How to Pick a Perfect E-Juice for Your Vape

There are a few things to look for when choosing the perfect nicotine strength. Check out this guide for tips on choosing the right e-juice for you!

How much do you know about the nicotine containing E-juice which you us in your vape device? Sure, it probably contains nicotine – but do you really know what nicotine is?

This article breaks down E-juices into their constituent components, explaining each item and reassuring you about the quality of Vape Direct vape juices… and others, of course.

This article will explore how much nicotine you need, answering questions like where 3mg of nicotine is a lot or not or what the numbers on your vape juice bottle mean. We will explain vape juice percentages and what it means when we talk about “nicotine strength”.

Strap in, it is going to be a wild ride.

What is Nicotine?

Wondering what makes nicotine so bad? This is a chemical compound which is naturally produced by the leaves of the tobacco plant. It is a natural ingredient which has a specific effect on the brain.

When introduced to your bloodstream, nicotine signals the brain to release dopamine – the happy chemical. Once released, the brain starts to establish a pattern. You inhale nicotine, it makes you happy, and your brain rewards you. This pattern can quickly become an addiction.

Although nicotine is a toxin, it is not the most harmful chemical in your cigarette. The reason why cigarettes are particularly bad for lung health lies in the other ingredients in a cigarette. Tar being one, formaldehyde, arsenic, lead, acetone, and even carbon monoxide are other chemicals you will find in it.

The reason cigarettes are so bad isn’t necessarily because of the nicotine, but because the combination of that addictive chemical mixed with all those other harmful compounds. The combination is deadly.

Nicotine isn’t wholly good for you, though. Let’s not ignore or gloss over the fact that it is a toxin. It can cause an increase in your heart rate, upset your sleep cycle, give you acne, make you feel dizzy and even make you feel nauseous if you take too much.

Of course, you don’t have to vape with nicotine. If you want to give vaping a try but don’t want to become addicted, then enjoy the fruity, fun flavours of nicotine-free vape juices. You can learn more about nicotine facts here.

What is E-Liquid?

An E-liquid is the vape juice we use to fill the vape tanks, heat, and produce the vapour through vaping. Without the e-liquid the vape coil would have nothing to heat and would just burn dry. This would negate the purpose of vaping and probably blow up your device.

Easy part over, let’s discuss what is actually inside your vape liquid.

E-juices contain a very limited range of ingredients. They will have a little water to act as a flavour carrier. This will mix with the Vegetable Glycerine (VG), typically used in cooking or in medicines to prolong shelf life, and the Propylene Glycol (PG) which mixes everything together. PG is a little thinner than VG liquid, making it better for blending.

The final ingredients in your vape juice are flavourings. Many of the flavourings are food grade. Otherwise, there is nothing else. There is no nefarious chemical waiting to turn your lungs into popcorn. There is no reason to be suspicious. The ingredients are right there on the bottles.

Browse our beginner e-liquids to get started on your search for the perfect E-Juice!

How Much Nicotine is in a Cigarette?

The amount of nicotine in a cigarette depends on the brand of cigarette, but let’s take an average to give you an idea of how much nicotine is in a cigarette. The Guardian explains that the average cigarette contains between 8mg and 20mg. However, you only absorb between 1 and 2mg of nicotine from each cig.

Remember: it is not necessarily the nicotine which damages your lungs when you smoke. Those accompanying chemicals do a lot of damage. They simply are not inside vape juices. Nobody would want to try and make a lovely bubble-gum/mint combo vap juice with the sudden aftertaste of arsenic or formaldehyde. It’s just not a thing.

Further, the math behind nicotine in vape juice makes it difficult to compare the nicotine in a cigarette to the nicotine in a vape device. Let’s talk about it.

Meaning of the Numbers on E-Liquids

The UK government restricts vape tank sizes to 2ml. This means that each 10ml vape juice bottle contains 5 refills for your tank. To put that into daily use terms, a light vape user might have that same 10ml bottle for a couple of months. A heavy vape device user might get through as many as 3 of these 10ml bottles per week.

The highest strength of nicotine contains 20mg of nicotine per millilitre. Remembering that each tank contains 2ml, this means that a single vape tank contains about 40mg of nicotine at the highest possible strength.

Going back to the original sum, let’s be generous and say that 1 cigarette = 1mg (and not 2mg) of nicotine. That would mean your 2ml vape tank contains 40mg of nicotine total, equalling to 40 cigarettes.

But bring this math down to the light vape user or light smoker trying to quit nicotine, and that math becomes much less daunting. If you enjoy a 5mg nicotine vape device, that would total a tank volume of 10mg of nicotine, or ten cigarettes. You might have that tank for a week, two weeks, or a month, depending on how light of a user you are.

Even better, if you have a whole bottle of 1mg nicotine strength e-juice, then each 1ml equates to a single cigarette. You can vape your whole tank for the equivalent of smoking two cigarettes. The more you reduce your nicotine strength, the more vaping will save your lungs and be cheaper on your pocket!

As an added benefit, you still have 8ml of liquid left in your ten ml bottle.

Asides from the nicotine strength (expressed in mg) and the volume of the vape juice bottle (10ml in a bottle, 2ml in a tank or prefilled pod), the other numbers on your e-liquid label refer to the PG:VG ratio. If you glance back to our what is in an e-liquid section, you will recall that these act as flavour carriers and keep the liquid or nicotine salts fluid.

