So you've decided to start vaping?
You've got your e-cigarette (or mod) with the battery, but something's missing. Something imperative for your vaping experience. The e-liquid. But don't worry! We're here to guide you through all the options you have when looking for an e-liquid and help you find the one you want.
Find the Taste
The main thing you should look at when looking for an e-liquid is the tastes. The other parts of the e-liquid may be fine, but if you don't like the taste, you're not going to want it. Fortunately, there are infinite flavours of e-liquids available, so look for one that you think you might like.
A lot of users will start with the tobacco flavours that closely match the cigarettes they were smoking before. These e-liquids don't actually contain the dangerous chemicals of tobacco, so you will be all right.
Once you've found a simple taste you like, you can start getting more adventurous. You can get food blends, like donut, cake and ice cream, or fruit brands, like banana, apple and strawberry. You can even have a mixed blend, where food, fruit and tobacco are mixed together to make an e-liquid (banana donut anyone?). Of course, you can have alcohol flavours too, with cocktail liquids like beer, cider and wine. There are such a huge variety of flavours to try!
What's Your Nicotine Level?
The next thing you will need to decide is the nicotine strength.
The nicotine levels you can have are:
- Low: 6mg and below – For smokers who use half a pack or less per day.
- Medium: 9mg to 16mg – For smokers who smoke between half a pack and a pack in a day.
- High: 18mg to 36mg – For heavy smokers.
You can also have no nicotine if you don't need it. Many people have nicotine free e-liquids, as they just enjoy the taste, but obviously, if you are vaping for a healthier way to get nicotine, you want some nicotine.
The right strength is very important as, if it is too weak, you will vape more to compensate, meaning you'll spend more money, but if it is too strong, it can cause headaches. A good idea would be to start with medium strength, so you can then change it accordingly.
Perfect the PG: VG Ratio
PG (Propylene Glycol) and VG (Vegetable Glycerin) are the 2 other elements that make up an e-liquid. They create the throat hit and the cloud respectively. The PG can produce more flavour, but less vapour, while the VG can produce more vapour, but less flavour because of its slightly sweet taste.
E-liquids can come in 3 PG/VG varieties, PG only, VG only or both combined in a ratio.A common ratio used for PG to VG is 50:50, so this may be what you are looking for.
Some people can be allergic to PG. You may find, when vaping, you have a bad reaction to it. Try pure VG e-liquids (VG only) and, if you no longer have the reaction, you are most likely allergic to PG.
How Much?
The last thing you need to think about is how much e-liquid you need. This is an easy thing to work out, think how much you vape, or how much you used to smoke, or how much you think you will vape, and then decide your e-liquid amount based on that.
Test the Flavour
A good idea would be to test the e-liquid first, as you don't want to end up with a tank full of something you don't like. Be wary, even though two e-liquids may be the same flavour, they could have different flavours. They could also have different nicotine strengths even though they are advertised as having the same amount.
Many vape shops allow you to test the e-liquids, though online shops do not (obviously). They do, however, allow you to buy tester packs, which can contain up to 20 different flavours. You can also ask for different nicotine strengths, to see which is best for you.
And you're done!
It may take a while to get the PG:VG ratio, the flavours and the nicotine strength that works for you. Don't just settle for what's cheap, or what's available, because that might not be what you want, and buying cheap e-liquids can cost you more in the long run.
Remember, this journey is about experimenting with new flavours, trying and buying. Eventually, your journey will be complete, and you will be an experienced e-liquid buyer.