What is a e-liquid made of?
E-liquids are usually made of 3 ingredients : the base, which contains 2 of the main e-liquids components (propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine), food flavourings dedicated to inhalation, and nicotine (or not).
Nicotine in your e-liquid is essential for a successful transition. Some e-liquids can contain a slight amount of alcohol and purified water, but this is becoming increasingly rare. We can also find some flavour enhancers or freshness agents.
![Composition of an electronic cigarette e-liquid](/img/cms/Choisir%20ton%20taux%20de%20nicotine/composition-e-liquide.png)
Propylene Glycol, also known as PG, is a key component of a e-liquid. Its rate can change from a e-liquid to another.
PG’s main role is to boost aromas and highlight them for a tasty result, and also to generate the “HIT” in your throat, which is important to mimic the sensation of a cigarette.
Fluid and non-viscous, it usually brings a slight sweetness. PG does not have any toxicity when inhaled or swallowed.
Caution: the more PG a e-liquid has, the more “Hit” you will feel in your throat, and the more fluid your e-liquid will be. It’s important to use the right atomizer to prevent any leakage (tight airflow and ohm value > 1 ohm if PG > 50 %).
Do not confuse with Ethylene glycol (car’s coolant and antifreeze), they are not the same products at all.
Did you know?
PG has antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial properties. It is common to see it in consumer goods and we often swallow some in our daily life (toothpaste, cosmetics, food materials (E1520), ventolin for asthma, smoke machines in nightclubs or theatres…)
Vegetable Glycerine, also known as VG, is the second major feature composing the base in a e-liquid.
With PG, VG creates a balance thanks to its viscosity which helps with steam production. However, it is way more gentle in your throat, and won’t deliver the throat hit by itself. VG is colourless, odourless and lightly sweet. Unlike PG, VG is thick.
Did you know?
Just like PG, we can find VG in our consumer goods : in food materials (E422), in pharmaceuticals, and a lot in cosmetics, as a moisturizer and humectant.
Aromas are important to give a e-liquid the expected taste. Without aromas, your e-liquid will be “vapable”, but tasteless. So their role is crucial in the sensations that the e-liquid will give you.
They represent 15% of the composition of a e-liquid.
In most of the cases, aromas are food quality materials, and specially analysed and made for inhalation.
They can be synthetic, or natural. In both cases, health hazard is the same, close to 0%.
Here in the form of a liquid, it’s the addictive substance of a tobacco cigarette.
Nicotine will give you the throat hit sensation, in addition to the PG one. Nicotine is available in several rates, to stick to each and every smoker type (each and every one got his own addiction standard).
Caution ! It’s not because you start with a high nicotine rate that you won’t succeed to wean yourself. Take your time and slowly lower your nicotine rate, and you will get there easily !
Don’t see nicotine as a dangerous material. If it makes you addict, it’s not the one that will kill you. Vaping will help you to get rid of substances that are toxic for your body, while reducing your addiction.
The different PG/VG rates : what to choose, and why?
When you start vaping, it’s often complicated to understand the whys and wherefores of your e-liquid’s PG/VG rate. In the PG/VG rate, the throat hit is important to consider, but some other factors are important to think about to become an experienced user.
Here is a little pattern to make it easier :
Propylene Glycol VS Vegetable clycerine
![The effects of Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycetin ratios in your vape e-liquid](/img/cms/Choisir%20ton%20taux%20de%20nicotine/composition-eliquide-detaille.jpg)
Caution : some people are intolerant to PG (4% of the population), it makes them cough and irritate their throat. If you are one of these people, you better choose a e-liquid that contains more VG than PG, and of course, use devices that fit this kind of e-liquids.
![PG](/img/cms/Choisir%20ton%20taux%20de%20nicotine/Mme-VG.jpg)
![VG](/img/cms/Choisir%20ton%20taux%20de%20nicotine/Mr-pg.jpg)
Someone who is new to vaping and has been misguided or has bought on internet without getting the right informations will probably make this kind of comments. Generally, these people quickly drop e-cigarette to come back to regular cigarettes. By doing this, they leave behind them a great way of withdrawal, that allies the taste of nicotine, the smoking gesture and the inhalation of a tasty and cloudy substance.
In order to keep away these kind of inconvenience, it is important to understand the relation between the e-liquid viscosity and your device. Compliance between e-liquid and device is explained in all of our product sheets, but if in doubt, contact us !
E-liquid is brought into the coil that heat and generate steam through a fiber that is positioned all around it (usually coton). The more the coil get a dense coton, the more you want to use a fluid e-liquid with more PG. And the other way around, the more you use an aerated coton, the more it will accept e-liquids with a high VG rate. If the capillary action fails, the coil will get dry too quickly, you will experience a burnt taste in your mouth, and your coil will become unusable.
Fortunately, devices are now way better than before, and you will have less chances to face this situation. Clearomizers accept several kind of coils and allow you to fill it with your favorite e-liquid.
Vegetol : an interesting alternative to Propylene Glycol
An alternative to propylene glycol in e-liquids appeared recently on the market, and that’s interesting ! Some e-liquids from the brand Curieux are using it. Discover its benefits in 4 points. .