How to Pick the Perfect Nicotine Strength

Picking the perfect nicotine strength for your vaping needs is the only way to keep your vaping experience pleasant. Follow this outline to find a good starting point for you.

Type of Smoker:

·         Non-Smoker – stick to no-nicotine vape juices or 1mg pods.

·         Social Smoker – opt for 2-3mg nicotine strength e-liquids.

·         Light Smoker – try beginning at 5mg vape juice and go up or down as needed.

·         Average Smoker – a nicotine strength of around 10mg will be ideal for you.

·         Heavy Smoker – 15-20mg nicotine strengths are best for you.

Social Smoker/Non Smoker

Social smokers only smoke in company, when offered. They are not nicotine dependent and so fall into the same category as non-smokers.

You do not have to vape with nicotine at all if you are a social smoker. 0mg nicotine strength E-liquids are the lowest strength of vape juice which you can buy. These are nicotine-free vape juices which come with all the flavour and none of the addictive properties. If you are trying to quit smoking then lowering your vape juice percentage of nicotine over time is the way forward. More on that in our Trying to Quit Smoking section.

3mg nicotine strength E-liquids are among the lowest nicotine vapes which you can buy, which actually contain nicotine! You may be able to find a 1 or 2mg nicotine strength E-juice too, all are of a similar vein. If you are a light smoker, these lowest nicotine vapes are ideal for you. Is 3mg of nicotine a lot? It is if you are a very light smoker. If you typically only smoke when drunk then stick with nicotine free.

Light Smoker

Light smokers typically smoke less than a handful of cigarettes a day. A packet might last a week for a light smoker. You should choose the lowest nicotine vape possible to wean yourself off nicotine.

If you are a light smoker making the switch to vaping, you should go for that sweet 50:50 PG:VG vape percentage. You should consider a low dose of nicotine, such as 5mg nicotine strength E-liquids. Anything below this will partially satisfy your nicotine craving.

If you find that the 5mg is not hitting your craving for nicotine hard enough as a light smoker turned to vaping, then you can move up and try the 6mg nicotine strength E-liquids. You can go as high as 9mg before you are no longer considered a light smoker.

Average Smoker

An average smoker has between 10 and 15-20 cigarettes a day. If you smoke a whole 20 pack per day, then you are bordering on becoming a heavy smoker.

If this sounds like you, then we recommend you begin your vape experience with either a 50/50 VG/PG or a slightly higher PG ratio, like a 60:40 PG:VG. This will give you the slightly higher throat hit you crave as a smoker. 10mg nicotine strength E-liquids might be enough to satisfy your craving with the 60:40 PG:VG ratio.

However, if you are still experiencing cravings as a smoker trying to quit by using a vape device, then you might want to up the nicotine strength. Try our 12mg nicotine strength E-liquids out. We would not recommend that an average smoker use a nicotine strength higher than 15mg.

Heavy Smoker

Heavy smokers are those who can smoke a full pack or more per day. If your daily intake is 15 cigarettes or roll-ups plus per day, then you need the strongest possible e-liquids.

You may try starting at 16mg nicotine strength and seeing how you get on. If that does not work for you, move up to the 18 – 20mg nicotine strength E-liquids range. The aim is to gradually reduce your dose as you get out of the habit of smoking.

Trying to Quit Smoking?

If you are trying to quit smoking or even just thinking about it, then vapes are for you. They are more effective than other forms of nicotine replacement therapy as shown in trials and as previously written about by Vape Direct here.

Why does vaping work so well? It allows you to ingest your nicotine dose without all the harmful chemicals a cigarette contains. Even if there are ten ingredients in a bottle of vape juice, that is still around 590+ ingredients less than in a single cigarette.

Vaping helps you quit smoking because you can consistently lower the nicotine strength until you no longer need it at all. Lowering your nicotine intake incrementally like this allows you to wean yourself off the toxin altogether over time – and without the painful pangs of withdrawal.

Lastly, vape devices are best for quitting smoking because they hit your throat in the same way that a cigarette does. That inhale gives you a similar feeling to smoking, takng away the force of habit and the craving at the same time. Vaping gives you something to do with your hands and allows you the feeling of nicotine inside your lungs.

You know what they say? If you can’t beat them, you join them. That is what an e-cigarette does in comparison to a regular cigarette. It takes out the addictive part, mirrors its effects, and allows you to have a far cleaner experience of ingesting nicotine. It’s also more pleasant for those around you. What’s not to love?

You can find a full and interesting range of nicotine free E-liquids by shopping online with Vape Direct – Milton Keynes’ favourite vape store. If you want to learn more about quitting smoking using a vape device, then you should see our article about what vape you should buy to quit smoking. Further, if you need a little more monetary encouragement to give up cigarettes for good, then we recommend you check out our article detailing the mathematics behind making the switch. You could save enough to pay for a small car within the year… Don’t miss out.

Conclusion: The Right Vape Juice Means a Better Vaping Experience

And the better the vaping experience you have, the more likely it is that you will quit smoking for good. It is a long journey, but vaping gives you a brilliant head start. Even if you just smoke when you have had a drink or are out with specific groups of friends, you can still join in without the risk of addiction. Vaping is good that way. Nobody needs to know if you are or are not using nicotine. All they will know is that your vape smells nice.

If you need further help developing your own sense of vaping style, then do check out our news and blog pages. Otherwise, you can shop online for vape kits and see our full range of vape juices at www.vapedirect.com.