Our collection of some of the most commonly asked questions around vaping, and a handy terminology hub to help you get your head around the colourful jargon that comes with the territory!
What is Vapers Tongue?
Vapers tongue might sound a little lewd, however it is a common phenomenon experienced by vapers every day. It is essentially a result of vaping one flavour for such a long period of time that it appears to lose it's flavour. in reality, the e-liquid has not changed - it's down to your taste buds.
Please note we are not speaking from medical expertise, but as vapers, the LiQuid team are more than familiar with the impact of vapers tongue. It can happen to anyone and can be easily remedied. If you have been vaping one flavour for a long time, try switching it up for a little while.
Find some alternative flavours that you enjoy, and give them some time in your device. when you do eventually give your old favourite another turn, you are likely to find that it tastes a lot more bold and defined than it had been when you were experiencing vapers tongue.
Should I vape when suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?
COPD is a condition that most commonly affects middle aged or older adults who smoke or who have smoked. Breathing problems tend to get worse over time and can limit normal activities.
The safest response to COPD is to stop smoking. Public Health England have already declared vaping to be 95% less harmful than smoking, with far higher rates of success when using vaping to quit smoking. As a COPD sufferer, vaping should only be considered following consultation with your GP and/or relevant healthcare professional.
Do e-liquids contain sugar?
No. The two most common types of sugar in our diets are refined and fruit sugars, known as sucrose and fructose. Sucrose is the type of granulated sugar we use to sweeten coffee or bake cakes but it is not present as a flavour enhancer in any of our e-liquids.
Some flavours contain synthetic flavour enhancers maltol, ethyl maltol & sucralose, but not refined sugar. If you suffer from a specific allergy to certain sweeteners, always consult the safety information for the product ahead of purchase and check the ingredients for any potential sensitisers – if still in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact our customer service team for further advice.
Are e-liquids suitable for diabetics?
We can assure you that our e-liquids do not contain free sugar, the type associated with high blood sugar and diabetes. Free sugars are any sugars added to food or drink, or found naturally in fruit juices, honey, and syrups. If in doubt, always consult your healthcare professional before using the product.
Are e-liquids suitable for vegans?
Our vegetable glycerol is derived from rapeseed and our flavourings are predominantly synthetic and never derived from animals. Propylene glycol is also a synthetic compound which is not derived from any animal-related ingredient. As no animal products or by-products are used in their manufacture, we can state with confidence that our e-liquids are suitable for vegetarian & vegan customers.
Does vegetable glycerol (VG) contain alcohol or animal fats?
Our UK supplied VG is derived from rapeseed, hence the name vegetable glycerol. We only use vegetable-derived glycerol containing no animal fats in our e-liquid products. The vegetable glycerol in our products is pharmaceutical grade and contains no alcohol.
Do e-liquids contain caffeine?
By law, manufacturers are not allowed to add caffeine to any UK made e-liquid, therefore it is not present as an ingredient in any of our products. If you find any e-liquid products from other brands claiming to contain caffeine, these are in breach of UK regulations and should not be purchased for your own safety.
Do e-liquid flavours contain traces of nuts or nut oils?
As a part of our commitment to quality, we conduct a detailed supplier approval process before trading with any company that provides ingredients for our e-liquids.
Suppliers must receive 3rd party accreditation or provide us with detailed explanations of their processes used to ensure no nut contamination. No supplier will be used if they state nut allergens may be present, so you know our products are nut-free.
Why is there occasional variation in flavoured e-liquid colour between batches?
There are two primary explanations for colour change between batches and neither compromise the quality of the e-liquid product.
The first is that nicotine (especially at higher strengths) can slightly darken the colour of the e-liquid product, especially after storage in direct sunlight. This is an expected chemical process due to the photosensitivity of the nicotine solutions used in e-liquid products.
The second explanation is derived from the concentrates used to flavour e-liquid batches. These can also be sensitive to light causing a natural colour change over time. Equally slight colour changes can occur between batches of supplied flavourings depending on their production process and environment, these differences will always be described in their product specifications by their supplier and have no impact on flavour quality.
Our own internal QC checks are applied to each batch of nicotine and flavour concentrate that we purchase. In the event of any ingredient failing our internal QC tests, it is immediately quarantined and returned to the supplier pending a further investigation to ensure your vaping experience is consistent and safe.
It is important to remember that we never use artificial colourings in any of our products and any differences noted between batches are entirely natural, with each batch having been subject to rigorous quality controls before being released to market.
Is vaping safer than smoking?
Public Health England recently released a study that found vaping 95% safer than smoking. With vapers in the study being found to have significantly less toxins in their lungs and airways when compared to smokers and “dual users” (people who both smoke and vape). Further long-term studies are still on-going but already show similarly positive results. Check our blog section for more information about how vaping is safer than smoking.
Will I save money with vaping?
Individual savings will always differ depending on the preferred brand and frequency at which a person chooses to smoke. It is clear however, that switching to vaping will indeed save a user significant amounts of money.
E-liquid can be purchased from as little as £1.00 as opposed to a typical packet of cigarettes which will set you back at least £10.00. Even when factoring in the cost of a vaping device, the annual saving made when switching from cigarettes to vaping is potentially massive.
Is there any passive smoking with vaping?
In short – No. While of course it is possible for another person to inhale second-hand vapour, this is not the same as passive smoking. Firstly, e-cigarettes produce vapour, not smoke, therefore the term passive “smoking” is not very appropriate.
Even more importantly, as demonstrated by Public Health England’s vaping study (which found vaping to be 95% less harmful than smoking) harmful substances and carcinogens like tar and carbon monoxide are not present in e-cigarette vapour, massively reducing the risks associated with passive inhalation.
What age can I vape from?
As vaping products contain Nicotine, an addictive substance, sale and use is prohibited in the UK for anyone under the age of 18. This age restriction applies to all e-liquids and associated vaping products, even those that are sold as 0mg (without any nicotine content).
What is an e-cig?
The term electronic cigarette can refer to any piece of hardware used to vaporise-liquid for inhalation. There are many different varieties for you to choose from: Mods are typically larger devices with more flexibility for customisation, often used exclusively with HVG e-liquids designed for sub-OHM vaping (which uses a coil with a resistance lower than 1 OHM) – these devices are often referred to as “DTL or Direct To Lung” which refers to the way in which a user would typically inhale the vapour from this type of device.
Standard devices like pen devices and more simple kits are typically better suited to vaping 50/50 e-liquids. They are often referred to as “MTL or Mouth To Lung” devices as their usage is closer to that of smoking a traditional cigarette, with the vapour being typically held in the mouth before being inhaled deeper. These types of devices will often have a coil resistance of 1 OHM or above and produce less vapour than sub-OHM devices.
Pod devices are another popular type of e-cig, using disposable pods containing e-liquid in conjunction with a simple, often smaller-sized battery designed for practicality and convenience. These pod devices often perform in a very similar way to standard MTL devices, although some also have sub-OHM coils for DTL HVG vaping too.
Why are there so many different e-cigs available?
As the vaping world has grown over the years people have found many ways in which they prefer to vape. So many different types of e-cig have been created to cater to these different preferences, allowing vapers to experiment with different set-ups in order to find their perfect vape.
What e-cig should I buy?
This depends on a number of factors and personal preferences. Do you want to vape higher strength 50/50 e-liquids? Then an MTL may be best. If you want lower strengths but massive clouds, then a sub-OHM mod device is for you. Want something compact and easy to use on-the-go? Why not try a pod system? We understand that for new vapers, the amount of options can be quite daunting and confusing - If in doubt, don’t hesitate to get in touch about making the best choice for you.
What is a disposable e-cig?
A disposable e-cig cannot be charged or refilled. You can vape it until it runs out, it then needs to be disposed of. These are perfect for those who want to sample vaping but not commit to buying a full kit or for nights out and travelling. Pod systems can also be considered “disposable” as even though you keep the same battery, the pods containing e-liquid often cannot be refilled and are disposed of once empty.
What is variable voltage?
Variable voltage gives another level of control to your vaping experience by allowing you to modify the amount of voltage being provided to your coil. This is a feature more typically found amongst sub-OHM mod devices which tend to offer users more advanced options for a custom vape experience.
What is variable wattage?