![Advantage number 1 of Vegetol](/img/cms/Tiny/1.jpg)
Quick nicotine absorption
Homogeneity and nicotine bioavailability are better with vegetol than PG. You will be satisfied from the very first hits, because their vaporization temperature is the same.
![Better assimilation of nicotine with vegetol](/img/cms/Choisir%20ton%20taux%20de%20nicotine/nicotine-et-vegetol.jpg)
![Advantage number 2 of Vegetol](/img/cms/Tiny/2.jpg)
Perfect aroma perception
Vegetol is better than PG to reproduce flavors, and is ideal for complex recipes : you will fully taste all of your e-liquid’s aromas, even in e-liquids made up of a lot of flavours !
![Flavour reproduction with vegetol](/img/cms/Choisir%20ton%20taux%20de%20nicotine/recipe.jpg)
![Advantage number 3 of Vegetol](/img/cms/Tiny/3.jpg)
Your throat won’t be irritated
Vegetol e-liquids are not irritating. This component generates a true throat hit, such as PG, but is better for your throat. On the long term, you will feel it !
![Vegetol, an alternative for people allergic to Propylene Glycol](/img/cms/Choisir%20ton%20taux%20de%20nicotine/hit-en-gorge.jpg)
![Advantage number 4 of Vegetol](/img/cms/Tiny/4.jpg)
It’s safe and ecologic
Vegetol has a better chemical stability at high temperature. During the heat, there’s no new components appearing due to a chemical reaction. Produced by a VG biofermentation process, it’s natural and ecologic.
![A natural and ecological composition of your e-liquids with vegetol](/img/cms/Choisir%20ton%20taux%20de%20nicotine/eliquide-naturel.jpg)
The different e-liquid tastes
Quite often, when we start vaping, we tend to get a e-liquid that will taste like a cigarette. So usually, a classical tobacco flavour !
![Classic flavour e-liquid (tobacco)](/img/cms/Tiny/tabac.jpg)
Classic Flavours
Tobacco lovers, you’ll find your happiness ! Brown, blond, sweet or dry, one of these e-liquids will suit you ! You can even give in to your gourmet tobacco urges…
![Fruity flavour e-liquid](/img/cms/Tiny/background-2277_1920.jpg)
Fruity Flavours
With the fruity e-liquids, vape some punchy mixes ! Orchard fruits, exotic fruits or berries, pick your favorite according to the season !
![Gourmet flavour e-liquid](/img/cms/Tiny/choco.jpg)
Gourmet Flavours
Custard, caramel, candies and cakes, gourmet flavors will drive you mad ! There are hundreds of gourmet e-liquids to vape everyday !
![Fresh flavour e-liquid](/img/cms/Tiny/menthe-verte-marocaine.jpg)
Fresh Flavours
These e-liquids will give you a refreshing sensation. It can be mint, or a fresh e-liquid without even a mint taste, everybody will find his favorite ! !
![Drink flavoured e-liquid](/img/cms/Tiny/coffee.jpg)
Drink Flavours
Be kind to your taste buds thanks to some delicious drink aromas : coffee, tea, milk-shake or cocktail, there’s one for everybody !
What are nicotine boosters made for?
When we talk about e-liquids with nicotine, we always talk about 10ml e-liquids.
A European law (TPD2) bans e-liquids with nicotine containing more than 10ml, on the european territory.
To solve this problem, one solution : nicotine boosters ! It is a e-liquid containing only a base PG/VG with 20mg nicotine, without any aromas.
Then, you will find numerous “large size” e-liquids (more than 10ml), all without nicotine, but slightly overdosed with aromas in order to add 1 or several boosters to give this e-liquid some nicotine. Isn’t it great?
It exists in several versions :
With this vial, get 3mg nicotine by adding a booster
With this vial, get 6mg nicotine by adding two boosters
With this version, you can get 3mg nicotine by adding half a booster, and 6mg with a complete booster
With this vial, get 9mg nicotine by adding 3 boosters
For nicotine rates over 6/9mg in a large size, you’ll need an empty large size vial to be able to add the right number of boosters in order to get the nicotine rate you want.
Did you know ?
Always performing in health standards and e-liquids analysis, our french neighbours are ahead the other countries when it comes to manufacture high-end e-liquids.
Some of them like Gaiatrend (Alfaliquid), Vincent Dans les Vapes, Lips (Le French Liquide), Green Liquides (Green Vapes, Black Sheep) and some other ones are the world’s cleanest e-liquid brands.
Vincent Dans les Vapes (VDLV, Cirkus), one of the biggest french e-liquid manufacturer at the forefront of innovation and health standards, grows their own tobacco to take the nicotine out of it. That’s a first in the world, with tobacco plants dedicated to vaping in order to get the best of their potential !
Bravo, you made it to the end of the guide. Congratulations for your action, your body will appreciate !
If this guide wasn’t enough for you, and you need more informations, don’t hesitate to call our customer service +41(0)225290836 or send us an email at [email protected].
It will be a pleasure to go along with you in this challenge.