Everything You Need To Know About E-Liquid - The Ultimate Vape Juice Guide
No vaping journey could exist without e-liquid. Even the flasiest and most expensive vape kit is useless without it - it contains the nicotine we crave and need to help progress on our quitting journeys and keep cigarettes far from our thoughts.
While simple enough in purpose, even seasoned vapers often admit that they have a lot of unanswered questions about e-liquids beyond how they taste and how much nicotine they contain. That's why in this guide we will explain everything you need to know about vape juice, from their ingredients to the safety standards and regulations that ensure they are of the highest quality.
After reading this you should have the knowledge to make an informed purchase or decision about where to head next on your vaping journey - or at the very least impress your vaping buddies with a fact or two!
Table of Contents
What Is An E-Liquid? - What Ingredients Are In An E-Liquid?
- How Is E-Liquid Made?
- What Types Of E-Liquid Are There?
- How To Choose The Right E-Liquid
- How To Use E-Liquid
- How To Inhale An E-Liquid
- What Vape Kit Should You Use With Your E-Liquid?
- Is E-Liquid Safe?
- E-Liquid FAQs
- Why Buy your E-Liquids Online From LiQuid?
What Is An E-Liquid?
E-liquid, also called vape liquid or vape juice, is the substance we vaporise in e-cigarettes to deliver the nicotine containing vapour we then inhale to satisfy our cravings. They come in a variety of different formats, with varying properties suited to different vaping styles. If you have chosen vaping as an alternative to smoking as part of a quit attempt, pairing the right e-liquid with the right vape device is a key step in ensuring you are starting your journey properly.
Different types of e-liquid are created by carefully blending specific amounts of 4 key ingredients to deliver differing experiences, intended to suit different user preferences. Ultimately however e-liquid is intended as a less harmful method of nicotine consumption, whether it is used as a permanent alternative to cigarettes, or as part of a longer quitting journey culminating in a nicotine free lifestyle.
What Ingredients Are In An E-Liquid?
E-liquid typically contains four primary ingredients: PG, VG, nicotine & flavouring. PG stands for Propylene Glycol, VG stands for Vegetable Glycerol - both are flavourless adn mostly tasteless clear liquids that are common bases used to make a huge variety of products from medicines to foods! E-liquid flavourings are carefully created and refined to work perfectly and be stable in the base PG and VG, while the nicotine is specifically diluted down to 7.2% concentration in PG to allow us to accurately create our ranges of nicotine strengths.
What Is PG In Vapes?
- PG is a clear, tasteless and colourless base material used in many common products including inhalers.
- PG is used in e-liquids as it is a very effective carrier for flavourings and nicotine.
- PG is thinner in consistency than VG and produces far less vapour.
- 50/50 vape liquids are made using a higher volume of PG, allowing them to accommodate higher nicotine strengths.
What Is VG In Vapes?
- VG is a clear, slightly sweet and colourless base material that is used in a massive range of products, from food to hand sanitiser.
- VG is perfect for e-liquids as it helps to create bigger and bolder flavours.
- VG is very thick in its consistency and can produce massive vape clouds.
- Most e-liquids use a balanced combination of VG and PG, as VG is not an effective carrier agent.
What Is Freebase Nicotine In Vapes?
- This is the most common type of nicotine used in e-liquids. It is called “freebase” as the nicotine itself is freely suspended in a base material like PG or VG, however PG is far more common due to its superior properties as a carrier.
- Most freebase nicotine is suspended in PG at 7.2%, this allows manufacturers to accurately blend it into e-liquids to create the various strengths offered.
What Is Salt Nicotine In Vapes?
- Nic salts are a more recent addition to the vaping industry. They work in the same way as freebase nicotine, however during manufacturing, the nicotine is combined with one of a variety of potential “salt acids”. These salt acids neutralise the naturally alkaline pH of the nicotine. The result is an e-liquid that is smooth on the throat and less harsh in taste, even at very high strengths like 18mg & 20mg.
- Nic salts deliver deep, lasting satisfaction far faster and for far longer than is offered by freebase.
- Nic salts come in different forms. Common nic salt varieties include: Nicotine Salicylate, Nicotine Benzoate, Nicotine Ditartrate & Nicotine Levulinate.
What Are Vape Flavourings?
- Flavourings are what truly bring an e-liquid to life, they come in near limitless varieties, with dessert flavours such as cherry bakewell and sweet flavours such as pear drops being on offer.
- They are usually suspended in a base consisting primarily of PG, which allows the flavourings to be properly blended alongside VG to create the finished product.
- They are classed as “food-grade” and are very similar if not identical to those used in the catering industry. This does not mean you can add vanilla essence for baking to your e-liquid!
How Is E-Liquid Made?
E-liquids are made by combining the ingredients described in the previous section together to creaet a mixture that delivers both nicotine, flavour and vapour. We do this by creating specific recipes that balance all 4 key ingredients, resulting in the different types of e-liquid you can find for sale: freebase 50-50, nic salts, 70-30 High-VG, and Shortfill.
Different vapers choose between these different varieties depending on their individual references. Some prefer low nicotine and big clouds, others might have strng cravings to manage and prefer a more discreet experience - it's all down to how the ingredients are blended together.
Each ingredient is added in a specific order, carefully weighed out according to our tried and tested recipes. They are then blended together using special high-shear mixers and ultimately homogenised into a single, stable mixture that you can vape.
We then take the finished product and
How Are 50-50 E-Liquids Made?
50-50 e-liquids are made using a balanced blend of PG and VG, hence the name 50-50. Their flavour and nicotine content can vary between recipes, but always form a part of the PG content of the vape juice, menaing the 50% PG ocntains, raw PG as well as flavourings and nicotine suspended in PG.
50-50 e-liquids include the classic freebase options like those in our original £1 range, but also Nic Salts like our bar salt collection.
How Are High-VG E-Liquids Made?
70-30, HVG or High-VG e-liquids are designed for use in sub-ohm kits with higher power and are known for producing large clouds of vapour. They contian 70% VG and 30% PG, which is why they are typically only available in lower nicotine strengths like 3mg and 6mg. There simply isn't enough room within the 30% PG allowance to dose them any higher whilst still including enough flavouring to make them a pleasant to vape.
High-VG e-liquids include thicker 10ml vape juices, as well as shortfills which are designed for you to add your own nic shots which we will explain in the next section.
What Types Of E-Liquid Are There?
Over the years There have been many different kinds of e-liquid developed to meet different consumer needs and trends. For many years 50-50 freebase e-liquids were the only options, then more experienced vapers wanted a thicker vape juice that produced bigger clouds for tricks, which is where HVG e-liquid came in.
Once TPD regulations were introduced restricting the size of nicotine contianing e-liquids to 10ml, shortfills were popularised. This is becuase they allowed vapers to get hold of larger volumes of the juice they loved, albeit sold as 0mg nicotine free, but with space in the bottles to add nic shots - flavourless high strength e-liquids designed to be diluted down in sortfills to create the usual 3mg or 6mg HVG strengths.
More recently nic salts became popular because they offered the craving satisfaction of high-strength nicotine, but with a skooth taste to help those that had recently quit smoking, but did not enjoy the throat hit of freebase vapes.
We explain the most common e-liquid types below:
What Are 'Standard' 50-50 Freebase E-Liquids?
- The most commonly used e-liquids are typically called “50/50”. This refers to the fact that in most cases these e-liquids will contain an even ratio of PG to VG, which results in a stable mixture capable of supporting nicotine strengths of up to 20mg (which is the regulatory maximum strength).
- Better suited to smaller vaping devices that are designed to support mouth-to-lung (MTL) style of vaping.
- Most pre-filled pod devices will utilise 50/50 recipes in a variety of flavours and strengths.
What Are Nic Salt E-Liquids?
- Nicotine Salt e-liquids follow the same principals as 50/50’s and are blended in the exact same way. The primary difference is that they utilise salt rather than freebase nicotine. This offers some benefits including a smooth taste and deep satisfaction even when vaped at higher strengths.
- Due to their rising popularity, there are some manufacturers producing vaping devices that are described as specifically designed for Nic Salt e-liquids – this does not however mean that you need specialised hardware. Nic Salts are compatible with most Mouth-To-Lung (MTL) style devices.
What Are Bar Salt E-Liquids?