Much like variable voltage, variable wattage allows you to control the amount of power being provided to your coil. This is the most widely understood “power readout” amongst vapers, with many devices now offering customisable wattage as a standard feature. Raising and lowering your wattage can allow a device to support multiple coil variants, allowing an optimised vaping experience for different e-liquid types.
What is variable temperature?
Different coil types perform better at different temperatures depending on their material and resistance. Variable temperature (often shortened to VT), allows you to set a target temperature on your TC (temperature controlled) device in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
Once set to an optimum level for your chosen coil, it is rapidly heated to your selected temperature. By continuously monitoring the change in coil resistance caused by temperature change, the power applied to the coil is varied to keep your temperature constant. Devices without temperature control are open to the risk of exceeding their optimum coil temperature and firing much hotter than is ideal.
With VT, vaping the risk of this is drastically reduced. This kind of control has become a common feature, with most modern e-cigs now featuring built-in temperature control as a constantly active quality and safety feature, even for systems that do not allow for custom temperature settings using a menu or buttons.
What is pass-through charging?
Sometimes called “vape while you charge technology”, this refers to the ability to vape your e-cig whilst it is on charge. Most modern e-cigs will have this feature, although some budget options might not – so always check your desired device’s features before buying if this is something you would want.
What is a box mod?
Put simply - an e-cig in the shape of a box. More typically used for sub-OHM vaping, these devices are often modular allowing for the swapping of tanks and usually have more interactive features like menus and buttons. It is common for these types of e-cig to also require externally charged, removable batteries, often requiring the purchase of an additional charging unit. If that sounds like too much trouble, make sure to check how to charge your box mod before you buy!
What is sub-ohm vaping?
When you are using an e-cig with the ability to vape with coils rated below 1.0ohm. Generally, the lower the ohm's the more vapour and flavour. Sub-OHM vaping also requires you to use High VG (HVG) e-liquid, which is typically found in strengths of 6mg/ml or below, often described as 80/20 or 70/30 on their label.
The additional vegetable glycerol (VG) used in HVG e-liquids makes them much thicker, allowing for the production of much bigger clouds. This thickness is also optimised for use with sub-OHM coils, which often have larger holes for absorption than coils rated above 1 OHM.
Using 50-50 style juices with sub-OHM coils can cause coil flooding and other issues as the thinner e-liquid absorbs too quickly through these larger holes. If sub-OHM vaping sounds like it’s for you, always check the PG/VG ratio to ensure you are buying appropriate HVG juice.
What is a mechanical mod?
A mechanical mod is an e-cig in its most basic form and while some are mass-manufactured, many are home-made (which we would never recommend using for safety reasons). They typically consist of a battery tube, which you place an externally charged battery into, a switch which completes a circuit when pressed, providing power to an often-custom-built coil.
While simple in design, mech mods are tricky to get right and not for beginners. You need to know your battery safety and Ohm’s law so read up first. Unless you are a seasoned vaper with a confident level of technical knowledge, we do not recommend using mechanical mods as they often lack the advanced safety features found in most other varieties of e-cig.
Can I vape whilst pregnant?
We do not recommend vaping whilst pregnant. Please always consult your Doctor or Midwife before choosing to vape while pregnant.
What are the ingredients in your e-liquids?
Our e-liquids use 3 primary ingredients: propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerol (VG) & nicotine (suspended in PG or VG). To create our fabulous flavours, we then add premium-grade UK flavour concentrates.
All of our suppliers undergo a strict approval process before we choose to partner with them, and every ingredient must be tested and approved before being sent to our site, upon their arrival they are subject to our own internal quality controls, only ever being approved after meeting our strict high standards.
What flavour e-liquid should I use?
This decision is really up to you and depends on what you want from your vaping experience. Some people enjoy tobacco profiles as they are reminiscent of the cigarettes they used to enjoy before making the switch to vaping. Others prefer exotic and fruity blends, enjoying the freedom of choice vapers can enjoy when compared to the limited “tobacco or menthol” options offered by traditional smoking. We encourage you to try as many as possible, there’s a perfect vape out there for everyone!
Are your e-liquids tested?
Our site is officially recognised as working to GMP standards and is fully ISO 9001 certified. All our ingredients are subject to rigorous quality checks and supplier approval audits before being accepted on-site for use in our products. Our products are fully batch tested for quality and compliance by our in-house technical team within our state-of-the-art, ISO 17001 accredited laboratory facility. Every product both existing and new will always be emissions tested in-line with TPD regulations to ensure total compliance and safety before being approved for mass manufacture and sale.
How long will my e-liquid last?
This depends on how much you vape and what settings you are using. Generally, a 50/50 10ml bottle of e-liquid paired with a low wattage 50/50 device can last a vaper approximately 3 - 5 days. Users of 80/20 HVG e-liquids in larger more powerful devices will typically consume e-liquid much faster.
What are Nic Salts?
Nic Salts are just like normal e-liquids. Their difference comes from the type of nicotine used when they are blended. When it is manufactured, the nicotine is combined with what is known as a “salt acid” – don’t be alarmed! These acids are harmless and can actually change the way your body interacts with the nicotine when you vape.
There are different types of Nic Salt out there, and they all modify nicotine in slightly different ways – most work to neutralise the taste of the nicotine itself, which means a higher strength can be vaped without enduring the harsh throat-hit and also increase the rate at which the nicotine is absorbed into the body through the blood/brain barrier, resulting in a much more satisfying vaping experience.
Some types even modify aspects of an e-liquids flavour profile – boosting or reducing sweetness and even adding cooling effects! Many people enjoy Nic salts because they offer a similar level of craving satisfaction to a traditional cigarette, making them a good option for recent converts to vaping or those struggling to find a vape that “hits the spot”.
What is a Nic-Shot?
A nic-shot is a product not typically intended to be vaped separately. Typically high strength with a high VG ratio, they are designed to be added to 0mg HVG short-fill products by a vaper to infuse them with nicotine without diluting the PG/VG ratio.
As an example – Our nic-shots are 80/20 VG/PG and are 18mg/ml. When added to one of our 50ml 80/20 short-fill products, one 10ml nic-shot will create 60ml of 3mg e-liquid, adding a second will increase this to create 70ml of 6mg e-liquid, depending on your preference. See the below mixing guide for further reference:
1 x 50ml 80VG/20PG 0mg short-fill (in a 75ml bottle) + 1 x 10ml 80VG/20PG 18mg nic-shot
= 60ml of 80VG/20PG 3mg e-liquid
1 x 50ml 80VG/20PG 0mg short-fill (in a 75ml bottle) + 2 x 10ml 80VG/20PG 18mg nic-shot
=70ml of 80VG/20PG 6mg e-liquid
What is a Short-Fill?
Because of TPD regulations, any e-liquid containing nicotine cannot be sold in a volume greater than 10ml. Also described as a “flavour base” Many vapers using HVG e-liquids in sub-OHM devices found that they consumed e-liquids so fast, that a 10ml bottle was an impractical size.
Short-fill e-liquids are the solution to that need, only ever being sold without nicotine at 0mg/ml, these HVG juices are not bound by the 10ml size restriction and therefore can be sold in larger volumes. Perfect for those who prefer to buy bulk amounts to suit their consumption rate.
Their name refers to the fact that, as they are 0mg, these large bottles are often short-filled, to allow the vaper to add up to 2 nic-shots after purchase, to meet their nicotine requirements without violating the law. As an example, our short-fill products are a 75ml bottle, short-filled to 50ml leaving enough room for up to two 10ml nic-shots. Leaving 5ml of headspace to allow for steeping once the nicotine has been added.
E-cigarette Glossary of Terms
Adjustable Airflow – Dial or moveable opening that adjusts the airflow into a tank. By adjusting the airflow, vapers can modify the draw resistance, size of the clouds they produce, or the intensity of the e-liquid flavour.
ADV – ‘All Day Vape’ An e-liquid which hits the spot, often down to personal preference. Ideal for everyday vaping.
Amps (Ampere) – a measure of electrical current. The battery capacity on electronic cigarette is normally measured in milli amp hours (mAh)
Atomiser – The heating element in an electronic cigarette that turns the e-liquid into vapour.
Atomiser Head – Unit that houses the heating coils and wicking material.
