Everything you need to know about e-liquids

Everything you need to know about e-liquids

Once you become a vaper there are two important things you need to constantly stock up on – e-liquids and atomizer heads. And while atomizer heads are usually the same and last between 1 – 2 weeks each, e-juices are a totally different story.

Finding an e-liquid you love is crucial for a satisfying vape experience and luckily we now have thousands of brands and the most interesting flavor combinations. But what is an e-liquid, what is it made from and most importantly what's the deal with VG and PG?

E-liquids – how do they work?

An e-liquid or e-juice is the substance used in all e-cigarettes, vaporizer pens and mods. This is what gets transformed into vapor and it's what provides that much craved nicotine buzz. The liquid is usually more viscos than water, has a pleasant odor and it's transparent – with various tints depending on the type of flavoring used.

E-liquid is absorbed by the wicking material inside the atomizer and gets vaporized by the coil each time the user presses the fire button on his or her mod.

What's inside an e-liquid?

Any e-juice is made from four essential components: Vegetable Glycerin (or VG), Propylene Glycol (or PG), nicotine, and flavorings. The first two – VG and PG – make up the base of the e-liquid and the ratio between them accounts for its end viscosity, throat hit, vapor production and flavor intensity.

VG and PG are generally recognized as safe in the quantities used for vaping and nicotine is the same as that found in the leaves of tobacco plants.

Nicotine concentration ranges from 0mg per milliliter up to 3mg, 6mg, 9mg, 12mg and 18mg. Of course you can buy e-liquids with higher concentrations – like 24mg – but these are the most commonly used percentages.

The different VG/PG ratios and how they affect vaping

Besides nicotine concentration, one of the key features of any e-liquid is its VG to PG ratio. VG is thicker and accounts for bigger clouds, while PG is thinner and it's responsible for flavor and throat hit. An e-liquid with a higher VG concentration will be a lot smoother, will produce more vapor but the flavor won't be as intense. On the other hand, and e-liquid with a higher PG concentration will produce less vapor but the flavor and throat hit will be much better.

But the most important aspect of VG is the thickness of the liquid. Juices with 40 – 50% VG are thinner and will work with smaller vape pens and pod mods. Juices with 60 – 70% VG are considered regular and will work on the wide majority of devices. What's above 70% VG it's considered high-VG or full-VG and these juices only work on certain types of atomizers like RDAs or high end sub ohm tanks.

Which e-liquid to choose

When choosing an e-liquid the most important aspect is its flavor profile. Beginners usually go for tobacco and menthol, but there are also other appealing options like fruits and desserts. We recommend nicotine concentrations of 6mg for starters and you can go lower and higher afterwards.

A good VG-PG ratio to start is 60/40 as it provides good vapor production, nice flavor and works on the wide majority of devices.

Leave a Comment

RELATED REVIEWS: