More About Vape Juices and E-Liquids UK
What is e-liquid?
E-liquid is the substance used in vaping devices, which is heated up to create the vapour you inhale. Also known as vape juice or vape liquid, the vapourised liquid delivers the nicotine to satisfy our cravings along with the flavour you’ve chosen.
Liquids are usually made up of four ingredients:
- Propylene Glycol (PG)
- Vegetable Glycerol (VG)
- Nicotine
- Flavouring
These ingredients will be combined in varying amounts to produce different types of e-cig liquids.
Why is e-liquid better than cigarettes?
Cigarettes contain many dangerous chemicals including carcinogens, carbon monoxide and arsenic. E-liquid only contains Propylene Glycol (PG), VG, nicotine and flavouring. A report by Public Health England found that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes. For more safety information regarding vaping, take a look at our Safety Hub.
What are e-liquids used for?
E-liquids can be used in several different ways. Vials of e-liquid can be used for manually refilling cartridges, while pre-loaded cartridges (or pods) can be switched out once a pod is empty. The type of e-liquid you use will depend on the type of e-cigarette you have chosen to use.
What is propylene glycol (PG)?
Propylene glycol is a clear, tasteless and colourless base material used in e-liquids. It is commonly used in vape devices thanks to its effectiveness as a carrier of nicotine and flavours. It has a thin consistency meaning it produces less vapour than other baseline substances like vegetable glycerol.
It is one of the world’s most useful chemicals thanks to its ability to keep ingredients in a solution mixed, preventing them from drying out and keeping products from spoiling.
What is vegetable glycerol (VG)?
Vegetable glycerol is a clear, slightly sweet and colourless base material used in vape liquids. It can also be found in other products such as food and hand sanitiser. VG is a popular choice due to its ability to create bigger and bolder flavours. It has a thick consistency, which results in larger vape clouds and a bigger throat hit.
What are PG and VG ratios?
Most e-liquids are produced using a combination of PG and VG. The combination of PG and VG in a vape liquid determines the strength of the flavour, the vapour produced and the throat hit. E-liquids with a higher VG ratio are commonly used in Sub-Ohm kits, while a lower VG or 50/50 vape liquid is suitable for mouth-to-lung (MTL) devices.
What are the different types of e-liquids?
There are a number of types of vape liquids that are determined by their combination of ingredients used. These include:
This is one of the most common variants of vape juice and typically contains an even ratio of PG to VG. The stable mixture makes it capable of supporting nicotine strengths up to 20mg, which is the regulatory maximum strength.
- Nicotine Salts
Nicotine salt e-liquids (or nic salts) are blended in the same way as standard vape juice, but instead of freebase nicotine, they use salt. Using nicotine salts provide a smoother taste even when vaped at higher strengths, making them an increasingly popular choice among new and experienced vapers. - High VG (80/20 or 70/30)
High VG e-liquids (HVG) use a much higher ratio of VG in their mixture than standard vape juices. This means HVG e-cig liquids are typically only available in strengths up to 6mg, as many customers consider vaping higher strengths an unpleasant experience due to their harsher throat hit.
Short fill e-liquids are a High VG e-juice that is strictly nicotine free. This means you can buy larger bottle sizes as opposed to the traditional 10ml nicotine-filled liquids. Typically, short-fill e-liquid bottles are filled just short of their maximum volume, allowing you to add nicotine shots to a larger volume of your favourite flavour.
Nic shots and nic salt shots are intended to be added to short-fill e-liquid to produce an HVG liquid with a high strength of nicotine. Care must be given when mixing a nicotine shot with a short fill to ensure the nicotine content is appropriately diluted and doesn’t impact the thickness of your e-liquid. An example of how to blend a nicotine shot with a short fill looks like this:
50ml of 0mg short fill base + 1 x 10ml of 18mg nic shot = 60ml of 3mg 80/20 e-liquid
What is freebase nicotine?
Freebase nicotine is its purest form and is most commonly used in e-liquids. Freebase nicotine is created by freely suspending nicotine in a base material (free-base – get it?) This means it can be accurately diluted down to create the different strengths you enjoy in our final products.
What e-liquid should I pick?
Choosing the right e-liquid is important as it makes your switch from smoking to vaping a smooth and enjoyable experience. To help you understand which e-liquid is right for you, it can be useful to start by looking at how many cigarettes you smoke per day. For heavy smokers (15-20+ per day), you may want to opt for standard vape liquid. If you smoke less than 15 cigarettes a day, then a high VG e-cig liquid may be suitable. The goal of vaping is to help you satisfy those nicotine cravings, so you may want to experiment with different types of e-liquids to find your ideal product.
Why is e-liquid only available in 10ml?
There are two limitations that all e-liquid manufacturers must abide. The maximum legal nicotine strength for compliant liquids is 20mg/ml, and the maximum bottle size for any e-liquid containing nicotine is 10ml. This limitation is not usually a problem for users of higher nicotine e-liquids, but can pose a problem for vapers using sub-ohm vaping devices.
What is shortfill e-liquid?
Shortfill e-liquid is nicotine-free vape juice that can be sold in larger quantities. Bottles are sold slightly empty to allow up to two 10ml nicotine shots to be added by the user, allowing for a larger quantity of e-liquid to be carried without violating the restrictions.
To use shortfill e-liquid, open the bottle and add the nicotine shot. Close the bottle and shake it well, leave to stand for at least a few minutes before filling your tank with the e-liquid.
What are the best e-liquid flavours?
There are many different e-liquid flavours available to suit a variety of tastes. Finding your favourite flavour can be one of the most exciting parts of vaping. If you’re looking for a taste that you’re used to from smoking, you may start out on a tobacco or menthol-flavoured vape liquid before moving on to a more exotic flavour. At EDGE Vaping, we have a whole host of vape juice flavour options, including desserts, sweets, fruits and Heizen, so it’s entirely up to your own personal tastes and preferences.
Which nicotine strength should I choose?
Choosing the right nicotine strength is important to help you satisfy your cravings and keep you on the right track. Vapers who used to be heavy smokers (smoking 15-20+ cigarettes per day) may want to opt for a high strength such as 18mg. Light smokers (less than 10 cigarettes per day) usually find their choice of nicotine strength lies between 3-6mg.
How do I choose the right nicotine strength for my vaping device?
You can identify which strength of nicotine will work best with your vaping device by looking at the device’s mouthpiece. If the mouthpiece is narrow like a cigarette filter, the device will be more suitable for higher nicotine e-liquids. If the mouthpiece is wider than a cigarette filter, a lower nicotine vape juice will probably work best.
What is TPD compliance?
TPD stands for Tobacco Products Directive, which are regulations created to establish best practice, protect consumers and deliver safe and high-quality products. Under these regulations, any e-liquid manufactured for sale must be rigorously tested and registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for approval before it can be sold. To find out how EDGE ensure total compliance, visit our dedicated page.
How do I buy e-liquids online?
Buying e-liquids from EDGE Vaping is quick and simple. Simply, choose your favourite flavour from our e-liquid range and preferred nicotine strength and add it to your basket before checking out securely.
