If you're just starting out with your first vape, you may find the choice of liquids available overwhelming. Depending on the vaporiser that you have, or the type of vaping you wish to do, you may need to pick totally different products - in this blog post, we'll let you know which liquids should be used with which vape, so that you can be confident that you're choosing the right stuff. From nicotine to key ingredients, all of the stuff that goes in your juice has a purpose.
What goes in my e-liquid?
E-liquid is made of two primary ingredients - Vegetable Glycerine (VG) and Propylene Glycol (PG). Most e-liquid will also contain nicotine and flavouring, and these often have a PG base. VG is a thick, natural substance that is processed from vegetable oils. PG is a thinner, more viscous fluid which flavourings are also often made out of. These two core ingredients will vary depending on the liquid you buy, usually as either 70VG/30PG, or 50VG/50PG - We'll describe these as 50/50 and 70/30 for the rest of the article.
Nicotine and flavourings also vary depending on the juice and manufacturer. Nicotine is usually either freebase or salt nicotine, which we'll explain a little later on. Flavourings often have a PG base, but in some especially thick liquids they may have a VG base.
Why should I use 50/50 liquid?
50/50 liquid is primarily used in Mouth-to-lung (MTL) devices. MTL means that you are generally using a low wattage device with a highly restricted draw - this means small amounts of vapour and a tighter, more cigarette style action by the user. The reasons these devices use 50/50 liquid are that at lower temperatures, the harshness of the PG is less noticeable than on a more powerful device. Being a lighter fluid, it will also evaporate much easier in a smaller device. This type of juice, and the devices that use it, is best for individuals who are just starting to vape and may have been long-term smokers beforehand. This is because these liquids tend to carry more nicotine than others, and vaping them is more similar to smoking tobacco than other types of vapes.
We recommend 50/50 liquid for new vapours, as MTL is a great way to become familiar with vaping. 50/50 liquids come in all sizes, but are most often sold in 10ml bottles with varying nicotine contents - ask someone in store what strength might be right for you, as everyone is different!
Why should I use 70/30 e-liquid?
70/30 (or sometimes 60/40) is the bigger, bolder brother of 50/50 e-liquid. It is thicker, requires a larger and more powerful device and will produce more flavour and clouds than its counterpart. We recommend 70/30 e-liquid to Direct-to-lung (DTL) vapers. This style of vaping will provide a great quantity of vapour and a huge amount of flavour, but can be hard to adjust to if you haven't vaped before. As a result, we recommend 70/30 e-liquid and the devices that vaporise it to experienced vapers who want to get the best flavour out of their device.
70/30 liquid most often comes in 50ml or 100ml bottles, which often means it is good value for money. These bottles will not come with nicotine included, so you need to decide how much nicotine you want. The majority of people will use 3mg Nicotine in their liquid, and in a 50ml bottle of e-liquid, you would put in a single 10ml shot of 18mg nicotine solution.
What is Salt Nicotine and Freebase nicotine?
Nicotine also comes in two main varieties - Salt Nicotine and Freebase.
Nicotine salts have become incredibly popular, and there are large amount of Salt Nic products available. These are largely 50/50 liquids, and come in strengths of 10mg and 20mg. Salt Nicotine solution is derived from the salt of the nicotine plant, and as a solution is smoother and less harsh. We recommend Nic Salts to people who are just starting to vape and are transitioning from smoking. We also recommend Salt Nic for MTL users who want a smoother hit.
Freebase is the 'traditional' nicotine solution used in e-liquids. In 50/50 liquids, you will find it in measurements of 3mg, 6mg, 12mg and 18mg. In 70/30 liquids, most vapers will go between 0mg and 6mg. This nicotine solution is harsher than it's Salt counterpart, but can provide a throat-hit for low nicotine liquids that some vapers find pleasurable.
Finding the right amount of nicotine can be difficult, so we recommend talking to someone in-store so they can help figure out the right amount of nicotine for you. However, as a general rule - if you were a heavy smoker, it can make sense to start high (such as 18mg freebase or 20mg nic salts) and try to reduce the dosage of nicotine over time.
The long and short of it
So, if you've read this far and are still confused, here's an easy breakdown of what e-liquid goes with what device, and their general use.
50/50 E-liquid - best for MTL devices, such as pod systems and vape pens. These are ideal for people just starting to vape, who may have been smoking beforehand.
70/30 E-liquid - best for DTL devices, such as box mods. These are for more advanced vapers who want large amounts of flavour and clouds.
Nic-Salts - a less harsh solution of nicotine that is ideal for people just starting out, mostly available in 50/50 liquids.