What Am I Actually Vaping?
Ever wonder what the VG/PG ratio stands for that is written on your favorite bottle of e-juice? No matter how much harm reduction vaping is opposed to combustible tobacco, it is always nice to know what chemicals you are exactly putting into your body.Propylene Glycol
PG or propylene glycol has been widely used in medicine far before it became a staple component of e-liquid. PG has been used in asthma inhalers since as early as the 40’s when the University of Chicago conducted the test on mice about the inhalation of PG and found that it had no harmful effects making it FDA approved and licensed for inhalable medicines, injectable medicines by all authorities. However, on a case by case basis, some people may have a slight allergic reaction due to the inhalation of PG. PG in e-juice is also meant as a flavor carrying agent and giving you a little “throat kick” aside from the Nicotine.
Vegetable Glycerin
On the other hand, VG or Vegetable glycerin is the other major compound that is found in all e-liquid meant for vaping. And like PG, this product has numerous applications in the personal/medical care field including being found mostly in oral care products. VG or vegetable glycerin is what creates the “clouds” you see when you exhale. This mimics the effects of smoking a cigarette which leads to an easier cessation of combustible cigarettes since this gives the user the same oral fixation.
The eJuices that we are familiar with today are mainly composed of 90% USDA Food Grade VG and PG with 10% of it containing USDA food grade flavoring and a free-base nicotine compound. We spoke about this briefly in another blog post about how nicotine salts differ from freebase nicotine so check out the link here if you want more info: Nicotine Salt Blog
Which VG/PG Blend is Better for You
There is no universal answer to this. People use various VG/PG Ratio for different purposes. If you are looking for higher throat hit, stealth vaping, and flavors, higher PG ratio would be a better choice for you. Choose higher VG ratio when you’re craving for sweetness, cloud-chasing, and smooth flavor. The high PG eJuice is generally greater than or equal to 60%PG, while high VG eJuice is greater than or equal to 60%VG.
- 50VG/50PG - Within this mix, the E-Liquid can keep some benefits from both PG and VG. You can get the sweetness and the excellent clouds with throat hit and flavors. Our best selling brands for 50VG/50PG are NKD 100 Salt | Solace Salt | Aqua Salts | 7 Daze Salt.
- 60VG/40PG - With this blend ratio, it increases the vapor production and sweetness and decreases the throat hit. The popular flavor for this blend ratio is OMG WTF - Strawberry Sourbelt (120ml)
- 70VG/30PG - This is the most popular blend of the standard blend. It gives the ejuice the perfect combination of flavor, clouds and the eliquid is not too thin or too thick. We have a few typical 70VG/30PG eJuice here: Naked 100 | TWIST | Candy King | 7 Daze | Aqua
- 80VG/20PG - Ideally any eJuice around the 70/30 to 80/20 VG/PG range is the standard that you are going to run into. 80VG/20PG delivers the sweetness and thicker vapor with little throat hit. Our best selling flavors are Humble - Smash Mouth (120ml) and Taffy Fiend - Cotton Candy (120ml)
- 85VG/15PG - If you run into a juice that states that it is Max VG, that means that the eJuice is composed of <90% VG. For the Max VG, E-Liquid provides smooth vaping experience, the thick vapor, and the sweet flavors. Our best selling flavor within this mix ratio is Shijin Vapor - Tortoise On Ice (100ml)
How to Pick the right tank type via VG/PG Ratio
Another factor that can affect flavors and clouds is the tank type. You need to choose the right blend to get an even balance of the two and to avoid coil gunk or even more damage to your tank. In general, VG may create residue since it is denser and sticky. Therefore, if you prefer higher VG, you’d better use a tank that has large wicking ports. Regarding Higher PG, due to its stronger concentration of flavor, please avoid pyrex or plastic tanks.
Clearomizers - For those smaller, skinnier tanks (usually work with a vape pen), a more flavor-heavy juice is recommended, to offset the lack of cloud production. A 50VG/50PG Blend will work better with this type of tank. Kanger T3D
Sub-Ohm Tank - This type of tanks normally are powered by the mod, and are great for cloud chaser. Those bigger tanks have the power and wicking ability to handle juices heavy with Higher VG. SMOK TFV16 TANK, ORFR nexMesh Sub-ohm Tank and UWELL Valyrian II are the latest giant sub-ohm tank on the market.
Rebuildables - When too much VG is used, it is known to gunk up your coils faster. That and if too much sugar or sweetener is added into the ejuice. High VG or Max VG ejuice is normally recommended to be used on an RDA since that would give you optimal flavor and cloud production. Check out the classic Wotofo Profile RDA!
Conclusion
So when it comes to vaping, there are definitely some important factors to keep in mind about PG and VG. Essentially, the choice comes down to your own personal preference.
Last but not least, there are considerable debates about Vaping health risks. The chemical components that have been used within eJuice maybe some of the concerns. Based on FDA code, the major component, Glycerin, is “generally recognized as safe when used in accordance with a good manufacturing practice.” The key here is to make sure get your eJuice from well know and reputable brands. In addition, always check if your ejuice is fresh or not! We have Tips here: How To Check Your eJuice Expiration Date?
Read More Blogs
Last edited: