We may see a lot of false talk about the contents of e-liquids in biased media reports and generally common-sense commentary. We don’t blame the media, especially the traditional media, for not knowing what’s in the liquid.
The ingredients in e-liquids are not a mystery at all, they’re actually pretty straightforward. One of the easiest ways to tell what’s in an e-liquid is to check the label on the product.
First, European Union and American laws are being refined to make labelling a requirement, which almost all companies already do.
What are the ingredients in e-liquids?
While some of us know what’s in e-liquids, not everyone knows what the different chemical names mean. For someone new to e-cigarettes, these may be blind spots.
Almost all e-liquids contain four main ingredients. Compared to traditional cigarettes, which have over 400 different ingredients, it’s very different!
Below, we’ll break down what the different components are in the e-liquid and their particular roles in the process of creating the vapor.
Vegetable glycerin (VG) —
Most e-liquids are made up of vegetable glycerin. Typically 80% of e-liquids are VGS. VG is responsible for the large amount of vapor produced. The more VGS an e-liquid has, the more vapor it will produce. Glycerin is a natural product made from processed fats. The vegetable glycerin used in e-liquids is made from vegetable oil. It is made from vegetable oil, so it is safe to inhale.
Vegetable glycerin is non-toxic and colorless. It has almost no smell and a slightly sweet taste. It’s a thick liquid, which means that high-VG e-liquids don’t work properly in small coils or atomizers. It is usually mixed with propylene glycol. VG can be found in several common products, including artificial sweeteners, pharmaceuticals and foods. VG itself has never been associated with any health problems.
Propylene glycol (PG) —
The next major component in e-liquids is propylene glycol (PG). General oral atomizers and single-use e-cigarettes usually use a higher proportion of e-liquid ingredients, which are higher in e-liquid than VGS. This results in a stronger throat sensation and less steam production. PG is colorless and odorless like VG. It can also be used in medicine and food.
One of the common misconceptions about e-liquids is that they contain antifreeze.
That’s because PG is one of the many ingredients in antifreeze. The truth is that PG-based antifreeze is less harmful to pets or children, which is why it is used.
PG is associated with health. But it’s safe, except for a small percentage of people who are allergic to PG, which of course is very unlikely. If you try to use e-cigarettes and have an adverse reaction to them, you are most likely allergic to PG. Switching to pure VG e-liquids should help. At a higher PG level, e-cigarettes produce less vapor but are more throat-crushing, much like traditional cigarettes. PG is better for people trying to quit smoking than high vape.
Vape Liquid Flavoring —
One of the reasons for the popularity of e-cigarettes is the variety of flavors available. E-cigarettes are available in thousands of different flavors. Your imagination will only limit you. E-liquids don’t have any real flavor on their own, so artificial flavors are added. Specially formulated flavorings are used to ensure that the e-liquid is safe to inhale and has a rich flavor when it turns into vapor. If you plan to manufacture e-liquids, you must use flavors specifically made for e-cigarettes rather than food flavorings designed for food.
Nicotine —
The final ingredient added to the e-liquid is nicotine. Although not all e-cigarettes contain nicotine, the amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes is one of the essential ingredients. Nicotine is not only found in tobacco, but also in some plants in the Nightshade family. There’s also synthetic nicotine, but I’m not going to talk about nicotine here, because it could be a topic, it could take up a lot of space.
When you first start using an e-cigarette as a replacement, it is recommended to start with a high nicotine content e-cigarette. Over time, the amount of nicotine used can be reduced until it is no longer used at all.
The important thing is to buy e-cigarettes from a legitimate source, a legitimate company. If you buy some cheap e-cigarettes on the cheap, there is no way to know if the ingredients used in their manufacture will affect your health, and there will be a big problem after the product is sold.