Battery – The element which supplies power to the vaping device. It can be either a modular battery which can be removed, recharged or replaced, or a built-in battery, which cannot be separated from the device.
Bottom Coil Clearomiser (BCC) – The heating coil is located at the bottom of the clearomiser. This means that the e- liquid can get to the coil faster, helping to avoid ‘dry vape’.
Bottom Dual Coil Clearomiser (BDC) – Term used for clearomisers with two coils. Despite the fact that it uses up batteries quicker than single coil clearomisers, it increases the vapour production and can provide a stronger throat hit and larger clouds.
Bottom Vertical Coil Clearomiser (BVC) – A bottom coil clearomiser with a single coil sitting vertically over the airflow. It reduces resistance and improves vapour production.
Bridge – A small covering over the heating coil of some automizers designed to wick e-liquid towards the heating element.
Burning Coil– Occurs when the e-liquid inside the tank fails to properly saturate the wicking material leading to it becoming increasingly burnt. Once burnt, the coil needs replacing.
Cartomiser – Preferred by many beginner vapers, cartomisers combine the automiser with a disposable cartridge – a simplified vaping system often designed to look like a traditional cigarette.
Carts – Abbreviation of cartomiser.
Ceramic coil – A type of coil that has a longer life span than other coils due to it reducing the risk of burning the coil.
Cigalike – An electronic cigarette that resembles a traditional tobacco cigarette in appearance.
Clapton – A type of coil configuration which consists of a core wire tightly wrapped by a thin gauge wire.
Clearomiser – A transparent & usually disposable cartridge, which allows users to see how much e-liquid they have left.
Cloud Chaser – A sub-OHM vaper using HVG liquids with a powerful device to create massive clouds.
Coil – Located in the atomiser head, a coil is the element of an e-cigarette that turns the e-liquid into vapour when an electrical current passes through it, generating heat. They are often interchangeable and will need to be replaced over time. They come with varying levels of resistance measured in OHMs. The lower the OHM rating, the more power can pass through it, increasing the vapour produced.
Connection pin – Is usually the positive feed from the battery that connects to the atomizer/tank and gives it power
Custom Mod – A mod that has been home-built or professionally produced to a custom brief, not intended for mass-manufacturing.
Diacetyl – TPD regulations ban its use in the manufacturing of UK e-liquids. A potentially harmful flavouring ingredient which should be avoided.
Direct to lung (DTL) – Vapour is inhaled to the lung without being held in the mouth first. Certain device types are more suited to this approach such as those designed for sub-OHM vaping.
DNA Chipset – A collection of microscopic DNA spots attached to a solid surface. Often only available in advanced devices, It provides the user customisation over the control and delivery of power to e-cigarettes for an optimised vaping experience.
DNA Mod – A mod that uses a DNA chipset.
Drip Tip – Term used for an e-cigarette mouthpiece.
Dripping – Suitable for devices with rebuildable coils, dripping is the act of dripping e-liquid directly onto the exposed cotton of the coil rather than filling a tank and waiting for it to wick in.
Dry Burn/ Hit – Occurs when the wicking material is dry, the coil has insufficient e-liquid or when the coil burns out. When power is applied in these scenarios, dry burn will likely occur creating a very unpleasant vape.
E-cig / E-cigarette – Abbreviations for electronic cigarette.
E-liquid – Term used for the liquid solution used within e-cigs. Usually containing flavouring, nicotine, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerol in varying amounts.
ENDs – Electronic Nicotine Devices is another term for e-cigarette – mostly used in scientific papers or organisations.
Filling/ Filler – Refers to the material used to pack a cartomiser, often cotton type fibre.
Fins – Raised metal ridges designed to dissipate heat.
Flooding – Occurs when e-liquid floods the coil, causing leakage and other performance issues. This can occur if the wrong e-liquid type is paired with an inappropriate coil such as 50/50 with a sub-OHM. Equally if a filled tank is left for extended periods without use, they can over-wick causing flooding.
Hon Lik– Inventor of the modern e-cigarette.
Japanese Cotton – wicking material with good e-liquid retention – since it uses no chemicals or bleaches in its production, it is a highly sought-after wicking material.
Kanthal – A wire alloy used to make heating coils – it contains iron, chrome and aluminium.
