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E-Liquids are the core element of all e-cigarettes. Also known as vape juice or e-juice, this is what contains the nicotine and flavourings that will help you kick the cigarettes and switch to vaping.
Whether you are using an e-cigarette which is pre-filled with e-liquid or buying the e-liquid on its own in a bottle, we believe it is the most important part of vaping.
E-liquids can come in thousands of flavours, strengths and mixes, which can make it a daunting task for a newcomer to e-cigarettes to decide what to go for.
But perhaps the most important factor beyond the flavour of the e-liquid is knowing what is actually in your e-liquid. After all, this is what is going into your body!
There have been stories in the news for years about what is in e-cigarettes, from chemicals that cause popcorn lung to cancer causing chemicals. That’s why it’s so important to know where your e-liquids are from and what are in them. Here at SMOKO we are proud of the fact all our e-liquids are Made in the UK and that we know exactly what are in them.
WHAT IS IN E-LIQUIDS?
E-liquids come in all different shapes and sizes, they will almost always contain the same 4 ingredients.
The four ingredients we allow in our products are:
- Nicotine – E-cigarettes (almost) always contain nicotine. After all nicotine’s the reason why people smoke cigarettes in the first place. But it’s important to note that nicotine isn’t what causes cancer in smokers. It’s the 4000+ and 50 carcinogens that cigarettes also contain which do that.
- Propylene Glycol – Commonly known as PG, this is used in cake mixes, salad dressings, soft drinks, fat-free ice cream and sour cream (1). As a result PG has been thoroughly tested to ensure it’s safe for humans by various independent bodies and authorities, such as the CDC in America. PG is what carries the flavour and nicotine and what creates the “throat hit” in an e-cigarette or vape. The higher the % of PG in your e-liquid, the more realistic the “throat hit”.
- Vegetable Glycerine – Commonly known as VG, this is used in a range of everyday items too, including sweets and gum (2). It’s colourless, odourless and non-toxic. It is the main ingredient that creates the vapour in a vape e-cigarette. The higher the % of VG in your e-cigarette or vape, the bigger the vapour. But it is not the VG that give you the “throat hit” – that is the Propylene Glycol mentioned before.
- Flavouring – The varied and great tasting flavours of e-cigarettes is what many users love about the product. These flavourings are also used for almost every food or drink product we consume every day, they don’t leave an aftertaste and have been approved for human use for years.
HOW ARE E-LIQUIDS DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER?
Most e-liquids will have the same four ingredients, but they are not all made the same. Different e-liquids will have different mixes of the PG and VG. The mixture of these ingredients effects how much vapour is made and how much of a throat hit you feel.
If you have a liquid that has more Vegetable Glycerine (VG) then it will have a smoother feel and more vapour. This is what you commonly find in e-liquids designed for larger vapourisers, which prioritise a large amount of vapour over the initial throat hit.
In an e-liquid with more Propylene Glycol (PG) however you will get a stronger throat hit and less vapour.
In our E-Cigarette and Vape ranges we have an 20% VG and 80% PG mix. We made it this way so you get the same amount of vapour as you would get smoke from a cigarette and a strong throat hit. This helps our e-liquid vapour feel more real, and a stronger throat hit makes sure that all your cravings are satisfied.
WHAT IS THE DANGER OF BUYING CHEAP E-LIQUIDS?
Sadly, not all e-liquids only have these 4 ingredients. Some cheaply made e-liquids have in the past added other ingredients. Either to make the e-liquids as cheap as possible or purely by neglect, some of these liquids have been found to have to have a whole host of chemicals that aren’t meant to be there.
A study in 2015 by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that “75% of flavoured electronic cigarettes and refill liquids contained Diacetyl, a flavouring chemical linked to cases of severe respiratory disease including Popcorn Lung”. (3)
This is worrying, as the main reason that many switched to e-cigarettes was because it was meant to be healthier than smoking cigarettes!
Many people who use cheap e-liquids may experience Vaper's Cough - a common side-effect of vaping too much or irritation due to a reaction of chemicals.
And it is not just Diacetyl that has been found in these cheap e-liquids. Recently in the US there were calls to ban all e-cigarettes because of these black-market e-liquids. In that case it turned out people had mixed in THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) into their e-liquids or bought it pre-mixed from illegal sources. Many of these THC-containing black market e-liquids also contained Vitamin E Acetate – a thickening agent that helped the e-liquid to vapourize better. It has been found by the CDC that the Vitamin E Acetate was the chemical in these unregulated e-liquids which caused real damage and sadly even deaths. (4)
The good news is that the UK e-cigarette industry hasn’t had the same issue due to our regulations on the UK e-cigarette industry. Called the TPD (Tobacco Products Directive) e-cigarettes were added to this directive in 2016 to regulate exactly what can and can’t be in used in e-liquids. All e-liquids and e-cigarettes must be tested to make sure they are safe for consumption. (5)
That’s why it is so important to buy your e-cigarettes and e-liquid from reputable sources to avoid the harmful chemicals that can be found in cheap e-liquids. If you go hunting for the cheapest e-liquid, you might end up having bought something that isn’t tested or regulated. At best you will probably have a sub-standard e-liquid, but at worst you could use an e-liquid that will hurt you and may even contain carcinogens.
ARE SMOKO E-LIQUIDS MADE IN THE UK?
At SMOKO, we pride ourselves on our UK-made e-liquids, held to the highest standards by the MHRA. Just following the TPD regulations wasn’t enough for us here at SMOKO though.
We wanted to make sure that the vapour you are breathing in only has what it needs to keep you off the cigarettes and give you a great flavour. That’s why all our e-liquids are Made in the UK and have been since 2012. By making them in the UK we can make sure that our e-liquids are tested above and beyond the current laws and still have the best possible taste.
By having all our e-liquids made in the UK we can be certain that our e-liquids DON’T contain:
- Pulegone
- Diacetyl, Acetoin or Pentanedione
- Heavy Metals
- Vitamin E Acetate
- Diethylene glycol
- Acetyl Propionyl
- Volatile organic compounds
So, if you want an e-cigarette that you can be sure of, with e-liquid that is all Made in the UK and not only tastes great but gives you a realistic smoking sensation like a cigarette, then try SMOKO!
*2024 Update - Cochrane has conducted the largest review of evidence to-date and found high-certainty evidence that E-Cigarettes are more effective for quitting smoking than traditional nicotine replacement products! (6) Make the switch and quit smoking with SMOKO today!
REFERENCES
(1) Wikipedia: Propylene glycol
(2) What Is Vegetable Glycerin? Uses, Benefits and Side Effects
(3) Chemical flavorings found in e-cigarettes linked to respiratory disease
(4) CDC: For Healthcare Providers
(5) E-cigarettes: regulations for consumer products
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Written by Jonny Shaw
Jonny Shaw – Is a former smoker of 7 years before becoming a client of SMOKO E-Cigarettes. He started working with SMOKO 10 years ago after successfully quitting with our cigalike and now heads up our Customer Service. Jonny helps countless people every day to find the right solutions to quit smoking cigarettes using our range of vape and electronic cigarette products.
