What am I vaping?

What am I vaping?

A lot of vapers would say that e-liquid for vaping is  just ‘water vapour’. Well, it isn’t. Some vaping antagonistns say It is a trade secret what is there in nicotine juice’. This is not true, either. 

There is no mistery and no secret ingredients in e-juice. In fact the ingredients are usually all listed on the label. That’s the law in the EU and soon will be in the USA, but reputable juice makers have been doing it for years anyway.

Maybe the confusions comes from all the chemical names listed on the label and it gives ground to scary stories about funny interpretations and truly amazing conclusions such as “E-liquid contains antifreeze” , which it does not.

Most e-liquid has four main ingredients; there’s some variation, but not really very much. If you know the basics you’ll be able to spot any differences quickly. In the meantime, here’s what you can expect to be pouring into your atomiser.

Vegetable glycerine

Liquid designed for modern atomisers is mostly vegetable glycerine, which this can be up to 80% by volume. Glycerine is a natural substance that can be processed from most kinds of fat. The glycerine used in e-liquid comes from vegetable oils. It is processed from oils but it isn’t an oil. In fact it’s an alcohol, which makes it safe to inhale.

VG is a non-toxic colourless liquid with no smell, but a sweet taste. Lots of common products contain vegetable glycerine. It is used in the food industry as a sweetener, and also is added to some foods to keep them moist. Many medicines contain it too. Scientists have studied it for years, and it’s never been linked to any health problems.

Propylene glycol

It is another main ingredient in your e-juice for vaping. Some liquids contain more propylene glycol than vegetable glycerine. It is also an alcohol and it’s also nearly odorless. It has a faint sweet taste, although not enough for it to be used as a sweetener; it does get added to foods, medicines and other products to keep them moist, though.

One other use for PG is in antifreeze, and it’s because of this that some people like to claim e-juice contains antifreeze. This is totally clueless. Propylene glycol  is only one ingredient in antifreeze,and it is actually there because propylence glycol-based antifreeze is less harmful to children and pets.

It’s true that there have been some minor health issues linked to PG. It’s been studied since the 1940s and is classed as generally safe; swallowing or inhaling it won’t do you any harm. A small percentage of people are sensitive to it, though, so if liquid with a high propylene glycol content makes you feel unwell -  switch to one with more vegetable glycerine.

Flavourings

One of the best things about vaping the great variety of delicious-tasting juices, and that’s all thanks to all the nice e-juice flavours. Liquid doesn’t have much taste on its own, so it’s flavoured with food-grade additives.

If there are any health concerns about vaping that’s mostly down to flavourings. There are some ingredients that are safe to eat but not to inhale – diacetyle, for example. However, the industry has done well at eliminating additives that there are worries about. Don’t use food flavourings from the supermarket - some of them contain oils, which are harmful if inhaled. Stick to flavours from vape manufacturers, because these have been elected for maximum inhalation safety.

Nicotine

The ingredient which makes millions try to quit smoking by switching to e-cigarettes and modes.  This is what makes vaping such an effective substitute for smoking; you can satisfy your nicotine cravings without having to set fire to tobacco leaves.

It is not much known about, but nicotine actually is a very safe drug: It’s the smoke from cigarettes that causes harm, not the nicotine. It is toxic in high does, but there’s really no chance of poisoning yourself by vaping. Long before you get to a dangerous level it will make you feel slightly nauseous, then give you a headache. Vapers (and smokers) are very good at getting just as much nicotine as they need, and no more.

It’s usually best to avoid e-liquids that contain anything apart from these four ingredients. Vitamins, colouring, supplements like caffeine – these don’t do anything for the quality of your vape, and unlike flavourings they haven’t been selected for inhalation safety. But if you stick to the ingredients listed here you can look forward to a low-risk and enjoyable vaping experience.

A material based on ‘What is E-juice made of’ in vapigpost.com