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Introduction – The Truth About What’s In E-liquid

“What’s in E-Liquid?” It’s probably one of the most common questions we here at ELQD ECIGS get from customers. So today we’re going to talk about the truth about what’s in eliquid! 

There are four main ingredients in E-Liquid, Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerin(VG); these two substances act as diluents. The other 2 Ingredients are Nicotine (unless of course you are using nicotine free E-Liquid) and flavourings. Each of these have varying purposes when used in E-Liquid, and what follows is an in depth explanation of each of the ingredient’s purpose. 

Ingredient 1: Propylene Glycol (PG) 

Propelene Glycol (PG) is one of two diluents in E-liquid. It is a clear, thick liquid that has a slightly sweet smell and it has the chemical formula CH3CH(OH)CH2OH. It’s main purpose when used as an ingredient in E-liquid is to provide a “Throat hit” which is the feedback you feel at the back of your throat when taking a draw of your E-Cigarette. It is also responsible for carrying the flavour from the E-Liquid to your taste buds!

It is not only used in E-liquid, but also is a common ingredient in some coffee products, liquid sweeteners and whipped dairy products!

Ingredient 2: Vegetable Glycerine (VG)

Vegetable Glycerine or sometimes referred to as Glycerol (VG) is the second of the two diluents in E-Liquid. It’s a clear, viscous liquid which is odourless and has a sweet taste to it, it has the chemical formula C3H8O3. When used as an ingredient in E-liquid it is responsible for vapour production, with the amount of VG in the juice directly corresponding to the thickness and the volume of vapour produced.

It is also used in the production of frozen yoghurt & toothpaste!

Vegetable Glycerine (VG) and Propelene Glycol (PG) usually come pre-mixed in a bottle like this when they are used in production of E-Liquid.

Ingredient 3: Nicotine 

Nicotine is the part of smoking which is responsible for addiction. This is because when smoking, nicotine causes your brain to release a chemical known as Dopamine. In doing so the body will crave this dopamine injection and is essentially “trained” into becoming addicted to cigarettes.  It is added to E-Liquid in order to satisfy these cravings and therefore assist in the quitting process.

When talking about nicotine and it’s use in E-Liquid there are 2 different types that will each be suited to different types of consumers. There is freebase nicotine and Salt nicotine. 

Nicotine salt is a type of nicotine that is mixed with either citric or benzoic acid to reduce the throat kick provided when using liquids of similar strength. Nicotine salts are what are used in the increasingly popular market of disposable E-Cigarettes, but can also be found in 10ml bottles which we have a great range of, available in 10mg or 20mg strengths!

Ingredient 4: Flavourings

Last but not least we have probably one of the most attractive properties of vaping, the sheer amount of different flavours you can have to choose from. There really is something for everyone, from your usual tobacco to vibrant fruity flavours to your favourite dessert! These flavourings are normally diluted in PG before being added to E-Liquid.

All flavourings used in E-Liquid here in the UK must undergo strenuous testing by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) before being allowed to be used in the production of E-Liquid. Therefore you can be sure that any liquid you buy from our website has been through all necessary procedures to ensure it is safe for use!

What type of E-Liquid suits me?

After all this talk about the ingredients in E-Liquid, there’s probably one question on your mind “Which type of E-Liquid is for me?” Well, below you will find a series of examples of our types of liquid and what type of draw and nicotine hit you will get off of each of them. We hope that the following information will be helpful to you when trying to decide which is best to help you in your journey to quitting smoking!

Our ELQD ECIGS branded 10mls are made using freebase nicotine and a 60/40 VG/PG mixing ratio. This means that you will experience a draw which has a considerable amount of flavour, with varying throat feedback based on your nicotine content and modest vapour production. The amount of feedback will increase with the higher your nicotine content is. Best sellers in this range include Ice Mint, Smooth Tobacco and Fruit Mix, all of which come in 3mg, 6mg, 12mg and 18mg strengths.

Our ELQD ECIGS Nicotine Salts 10mls are made using Salt Nicotine and a 50/50 VG/PG mixing ratio. The draw from these liquids will differ slightly in that it will offer less vapour production than our freebase 10mls, with the flavour usually being more prominent than in freebase 10mls with a similar Nicotine strength. They will also provide a much smoother draw with less throat feedback than freebase 10mls with a similar Nicotine content. Best sellers in this range include Blue Slush, Kiwi Passion Fruit Guava and Summer Fruits, all of which are available in 10mg and 20mg strengths.

The final option in the different types of liquid are our shortfill bottles, these have different VG/PG mixing ratios depending on the brand. To use our ELQD ECIGS 50mls range as an example, they are mixed in a 70/30 VG/PG ratio which means that these liquids will provide a large amount of vapour production along with a real punch of flavour and a mild throat hit. However due to the thicker consistency of these liquids they are best used in sub-ohm kits such as the Vaporesso Gen 200, or for something smaller try the Vaporesso Swag PX80. Best sellers in this range include Blue Slush, Rhubarb & Custard and Pinkade.

That wraps up our article on the ingredients in E-Liquid, we hope it has been helpful and informative for all readers. Whether you’re an old hand at vaping or someone who’s just looking to quit smoking, it’s always good to know your stuff!

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Vaping worse than smoking cigarettes?
  • No, according to the NHS website, it is up to 95% safer than smoking cigarettes. This is due to the fact that E-Liquid does not have tar or other harmful substances in it’s ingredient list!
• Are there chemicals in E-Liquid?
  • Yes, however these chemicals are also used in food, makeup and other industries and have shown to be safe for consumption.
• Is there Nicotine in E-Liquid?
  • In the UK, most 10ml bottles of E-Liquid will come in an allocated strength with nicotine already in them, however there are zero nicotine options available!
• Is Vaping cheaper than Smoking?
  • Yes. To give an idea of just how much cheaper Vaping is than smoking, we will compare our Vaporesso GTX GO 40 Summer Bundle which contains all you need for at least a week’s worth of vaping, to the cost of smoking cigarettes for a week averaging around 20 a day. Taking the current average price of cigarettes to be about £11 for a pack, that works out at £77 per week. This means that Vaping, on average, is at least 70% cheaper than smoking!