- Bar Salts are the most modern e-liquid type to hit the market and are essentially nic salt vape juices with double-concentrated flavour.
- They contian such intense and bold flavourings to replicate the experience offered by incredibly popular disposable vape kits like Elf Bar or Lost Mary when paired with refillable pod kits.
- Along with double-concenrated flavours, most Bar salts have a low to high strength cooling element, giving them a fresh and almost mentholated taste, some vapers love this, others not so much.
What Are High-VG, 70-30 or 80-20 E-Liquids?
- High Vegetable Glycerol (aka HVG) e-liquids are, along with 50/50s, one of the longest standing liquid varieties available to consumers. They utilise a much higher ratio of VG in their recipe. Due to the lower volume of PG, a more effective carrier agent, HVG e-liquids are typically unavailable in strengths beyond 3mg or 6mg.
- Higher strengths of nicotine are less preferable for HVG juices as larger consistencies (12mg and above) are generally considered be an unpleasant experience due to the large amount of vapour that is typically inhaled.
- HVG e-liquids are only compatible with sub-ohm vaping devices, with a coil rating of less than 1.0ohm. These devices are instantly recognisable in most cases due to their large size, often outlandish designs and detailed user interface - typically used by experienced vapers.
What Are Shortfill E-Liquids?
- Short Fills are a very popular kind of High VG e-liquid that allows the user to purchase much larger bottle sizes as opposed to the traditional 10ml.
- Short Fills are always sold as nicotine-free, which allows them to bypass the regulations that limit the size of nicotine containing e-liquids to a maximum of 10ml.
- To meet consumer needs, the larger bottles are often filled just short of their maximum volume, allowing the user to add separate Nic Shots to create a large volume of their favourite flavour with a customised nicotine strength.
What Are 50-50 Shortfill E-Liquids?
- While much rarer than their HVG equivalent, some brands now offer 50-50 shortfills too. As the name suggests they are identical in purpose to HVG shortfills, but are blended to a 50-50 recipe instead of 70-30 VG-PG.
- Examples like our Bar Salt Shortfills feature the double-concentrated flavours of our Bar salts range, but in a larger 120ml bottle with enough space to add nic salt or indeed any other kind of nic shot to create a custom strength.
What Are Nic Shot E-Liquids?
- Exclusively intended to be added to short fill products, these are a rare example of a HVG e-liquid that is also high strength, often found in 18mg, and not for isolated consumption.
- Some exampes are 50-50 however and are dosed with nic salts as a unique twist for those lookking for a shortfill bar salt experience.
- The nicotine content is diluted down when added to the base e-liquid in a short fill.
- It is important to match the PG/VG ratio of a shot to the short fill so as not to dilute the thickness of your e-liquid.
- An example of how to blend a
nic shot with a short fill would look like this: - 50ml of 0mg, 70/30 short fill base + 1x 10ml, 18mg, 70/30 nic shot = 60ml of 3mg, 70/30 e-liquid.
How To Choose The Right E-Liquid
There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to choosing the best e-liquid for your journey, it's all down to personal preference. However depending on what you wnat to get form your vaping journey, as well as your experience level can mean optiong for one variety over another could lead to a more successful and satisfying vaping experience.
New Vapers
New vapers come in two confirmed camps, recent ex-smokers who have never vaped, and ex-smokers who have only used disposable vapes.
If you are a brand new vaper who has just quit, you should consider your previous smoking habit and use this as a baseline for which nicotine strength you should opt for. Less frequent smokers should try 3mg-6mg, whereas heavier smokers will likely need 12mg-18mg to satisfy cravings. Freebase e-liquid like our original range offers all these strengths as well as a slight throat hit that many smokers will find familiar.
If you are an ex smoker who does not want a throat hit however, or has been experimenting with disposable vapes, then nic salts or bar salts are a great option as not only do they replicate all the most popular disposable vape flavour profiles, they also offer high strength satisfaction without the throat hit.
Experienced Vapers
Experience dvapers will likely not need much guidanc ewhen it comes to choosing the right e-liquid. Most people learn very quickly what does and doesn't work for them, and stick to it. This could mean anything from a freebase 50-50 to a nic salt could be the best choice, but HVG e-liquids are a very popular choice for vapers than might consider themselves 'hobbyists'.
