Choosing E-Liquid:

The most important part of vaping is choosing the best e liquid that is right for you. With there being so many flavours out there now, how would you possibly know the correct e-liquid you need to use?

In vaping there are different factors to consider whilst choosing the correct e-liquid.

Let’s first get into the basics, E-liquid is simple to make but hard to master. This fluid is formed by combining only 4 ingredients; Vegetable Glycerine (VG), Propylene Glycol (PG), food-grade flavourings and Nicotine (if applicable).

When seeing a liquid listed as 50% VG / 50% PG, this means the e-liquid contains a blend of 50% vegetable glycerine, 50% propylene glycol. The PG contains 10% flavourings and nicotine (if added). 

What is Vegetable Glycerine?

VG comes from vegetable oils, although it is processed from oils, it is not an oil. VG is a non-toxic, colourless fluid without any smell but is sweet and thick. High VG e-liquid is recommended to be used in sub-ohm tanks as the coils are able to wick the liquid more efficiently and will produce denser vapour. 

Liquids with a higher percentage of VG are more likely to have a lower nicotine strength; 0mg, 3mg, 6mg and some in 12mg. This is due to the coils that are most likely going to be used whilst vaping high VG liquids, as the coils will be for sub-ohm users (0.15ohm – 0.6ohm) and will require a higher wattage.

Warning: Pure glycerine that is heated to more than 250 °C can generate acrolein, a harmful substance potentially carcinogenic. There is almost no regulated device capable of heating e-liquids to this temperature, but if in doubt, do not hesitate to ask the advice of one of our staff members!

What is Propylene Glycol?

PG is a synthetic compound thinner than VG however carries a sweet taste. PG is used in some foods and medicines to keep them moist. Some people might be sensitive to PG, we recommend switching to a higher VG e-liquid.

High PG e-liquid is recommended to be used in mouth to lung devices as the liquid is thinner and is able to travel to the coil. These are also perfect for those wanting to quit smoking as the flavour is better and available in high nicotine strengths giving you a better throat-hit. High PG and a 50/50 ratio e-liquids are ideal for beginners and recommended for devices with low power or with a high resistance coil so that there is a throat hit.

What are the flavourings used?

The benefit of vaping is having so many flavours to choose from! These flavours are food-grade additives as the fluid itself doesn’t have any taste. They undergo many checks such as quality control and hygiene tests.

An e-liquid can contain a single flavouring or be more complex and have a mixture of several flavours, this is called a “premium E-liquid”.

What is Freebase Nicotine?

Nicotine is a synthetically produced chemical, people believe it is a dangerous substance, when in fact, the smoke and other chemicals in cigarettes are harmful. There is no chance of poisoning yourself by vaping nicotine, as we all know our limits, if vaping a too high nicotine strength it might make you feel a bit nauseous and give you a headache. Nicotine is great for the throat-hit, if you are vaping and not getting a satisfying hit, you might need to try a higher nicotine level.

What is Nicotine Salt? 

Nicotine salt is for those wanting to vape a higher nicotine strength without getting a rough throat-hit. This type of nicotine is also absorbed into the bloodstream a lot faster than traditional nicotine. Nicotine salt is the natural nicotine salts found in tobacco plants with the addition of benzoic acid. This is a purer version than regular nicotine used in e-liquid and can satisfy the user after a couple of puffs. 

Most Nicotine Salt e-liquid comes in a 50/50 VG/PG ratio as they are best for those looking for a traditional smoking experience.

 

Now that we have talked about the compositions of e-liquids, we can move onto the type of flavours and recommended nicotine dosage.

There is a large number of flavours available, this is good for those that know what they like. However, people get discouraged when it’s time to choose which flavour. To help you navigate to your desired flavour, we have a filter on the side of each page.

Please note: Some premium e-liquids feature a mixture of different flavours and therefore can be present in several categories. 

How to choose your nicotine dosage? 

We have come to the final step, choosing the nicotine level that will be best suited to you!

In the UK you will find e-liquid with nicotine levels that vary from 0mg to 20mg.

There are two factors to consider when choosing your nicotine dosage:

1. Your consumption of cigarettes
2. The E-cigarette you have chosen

A heavy smoker using an e-cigarette set to a low wattage will prefer a higher nicotine strength. A smoker who uses a more powerful e-cigarette should opt for a lower nicotine dosage as you will absorb more nicotine with each puff.

At the end of the day, you will know what is best for you.

This is all to do with the “hit” you feel from the e-cigarette, you wouldn’t want a hit that is too strong as it might put you off using your e-cigarette. In addition to this, you wouldn’t want to not feel an insufficient hit as this will cause you constantly pull on your e-cigarette and cause overconsumption of e-liquid.

Please note that nicotine can be considered as a flavour enhancer however, too much nicotine can strongly obscure the flavour of your e-liquid. 

Below we have created a table for the nicotine dosage, VG/PG and type of tank we recommend to both Direct-to-Lung and Mouth-to-Lung users:

 

Nicotine Strength:	Most Likely VG/PG Ratio:	Suitable For:	Type of Tank:
0% (0MG)	Around 60VG/40PG or Higher VG	Nicotine free users	Usually for DTL
0.3% (3MG) (Very Low)	Around 60VG/40PG or Higher VG	Around 5 cigarettes a day	Usually for DTL
0.6% (6MG) (Low)	Around 60VG/40PG Some 50VG/50PG	Around 10 cigarettes a day	Great for both MTL & DTL
1.2% (12MG) (Medium)	Around 50VG/50PG or Higher PG	Light tobacco smokers	Usually for MTL
1.8% (18MG) (High)	Around 50VG/50PG or Higher PG	Heavy tobacco smokers	Usually for MTL
2.0% (20MG) Nicotine Salt	Around 50VG/50PG or Higher PG	Heavy tobacco smokers	Usually for MTL

For non-smoker wishing to vape an e-cigarette for any reason, we strongly advise against buying one. However, if you wish to vape, we strongly advise you not to vape any e-liquid that contains nicotine!

We are on hand to offer support and advice whether it's by phone, store or live chat via our website. Visit our online store to shop from our best e liquid product ranges and brands!

Vapox Team