What is Vape E-Juice Made of?

E-juice or E-liquid is what people commonly call vape juice, which is the liquid that you use to fill the pod you attach to your vape device. E-juices come in plenty of varieties and they could be sweet or savory, freebase, salt nicotine based, or even nicotine free. The e-juice becomes heated as you inhale and produces vapor that you exhale, mimicking smoke produced by many tobacco products, but with much less risk to your health!

The four main ingredients present in vape e-juices are the following: vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, flavoring, and nicotine. In this article, we offer you a breakdown of those ingredients to help you better understand what you are vaping.

The first thing you need to know is that all four main ingredients are classified as “generally considered as safe” or GCAS by the US Federal Drug Administration. Secondly, vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol make up the bulk of what is in your e-juice and therefore we will start with those ingredients. 

Vegetable Glycerin 

This substance, commonly referred to as Glycerol is a clear and relatively thick liquid that is produced from extracting palm trees or soy beans. Although appears similar to vegetable oil, glycerol is water soluble which helps it evaporate unlike the latter. 

The two key uses for glycerol is its addition to food items as a sweetener and many household items as a substance that helps retain moisture. As such, it is commonly found in makeup, shampoo, deodorant, soap, skin and hand cream, toothpaste, and eye drops in addition to food items such as cheese, yogurt, gel capsule pills, and other processed foods.

What glycerol adds to your vaping experience is the cloudiness of vapor exhaled and the smoothness of the product inhaled when it hits your throat. However, due to its gooey texture, an e-juice with a higher glycerol level may produce thicker clouds but it also burns faster as it does not soak the wick fast enough.

Propylene Glycol

This substance is derived from petroleum and it has a subtle sweet taste and a runnier syrupy texture compared to glycerol. It is approved by the US Federal Drug Administration for use by humans and animals alike. 

Propylene glycol is commonly used as a food additive in many popular food products such as ice cream, sodas, and salad dressings because it can retain moisture well and it makes products thicker and capable of bonding with other ingredients. Non-edible products which use this chemical include mouthwash, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and lotion.

What propylene glycol adds to your vaping experience is its ability to pronounce the flavoring in your e-juice product, which means the higher its percentage, the stronger the flavor. Furthermore, if you are looking for a stronger throat hit that resembles cigarettes, this chemical will do the job for you.

Flavoring Concentrates

This substance uses a mixture of natural and artificial flavoring to replicate the taste of edible and popular food and drink items. All flavoring concentrates used in e-juices are generally considered as safe (GCAS). 

Flavoring concentrates make up a small percentage of the total e-juice contents and it does not exceed 10%. While they are made using diacetyl which is a relatively harmful substance, there is 10 to 100 times less of this chemical in vape products than in tobacco products such as cigarettes. 

Nicotine

This alkalide substance is a stimulant which in the short term increases heart rate and may improve attention, memory and fine motor skills. While it is addictive, it is a relatively harmless substance that is not responsible for any of the health risks associated with smoking or vaping. In fact, nicotine is commonly used in gums and batches which can be prescribed by doctors to aid people who are trying to quit tobacco use.