The advanced kits needed to make the most of HVG vape juice is why tey are typically favoured only by experienced users, as their thicker consistency and incresed VG content deliver bigger clouds and allow them to work perfectly with sub-ohm vape kits.
How To Use E-Liquid
No matter which e-liquid you choose, they are all used in the same way, they must be added to a vape device, allowed to soak into the coil, and then inhaled once heated to deliver the nicotine and flavour we crave.
Firstly open your bottle of e-liquid ready to add to the device. If you are using a shortfill, make sure you have added your nic shots and allowed them to blend by shaking the bottle and allowing to stand for 10minutes as a minimum.
Then open your chosen devices pod or tank, and carefully pour the e-liquid into the opening until the pod/tank is full - taking care not to overfill as this can cause issues like coil flooding which we explain in our other blogs.
Allow the e-liquid to sit for a while in the pod/tank beofre vaping to ensure the coil is fully soaked and ready to use to avoid dry-burn.
once the coil is primed and the tank/pod is full you are ready to vape, simply fire up your chosen device and gently inhale using one of the techniques we describe in the next section!
How To Inhale An E-Liquid
You may have heard the terms MTL and DTL used by vapers when describing their inhale style. There is also a newer style that has become more popular since the rise of disposable vapes called RDTL. We know this can all sound like jargon, however understandning what these initials mean can give you an edge when working out how best to enjoy your chosen e-liquids. We also have a full guide on this subject if you would like to learn more about mastering the perfect inhale.
What Is MTL Vaping?
MTL means mouth-to-lung and is the preferred way to inhale nic salt vape juices paired with an appropriate pod device. This is where you inhale, hold the vapour in your mouth before drawing it into the lung and exhaling – similar to smoking a cigarette.
MTL is the preferred inhale for new vapers using 50-50 blends whether they are freebase or nic salt e-liquids
What Is RDTL Vaping?
As pod devices have become more tailored to nic salt vaping, particularly those trying to capture the open draw typical of a disposable vape (which you can learn more about here) some brands offer sub-ohm coils that are still designed for vaping with nic salts like the VooPoo Argus 0.7ohm pod.
These are called RDTL which stands for restricted-direct-to-lung. This is where you inhale as if it were a DTL vape, but with less of an impact to reduce irritation at higher strengths - think of it as a middle ground. If you are a disposable vape user looking to switch to 10ml nic salts and refillable vapes, this could be the perfect option for you!
What Is DTL Vaping?
DTL stands for direct-to-lung and is more typical of HVG vapers, so less preferable when using nic salts. This is simply the act of drawing the vapour directly into the lung and exhaling in one motion.
This technique is better for experienced HVG users as it allows the higher volumes of vapour to be inhaled without coughing.
What Vape Kit Should You Use With Your E-Liquid?
Different vape kits are better suited to different e-liquids and when first starting out it is important to pair them well to improve your satisfaction. There is a lot of crossover, with some kits offering multiple coil options that mean they can cater to multiple types of vape juice, but the below is a good baseline to work from as a new user.
You can learn even more about vape kits in our full guide here.
What Vape Kit Is Best For 50-50 E-Liquid?
suitable for the widest variety pof vape kits, 50-50 e-liquids only need a kit with a coil rated at 1.0ohm and above. This means AIO (All in One) vape pens, pod kits and even some pod-mods will do the job well without exposing newer users to complicated features like variable wattage.
What Vape Kit Is Best For HVG E-Liquid?
Sub-ohm vape kits are the only choice for HVG e-liquid, including mods and pod mods. These advanced kits come with extra fetaures that new users might find dautning, but seasoned vapers will enjoy because they allow you to tailor the experience even more to their chosen vape juice and preferences. As long as the kit uses a coil rated at 0.9ohms or below, it will handle HVG vape juice.
What Vaoe Kit Is Best For Nic Salt E-Liquid?
Nic salts are best paired with kits that also support other 50-50 vape juice, with coils rated above 1 ohm, however there are many brilliant pod kits now available that offer RDTL pods which have a sub-ohm rating but smaller wicking holes to support thinner 50-50 nic salt vape juice. These are the best choice for nic salts as they deliver enhanced flavour and a very smooth breathy hit similar to disposable vapes.
