Does Nicotine Affect The Flavor In E-liquids?

It is well known that nicotine is a highly addictive chemical commonly used in cigarettes. A lot of people start vaping because they want to quit smoking and lower their nicotine intake for health-related reasons. However, a lot of vapers have claimed that having zero to low levels of nicotine in your e-liquid can decrease the flavor, let’s investigate.

What is e-liquid?

E-liquid is the liquid that is vaporized to produce vapor and it has four basic ingredients. Namely, water, nicotine, a base liquid of propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerine (VG) – and in some products a mixture of both – topped off with a dash of flavoring. The combination of all four ingredients helps give e-liquids the taste that we know and love. Roughly 80% of vape juice is the base liquids of PG or VG with the other +/-20% going into flavoring and low amounts of nicotine. In e-liquids, flavoring constitutes no more than 10% of the total liquid content. 

The vaping industry was created to help people quit smoking and e-liquids were specifically designed to have significantly lower levels of nicotine to assist this process. However, the vaping industry has grown to include both ex-smokers as well as people who have never smoked. Giving rise to the need for vape juices that have absolutely no nicotine. This has led to the belief that zero nicotine e-liquids have a dull taste compared to their nicotine-containing counterparts.

Does nicotine affect flavors in e-liquid?

Nicotine vs flavor in e-liquids - Vaperite South Africa

Nicotine is found in various concentrations in e-liquids, ranging from 0 mg to 12 mg. Higher concentrations of nicotine do impact the flavor of e-liquids, by providing a stronger hit on the throat. Oftentimes most people mistake that stronger for better flavoring. This is because nicotine naturally has a peppery-like taste which produces the illusion of enhancing natural or artificial flavors that are present in e-liquids. Non-smokers will find the peppery-like taste of nicotine to be unpleasant and most likely prefer low to nicotine-free vape juice. While people who have smoked before will welcome the taste. Unlike PG, a change in nicotine concentrations cannot chemically affect the flavor of e-liquids.

Two types of nicotine can be used in e-liquids, either freebase nicotine or nicotine salts. Freebase nicotine, also known as regular nicotine, is commonly used in e-liquids. Nicotine salts are fairly new to the market and are characterized as having high nicotine levels without the harsh taste associated with freebase nicotine. Using nicotine salts is the vaping equivalent to smoking a cigarette and has nicotine levels as high as 50 mg. At such high concentrations, nicotine is capable of altering the taste and flavor of your vape juice.

What affects e-liquid flavors the most?

No one thing is solely responsible for the flavors present in e-liquids. A few factors are responsible for producing the vibrant flavors that we love in vape juices. Starting with one of the base liquids, PG, which is used in food as an additive and is characterized by its syrup-like texture and faintly sweet taste. PG is mostly responsible for carrying the flavor of e-liquids. E-liquids with a higher PG ratio have a sharper flavor compared to high VG vape juices. VG otherwise known as glycerol is available in many different industries such as the food industry and personal care products. In vaporizers, VG contributes to the smoother and softer hit on your throat but does not directly affect the flavoring.  

Tips to improve your e-liquid flavor

  1. Adjust your device settings to better suit your current flavor
  2. Lower the airflow
  3. Use the right type of coil for your device
  4. Wick using high-quality cotton
  5. Consider PG: VG ratios
  6. Use premium vape juices
  7. Switch to a narrower drip tip
  8. Regularly clean your device’s coils and tanks
  9. Change vape juice flavors regularly
  10. Store your vape juice correctly
  11. Use a device that allows air to flow from underneath the coils

Another thing that plays a role in e-liquid flavors is the device you use. Different types of devices serve different purposes. Some are suitable for getting the most out of the flavoring while others are perfect for increasing the smoking sensation. Before you purchase a device, you need to figure out what type of experience you are trying to achieve. 

What is the main role of nicotine in e-liquids?

vaping help smokers quit smoking

The main role of nicotine in e-liquids is to help smokers quit by lowering their nicotine dose. Due to the highly addictive nature of nicotine, it is very difficult for smokers to simply stop smoking. Heavy smokers who want to quit often start vaping using e-liquids that have high doses of nicotine and gradually work themselves down to nicotine-free e-liquids.

There are small doses of nicotine in nicotine replacement therapies to help people move away from cigarettes, which have many other carcinogens. The majority of vape users started vaping because they craved nicotine and wanted the smoking sensation, without all the other harmful substances that are found in cigarettes. Vaping is a much safer alternative to smoking and has been proven to be effective in helping people completely quit cigarettes.

Product recommendations

It can be very difficult to kick a nicotine addiction but it is very doable. Nicotine is not actually responsible for the great taste of e-liquids, that’s just your brain playing tricks on you. The chemical properties of propylene glycol allow it to be the primary carrier for the flavor and are the main reason why vape juices taste as good as they do. The nicotine concentration in e-liquids simply scratches an itch in your brain and provides a bit of a kick to each puff. 

A lot of factors can affect the flavor of e-liquids, all of which are in your control. The most important thing to do when vaping is to make sure that you are enjoying the experience. There will always be some type of “which is better?” debate within the vaping community but at the end of the day, personal preference will always prevail.

Linked below are recommendations to some great vape kits that can help enhance the flavor of your vape juice:

All of these great devices and more are available at Vaperite, and Vapeshop South Africa’s leading vape shop and cannabis paraphernalia outlet chain.

Does Nicotine Affect Flavor in e-liquids - Vaperite - Best Vape Shop in South Africa

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