Vape juice or e-liquid is the heart of the vaping experience. Without vape juice, there would be no flavoured clouds, and millions of people would probably still be sucking on stinky unhealthy burning tobacco to satisfy their nicotine cravings. But what exactly is in vape juice? What makes those pretty flavoured clouds? Let’s find out.
What is Vape Juice?
When people smoke cigarettes, they burn tobacco in paper tubes and inhale the resulting smoke to absorb nicotine. The concept of putting dried leaves in your mouth and setting them on fire must have sounded quite insane to the uninitiated. But the habit took off nonetheless and swiftly gained popularity. However, almost as soon as smoking became mainstream, doctors started seeing an increase among certain health issues in smokers. So, people started searching for an alternative to smoking tobacco. Fast forward a few decades later to the invention of small battery-powered devices that can heat a liquid into an inhalable vapour. That liquid – commonly called vape juice – contains a few different ingredients. And different flavoured vape juices do incorporate different ingredients; however, most juices share some primary components.
Propylene Glycol
Also known as PG, propylene glycol is one of the key ingredients in vape juice. Odourless, colourless and tasteless, PG serves as the base for many e-juices and is the carrier for all those great flavours. PG is also responsible for providing that throat hit that many smokers transitioning to vaping seek out.
Vegetable Glycerin
Vegetable glycerin, sometimes referred to as VG, is another fundamental ingredient of vape juice. It’s a natural substance that is derived from vegetable oils and is valued for its sweet taste and thick consistency.
Typically, juices with a higher ratio of PG deliver a bit more of an intense experience, while a higher ratio of VG gives users a more mellow hit. Both PG and VG have been approved for mainstream and widespread use as vape juice ingredients, but some people – quite rarely – have natural allergies to one or both of these substances.
Nicotine
Nicotine is the ingredient that got all this started. It’s the addictive substance found in traditional cigarettes. However, unlike cigarettes, vape juices offer users a wide range of nicotine levels, allowing them to choose the strength that suits them best. In Canada, current government regulations state that vape juice can’t have more than 20mg/ml of nicotine, with a 10ml single refill container being the maximum amount you can purchase.
Flavourings
The ingredients used to flavour vape juice – everything from garlic and shrimp cocktail to grape, berry, apple and every other fruit known to man – are usually quite similar to what you would find in food. These are usually small amounts of food-grade extracts that aren’t the actual flavour but rather something that mimics a well-known flavour. Some e-juices may also add sweeteners like sucralose or an enhancer such as menthol depending on the particular flavour.
Always Buy from a Reputable Vape Retailer
Regardless of whether you prefer tobacco, fruit or some wildly exotic vape juice flavour, you should always purchase your vape liquid from a reputable vape retailer like EZ-Vape. Unregulated or illegal vape juices may contain diacetyl or other unhealthy chemicals that could be harmful when inhaled. Vape juice from reputable manufacturers and stores are transparent about the ingredients used and avoid potentially harmful additives. Regulated and trusted brands are best!
