The liquid used in electronic vaporizers is a specialized solution that serves as the medium for delivering inhaled substances, primarily flavor and nicotine. It is heated by an atomizer coil, which aerosolizes the liquid into an inhalable vapor. This liquid acts as a carrier for components that determine the final user experience, such as throat sensation and flavor intensity.
Common Names and Definitions
The liquid substance that powers a vaping device is known by several interchangeable names. The most widely accepted and technical term is E-liquid, a shortened form of electronic liquid. This name is frequently used alongside colloquial terms like Vape Juice, Vape Fluid, and E-juice.
The existence of multiple names stems from regional preferences and marketing choices rather than technical differences in composition. For instance, E-juice is often favored by brands emphasizing fruit or dessert flavor profiles, while E-liquid may convey a more formal product image. Regardless of the name, they all refer to the same basic four-component mixture designed for vaporization.
The Four Core Ingredients
The foundation of nearly all vape juice mixtures rests on two primary diluents, flavorings, and optionally, nicotine. These four ingredients work together to create the final product’s characteristics, including thickness, vapor production, and flavor delivery.
Propylene Glycol (PG) is a colorless, nearly odorless liquid that acts as an effective solvent for both nicotine and flavor concentrates. It delivers a noticeable sensation in the throat, often called a “throat hit,” which many users seek to mimic the feeling of smoking a traditional cigarette. Because of its thinner consistency, a higher PG content results in a less viscous liquid that wicks easily into the coil.
The second diluent, Vegetable Glycerin (VG), is a thicker, slightly sweeter substance derived from plant oils. VG is primarily responsible for the visible, dense clouds of vapor produced during exhalation. Blenders manipulate the ratio of these two ingredients, such as 50% PG/50% VG for a balanced experience or 70% VG/30% PG for maximum vapor production, to suit different devices and user preferences.
Flavorings are concentrated food-grade additives that provide hundreds of available tastes, from traditional tobacco to complex fruit and dessert profiles. These concentrates are suspended in Propylene Glycol to ensure they mix uniformly with the other base ingredients. Nicotine is included as an optional ingredient, but if present, it is considered one of the four components that define the liquid’s complete chemical makeup.
Understanding Nicotine Formulations
The type of nicotine used significantly alters the user’s experience, leading to two main chemical forms: freebase and nicotine salts. Freebase nicotine is the traditional form, characterized by its alkaline nature and high pH level. This alkalinity creates a harsher sensation in the throat as the nicotine concentration increases, typically limiting freebase liquids to 18 mg/mL or lower for comfortable use in higher-power devices.
Nicotine salts, or nic salts, are created by chemically treating freebase nicotine with a mild acid, such as benzoic acid, to neutralize the alkalinity. This modification lowers the overall pH of the liquid, resulting in a much smoother inhalation experience, even at very high concentrations, often up to 50 mg/mL. The smoother delivery of nicotine salts allows for the use of smaller, lower-power devices like pod systems, while also enabling faster absorption into the bloodstream compared to freebase nicotine.