Vape juice also referred to as e-juice or e-liquid has four main ingredients:

Vegetable Glycerin Propylene Glycol Flavoring Nicotine glo carts Vape juice is a viscous liquid that is used to fill an electronic cigarette or vape to deliver nicotine. Not to forget, you can always get vape juice without nicotine as well. The e-liquid is heated in the vape to generate a cloud of vapor.

What's in your e-juice? Vape juice ingredients: PG, VG, Flavoring, and Nicotine

You might be wondering, are the chemicals in vape juice safe to vape?

Before we dive into each of these vape juice ingredients, it’s important to know that all of these chemicals are considered “Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)” by the FDA for human ingestion. However, the health effects of vaporizing or smoking these chemicals are not fully understood.

By the end of this article, you will understand:

Each ingredient in your e-juice What it’s used for? How it affects your vaping experience? We’ll start off with vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol since it makes up the majority of your e-juice content. Both of which are used as a humectant (substance to preserve moisture) in everyday household items for food and cosmetic products.

VEGETABLE GLYCERIN (VG) Vegetable Glycerin | Vape juice Ingredient

WHAT IS VEGETABLE GLYCERIN (VG)? Vegetable glycerin (VG) or Glycerol is a clear and thick liquid typically derived from soybeans or palm trees. It can also be made from animal fat although less common. A lot of people confuse this with vegetable oil because of the thick and syrupy texture, but VG is not the same as vegetable oil. Glycerol is water soluble whereas vegetable oil is not. VG is approved by the FDA as a “generally recognized as safe” chemical for human ingestion. However, the health effects of inhaling Glycerol or VG is not known. WHAT IS VG USED FOR? Glycerol is used in the food industry as a sweetener due to it leaving a slightly sweet aftertaste. It’s also used as a food additive to retain moisture, help foods thicken and homogenize different ingredients. In the pharmaceutical industry, Glycerol is used in skin cream to preserve moisture as well as increasing solubility of other ingredients to make it more absorbable by the skin. VG is a household ingredient found in personal care products: makeup, shampoo, deodorant, soap, skin and hand cream, toothpaste, and eye drops. VG is also found in food products such as baked goods, cheese, yogurt, gel capsule pills, and other processed foods. HOW DOES VG AFFECT YOUR VAPING EXPERIENCE? VG affects the amount of vapor produced due to the viscosity of the liquid. The higher the VG ratio, the thicker the clouds. Vapers who are cloud-chasers will use high VG ratio in sub-ohm vapes to get large and plumy clouds. VG is also known for its soft and smoother throat hit. Due to the thickness of VG, it will make it harder for your vape coil to wick which can cause dry hits. Thus, a high VG ratio will take longer for the cotton in your vape coil to be saturated. It’s also important to mention that VG will make it harder to clean your tank compared to PG because of its goopy consistency. PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG) Propylene Glycol: Vape Juice Ingredients

WHAT IS PROPYLENE GLYCOL? Propylene Glycol is a colorless and odorless liquid derived from petroleum with a faintly sweet taste. PG has a syrupy texture but is runnier compared to vegetable glycerin. Propylene Glycol is often confused with a toxic chemical found in antifreeze called Ethylene Glycol. Due to the high toxicity of ethylene glycol, many manufacturers are now using an alternative called Propylene glycol. PG is a chemical that is used in products for people and pets whereas ethylene glycol requires proper handling. Propylene glycol is a chemical approved by the FDA for human ingestion, and it is not considered cancerous. As for inhaling PG, the long-term health effects are not yet known. WHAT IS PG USED FOR? PG is commonly used as a food additive due to its ability to retain moisture, making ingredients thicker, as well as bonding different ingredients together. Foods using PG as an additive: salad dressing, ice cream, soft drinks, packaged frosting, boxed cake mix, commercial food coloring. Cosmetic products that use PG: shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, ointments, toothpaste, and deodorant. HOW DOES PG AFFECT YOUR VAPING EXPERIENCE? PG is used as a vehicle in e-juices to carry the flavoring. Thus, the higher the PG ratio, you’ll get a sharper flavor compared to VG. An increase in PG is also associated with a stronger throat hit that is similar to inhaling tobacco smoke. PG is thinner in consistency compared to VG and is much easier to clean off your vape. If you are vaping with a high PG ratio, you may also run into leaking issues depending on the vaping device you are using. Some people are sensitive to PG, and if you have allergic symptoms such as a sore throat or skin irritation, it may be best to opt for an e-juice with higher VG ratio. PG vs VG Chart

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