A guide for beginners: What are the different types of e-liquids?

The term “e-liquid” is a catch-all term for all liquids used in vapes. Currently, most e-liquids contain either nicotine or CBD. There is, however, a growing market in “pure” e-liquids (without nicotine or CBD). These appeal to people who enjoy the experience of vaping but do not want either nicotine or CBD.

To help out, Managing Director of Snazzy Vapes, Darren Ware, provides a quick but helpful guide to the different types of e-liquids on the market today.

Regular e-liquid

Regular e-liquid is a mixture of vegetable glycerin (VG) and/or propylene glycol (PG) and/or water. It usually has some flavouring added. The exact recipe depends on the effect the manufacturer wants to produce. Vegetable glycerine is great for producing clouds of vapour but this comes at the expense of taste. By contrast, propylene glycol doesn’t produce much vapour but is great for preserving flavour.

Water is often added to increase the amount of vapour produced. This can make it possible for manufacturers to deliver a decent amount of vapour without a huge amount of vegetable glycerin. By tilting the liquid ratio in favour of propylene glycol, manufacturers can give themselves an edge on flavour.

At present, the UK does not regulate what flavouring can be used in e-liquids. There is a possibility that it will eventually go down the US route of banning e-liquid flavours other than menthol or tobacco. Realistically, however, any such ban would probably be implemented way in the future, if only for practical reasons.

E-liquid pods

E-liquid pods are regular e-liquids sold in pod form. The pods can be either single-use or reusable. E-liquid pods are a great way to top up your vape on the go as it’s generally easier to insert a pod than to refill your tank. The key point to remember is that e-liquid pods only work with vapes designed for them. This means that you need to make sure that you buy a suitable vape. Alternatively, you can have a vape for pods and a vape with a tank.

Shortfill e-liquid and nicotine shots

E-liquids really hit the mainstream as a way for people to wean themselves off smoking. Many regular e-liquids come infused with nicotine. When they do, the brand must indicate how much nicotine the e-liquid contains. This is generally stated in grams.

In the UK, nicotine-infused e-liquids can only be sold in quantities of at most 10ml per bottle. For many people, this is simply not a practical option. One potential solution is to use a combination of shortfill e-liquids and nicotine shorts.

Shortfill e-liquids are pure e-liquids sold in containers that are slightly too big for them. For example, a 100ml bottle would usually only contain 80ml of e-liquid. You then use the empty space to add pure nicotine to your preferred concentration. Bottles of pure nicotine are known as nicotine shots (or nic shots).

Nicotine salt e-liquid

With nicotine sale e-liquids, the nicotine is combined with benzoic acid. This lowers the pH level with the result that the e-liquid vaporizes at a lower temperature. You can therefore have a high dose of nicotine without the harsh “throat hit” associated with regular high-strength e-liquids. It also makes the nicotine easier for the body to absorb. In other words, you effectively get more usable nicotine for your money.

For both of these reasons, nic salts have become very popular with heavy smokers looking to transition to vaping without increasing their spending on tobacco products. Generally, nic salts will be used as a bridging product between cigarettes and vaping with regular e-liquid.

Sub-ohm e-liquid

Sub-ohm e-liquid is simply e-liquid with a particularly high proportion of vegetable glycerin. It has very little in the way of flavour but it can be used to produce amazing vapour clouds.