Vape Co.
We have a wide range of different flavours available here at DIY e-Liquids, so see what we have in stock in our online shop today. You never know, your new favourite flavour could be waiting to be discovered!
Syco E-Liquids
After dedicating years to the research and testing of different flavours for their juices, Syco E-Liquids have perfected their recipes, delivering a vaping experience that’s difficult to beat.
The brand produces a wide range of liquids, shortfills, salt e-juices and other vape products, so browse our collection as we’re sure you’ll find something to suit your taste.
Summary
So that’s everything you need to know about e-liquid. We’ve taken an in-depth look at vape juice, covering their ingredients, different strengths and ratios, as well as look at standard, freebase nicotine, nic salts and the best brands we have in stock.
Hopefully, you’re now well-versed in e-liquid and you’re ready to find your forever flavours!