Is E-Liquid Safe?
Many leading official authorities have stated that vaping is less harmful than smoking including the NHS, Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) and The UK Government - the latter being responsible for the landmark 2015 study that found vaping to be 95% less harmful than cigarette smoking.
Despite this there are many people who are still concerned about the health impacts of vaping. While the long-term picture is still a little unclear, all the data we currently have access to points towards vaping being safe and certainly better than smoking.
Further to the statements of the authorities above, there are multiple stages involved in e-liquid manufactring and sale that will hopefully go some way towards assuring people that every possible action is followed to ensure our vaping products are safe to consume.
MHRA Registration
Every time a new e-liquid recipe is created, we can't just send it out to market.
First we must submit extensive information breaking down every component, in every ingredient, down to the tiniest decimal to the Medicines and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agency.
This includes strict emissions tests to ensure that nothing chenges when our mixtures are heated and inhaled. Unless the MHRA approves these submissions, and e-liquid cannot be legally sold.
TPD/TRPR Regulations
In 2016 the UK introduced The Tobacco products Directive or TPD, later succeded by The Tobacco and Related Product regulations or TRPR.
These are the strict rules of our industry that must be followed to the letter and ensure a general standard of quality and safety are upheld across all legal vaping products.
From the 10ml bottle size and 2ml tank capacity restrictions, to a cap on incotine strength at 20mg/ml - these rules are enfoced by law and any breahces are met with harsh punishments.
Batch-Testing
At LiQuid we carry out strict batch-tests on everything we produce so we can be sure every last drop of e-liquid is the highest possible quality.
carried out in our analytical laboratory using approved methodologies, we ensure that everything from flavour concentration to nicotine diultion are accurate and up to standard before a batch is released for sale.
We also retain sampes of every batch, so if a customer reports an issue, we can re-test the samples to identify any discrepancies and confirm that they conform to standards.
Raw Material Testing
We don't just stop at finished batches - we test every raw ingredient we use from nicotine and PG to VG and flavourings to ensure they are of an acceptably high standard of quality before we even begin to mix them.
As we now create our own flavour concentrates and nicotine dilutoins in-house, we have even greater control over this quality than ever before.
If a raw maetrial fails a quality check, even by a fine margin it is rejected, and replaced with materials that do comply with our rigid quality checks.
E-Liquid FAQs
Why Buy your E-Liquids Online From LiQuid?
Quality, Safety, Price - these are the three best reasons to choose the LiQuid brand as our trusted vape supplier, whether you are looking for vape juice or indeed any vaping product.
We have been proudly serving hundreds of thousands of customers every month for ten years, selling millions of bottles of e-liquid and constantly evolving our ranges through extensive testing, R&D and customer feedback. When you buy a bottle of e-liquid from LiQuid, you get the benefit of a decade of industry expertise, dedication to quality, and a commitment to low prices. You simply won't find a higher quality e-liquid for less in the UK.
We have developed an end-to-end manufacturing process that gives us unmatched control over the quality of our raw ingredients and e-liquid blending. This is combined with our full scope of laboratory testing that allows us to ensure the strictest standards are upheld at every stage of production to guarantee your satisfaction.
Beyond our promise of quality and value, becoming a member of the LiQuid community gives you acces to unique benefits as a vaper, including our subscription service and LiQuid loyalty point scheme to help you get even more from your vaping journey.
Written By Oliver Norman
Our resident vaping expert with 9 years of industry experience. Ollie has worked in a massive range of roles over the years; from bottling on the shop floor to mixing e-liquid in the cleanroom, heading up Tech Ops and flavour development in the lab and beyond; Ollie has been with LiQuid for nearly a decade and now heads up our content marketing team making sure our customers get the best quality information to make informed choices on their vaping journeys.
He is a one-stop-shop of vaping knowledge from scientific technical info to current vaping trends, vape juice to vape kits and all points in-between - he's keen to share it all with you, from one vaper to another! As an avid user of nic salt e-liquids for several years, Ollie has compiled this guide to help other vapers learn everything they need to know to get the most from a nic salt vaping experience!
