What are the different types of e-liquid?
Vapers now find themselves faced with a myriad of e-liquid options, from salt nicotine to shortfill e-liquids. Read on for a serious breakdown of all the different types of e-liquid available, and the differences between them.
Types of nicotine
To fully understand the different types of e-liquid you must first be aware of the two different types of nicotine that are used; salt nicotine and freebase nicotine.
What is the difference between salt nicotine and freebase nicotine?
Salt Nicotine
Salt nicotine is also often referred to as nicotine salts (or nic salts). This form of nicotine is taken from the leaves of the nicotine plant using benzoic acid.
This turns the nicotine into a salt-like substance, this process means the nicotine is absorbed faster into the body.
Once turned into a salt the nicotine is liquefied when added to a VG/ PG solution. Typically nic salt e-liquids will have a balanced 50-50 VG/PG ratio, working well for MTL vaping.
Features of salt nicotine:
- Fast absorption, the closest option to cigarettes.
- Smooth throat hit even at high nicotine concentrations.
- Not much cloud/vapour production.
Freebase Nicotine
Freebase nicotine is created by treating macerated(chopped into pieces) nicotine plants with ammonia. Freebase nicotine is not treated with acid like salt nicotine is.
Features of freebase nicotine:
- Slow absorption of nicotine into the bloodstream.
- Harsh throat hit when above 12mg of nicotine.
- Thicker, denser clouds(though this also depends on VG/PG ratio).
So, what types of e-liquids are there?
Shortfill e-liquids
Shortfill e-liquids often contain no nicotine at all. However some shortfills contain some nicotine, usually no more than 5mg. Any nicotine used in shortfill e-liquids will be freebase. Additionally, shortfill e-liquids often have a high VG ratio, usually above 70.
Nic shots
Nic shots cannot be vaped as they are, instead they can be added to 0 nicotine e-liquids, allowing you to tailor the strength to your preferences. Nic shots can contain either nic salts or freebase e-liquids.
10ml Nic salts
Nicotine salts are available in 10ml bottles. They always use salt nicotine in them.
What type of e-liquid should you choose?
This is highly individual and based on your personal vaping preferences. However, different types of vapers prefer different e-liquids/ nicotine types for different reasons. For example, a vaper who loves to cloud chase will usually opt for a low/no nicotine shortfill, whereas someone who has just switched from smoking to vaping will generally prefer a nic salt e-liquid, due to its fast nicotine absorption.
Yes, although it is possible to get strong e-liquids with freebase nicotine, nic salts are regarded as stronger because of their fast absorption and smooth throat hit, even at 20mg.
Yes, nic salts are just as safe as any other type of e-liquid. However, when using them for the first time you should take it slowly because of how fast the nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Technically you can but we don't recommend this as it leads to inconsistent nicotine hits, as well as a strange liquid texture, causing the e-liquid to be too thick or too thin for your coil. This can lead to a damaged vape.
We recommend high resistance coils, above 1.0 ohms. This is ideal for MTL vaping.
No, nic salts are not the same as nic shots, they come pre-mixed in 10ml bottles and can be vaped straight away.
You can use freebase e-liquids in most vapes but we find they are best suited for sub ohm, DTL devices. You should only use a sub ohm device if your e-liquid is low in nicotine though.
Freebase nicotine is safe, and is often regarded as the standard type of nicotine used in e-liquids. However, freebase nicotine does produce a harsh throat hit at high nicotine concentrations.