One of the first questions someone considering switching over from traditional tobacco cigarettes to e cigarettes asks is "What is an e liquid", swiftly followed by a number of e liquid related questions around how they work and what they cost. Hopefully this article will answer those initial basic questions.
What Is an E Liquid?
An e liquid is the solution, fluid or liquid that is used within an e cigarette device. When the e cigarette which is powered by a lithium battery works it heats up the e liquid which in turn produces a vapour. This flavoured vapour is what is inhaled and exhaled, much the same way that smoke from a tobacco cigarette is taken in.
What Are The Ingredients?
E liquids are fairly simple in that they are made up from a base solution, flavourings and nicotine. There are two commonly used based solutions, both of which are used in food production. Propylene Glycol is often the more popular of the two although Vegetable Glycerin is equally respected by many e smokers . PG is most commonly used although many now many sell or seek out a mixture of the two, giving their vaping experience the best possible chance for ultimate enjoyment. The most usual ratio of PG to VG is 70% to 30%.
E Liquids comes in all sorts of flavours, sweet ones, drink related ones and much more. What your flavours of choice are will dictate the exact ingredient used to form the e liquid. As with tobacco cigarettes the e liquids used within an e cig contain nicotine. How much nicotine depends on your preference though. Some choose to lower their nicotine intake by gradually choosing e liquids with less nicotine content. There are even, for those who want them nicotine-free varieties. The small vials which contain the e liquids will be labelled with the ingredient information.
Getting Started with E Smoking
When it comes to finding what you do and don't like with regards e liquids trial and error is the most commonly used tool. With so many flavours available to suit everyone, from drink related ones such as cola or coffee, sweet ones like caramel or vanilla, an array of fruity tastes, mint or menthol and of course tobacco flavours too (and more) it could be easy to get carried away.
The best bet when getting started is to choose a small selection of e liquids, some of which can be made to be quite cheap when purchased as part of a package or multi-buy deal, to just see what works for you and what doesn't. Don't go overboard as retailers won't accept e liquid returns for any reason other than they arrive damaged / are poor quality. "I don't like the flavour" is not going to get you a refund. Stick to smaller bottles and enjoy experimenting.
Do remember that it is important not to choose a nicotine level that is higher than the one that you are used to. Too much nicotine at once will cause a very unpleasant feeling with dizziness, headaches, nausea or even cause vomiting. Stick with what you know here and if you do have concerns about which level is most appropriate ask your retailer.
Can E Liquids Harm Me?
If used properly, appropriately and to the manufacturer's instructions there is no reason to believe that e liquids are anything but safe. While manufacturers and retailers aren't allowed to guarantee that e liquids are absolutely 100% healthy and safe (aren't allowed until enough studies have been carried out on e liquid use of a long enough period of time to satisfy the World Health Organisation) what they can say is that you may make your own mind up. E liquids don't contain the nasties that tobacco cigarettes do for example, with many of the chemicals found in tobacco smokes being classified as toxic and / or known to be cancer causing.
Obviously e liquids should be kept out of the reach of children and pets as if swallowed e liquids may be dangerous, especially to young children thanks to the nicotine content which is not meant for oral consumption. This is a common sense issue though really, as much as anything else.
Are E Liquids Expensive?
As with all things e liquids come with different price labels dependant on how much you buy, what size and type, the brand and whether you take advantage of any bulk buys or special offers. There are many cheap e liquids, indeed you can even get your hands on one pound e liquids at times and there are more exclusive eliquids which might boast new and different flavours that may well be more expensive. Generally speaking though e liquids are not usually considered expensive as such and certainly e smoking works out significantly cheaper than smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes.
Without e liquids there would be no e smoking and so obviously it is important that you understand how they work, what they contain and what they are going to cost you at the very least. Hopefully this mini guide has answered your question but if not your retailer or the manufacturer of a specific e liquid will be happy to give you more specific advice, ensuring that you have what you need to really enjoy your e smoking experience in the very best way.