LED – The type of light most commonly used in e-cigarettes. Depending on your device they can mean different things – some light up when you inhale, others may change colour depending on battery life etc… check you device’s manual to learn what the LEDs represent.
mAh – milliamp-hours or mAh is a unit for measuring electrical power, used to describe the total amount of energy a battery can store at one time. Generally, the larger the mAh rating, the longer the battery can last and the more power it can produce.
Mech Mod / Mechanical Mod – A mechanical mod is an e-cig in its most basic form and while some are mass-manufactured, many are home-made (which we would never recommend using for safety reasons). They typically consist of a battery tube, which you place an externally charged battery into, a switch which completes a circuit when pressed, providing power to an often-custom-built coil.
MHRA – The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. This is the UK governing body responsible for ensuring TPD regulations are adhered to by the British vaping industry. All e-liquids like ours must be submitted to, reviewed and approved by this agency prior to being released for sale. You can find all our current products registered in their database as proof of their total compliance and safety.
Micro USB – A Micro USB port is used for charging the battery.
ML – Millilitre is a measuring unit for liquid. With electronic cigarettes it is also used to indicate the capacity of the tank e.g. – 2ml capacity.
MG – Milligram is the unit of measurement used in vaping to describe the nicotine strength of a product, usually per ml. For example - 18mg/ml.
Mod – Term used to describe box style e-cigarettes, often used for sub-OHM vaping.
Mouth to lung – The vapour is taken into the mouth, before being inhaled into the lungs. This is more typical of 50/50 style, higher strength e-liquid users.
Mouthpiece – The part of the e-cigarette that goes between the lips.
Ohm (Ω) – The unit used to measure the electrical resistance of an electrical device – in vaping this most often refers to the resistance of your coil and dictates what type of e-liquid you should use as well as the appropriate wattage settings for your device.
Passthrough – Term referring to the ability to charge a device and vape with it at the same time.
Pen-Style – an electronic cigarette known for its resemblance to a pen, with a cylindrical shape.
PG (Propylene Glycol) – A pharmaceutical grade diluent used in most e-liquids. Higher PG content will typically have a stronger throat hit than HVGs and produce smaller clouds.
Priming – Pre-Soaking the new coil with e-liquid to reduce the chances of dry burn.
RDA – Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer.
Resistance – The resistance of the coil in the atomiser, measured in OHMs.
RTA – Rebuildable Tank Atomizer.
Ruyyan Cigarette – The first modern e-cigarette, created by inventor Hon Lik.
Second Generation E-Cigarette – Term used by scientists for modern e-cigarettes.
Juice/E-Juice – Another term used for e-liquid.
Stealth vaping – The technique vapers use to minimise the amount of vapour exhaled.
Sub Ohm – Vaping with a coil with a resistance set below one OHM.
Tank – Term used for the top of an electronic cigarette – it houses the atomiser and e-liquid.
TC – Temperature control
Throat Hit – The feeling when the nicotine hits the back of the throat. Higher nicotine strengths will deliver stronger throat hits. Some seek a strong throat hit as it is more reminiscent of a traditional cigarette.
Titanium coils – An alternative to nickel coils – they offer a higher resistance.
Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) – A directive of the EU (European Union) which places limits on the sale and merchandising of electronic cigarettes and tobacco products. These regulations protect consumers from disreputable manufacturers of e-liquid that might otherwise use harmful ingredients. All our products are fully TPD compliant and are subject to rigorous batch-testing to ensure your total safety.
Vape – To inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an e-cigarette.
Vaper – A person who vapes.
Vaper’s Tongue – Refers to temporarily losing the ability to taste certain flavours if vaped regularly for an extended period without change. Switching to flavourless e-liquid or a different flavour for a while will often remedy this.
VG (Vegetable Glycerol) – Pharmaceutical grade ingredient used as a diluent in e-liquid. VG is thick and produces more vapour than PG, allowing more flavour to be delivered to the user with each puff.
Watt – A unit measuring power, in this case delivered by an e-cig when fired.
Wick – A small piece of cotton or other material found packed around the atomiser coil which absorbs the e-liquid, allowing for vapour production when the coil is heated.
