What's in an e-liquid?

Proof there’s still a long way to go in terms of informing the public, the following remark is still heard all too often : "We don't know what's inside !". Hence the importance of going over this subject as often as necessary. Here are the different ingredients in an e-liquid.

Propylene Glycol (PG)

Widely used in the food industry, but also in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, it makes liquids more fluid and enhances flavours. It’s also the reason for the tingling in the throat (the famous "hit").

Vegetal Glycerin (VG)

Recognisable by its slightly sweet taste, its function is to produce steam. The more VG an e-liquid contains, the thicker and denser the cloud will be. Down side : VG tends to clog our coils more quickly.

Flavours

“Food grade" flavourings are used to reproduce as closely as possible the flavours found in tobacco, fruit, sweets and pastries. They can be natural flavours, synthetic flavours, or a combination of both.

Nicotine

Known as "pharmaceutical grade", it plays an essential role. Nicotine helps to reduce the craving felt by the smoker, which is characteristic of addiction. It has another important interest : it’s what really causes the "hit", the sensation of slight contraction that you feel in your throat with a cigarette. In an e-liquid, nicotine is often available in different amount. It can also be completely absent (0mg e-liquids).

A noter

Some e-liquids may also contain water and ethyl alcohol in extremely small proportions. In any case, the composition of an e-liquid must be indicated on the label.