Just because all e-cigarettes and vapes work in basically the same way does not mean your vaping experience is always going to be the same. The major selling point of vaping is the large range of e-liquids you can get that create differences in the vapour produced, the intensity of the nicotine (if you use any) and the strength of the multitudes of different flavours there are to choose from. It is these e-liquids that have begun to cause health concerns amongst certain groups.
So far, research done by leading government bodies strongly point to the fact that e-cigarettes are around 95% safer than regular cigarettes – we know e-cigs don’t contain actual tobacco or the other harmful ingredients such as tar and carcinogens that you find in regular cigarettes so it stands to reason as the levels of dangerous chemicals that might be found in a e-cig is a fraction of what you get from a traditional one. The problem is that what is in your e-liquid can vary dramatically depending on where you get it from.
E-Liquids
In general the ingredients in e-liquids are not a mystery. Your e-liquid packaging should be clearly labelled and easy to read. It should contain a main base of vegetable glycerine, an ingredient of propylene glycol and flavourings (similar to what you find in sweets) which are food-grade and are either natural or artificial.
As with everything in this life, you pretty much get what you pay for. Skimping when it comes to your e-liquid can be potentially very harmful to your health. Look online and you will find many cheap e-liquid products from places like China which may look like a bargain compared to some others but look again.
The Vape Shop.co.uk is a trusted UK producer and supplier of e-liquids and we make sure that all our ingredients are thoroughly regulated. Our e-liquid does not contain Diacetyl, Acetoin, or Acetyl Propanol, refined sugars, protein, genetically modified ingredients, animal ingredients of any kind, preservatives, sweeteners, or colours.
Our vegetable glycerine is certified organic and this is the ingredient that produces the vapour. This does not tend to carry flavour very well however which is why we add the food grade flavourings. Produced in line with UK/EU guidelines, our flavour essences provide the great taste ranges that you come to associate with your Vape Shop vape. Our range covers essences from traditional tobacco which are great for giving up smoking cigarettes – to Menthol or Mint (for fresher breath) – and a wide range of fruit flavours. You can even combine the essences to come up with custom flavours such as Blueberry and Menthol for a tasty fruit hit with the added hit of freshness or tap into your inner alchemist and create your own flavour from scratch.
The essences are suspended in the propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is what is used in things like asthma inhalers and is perfectly safe to inhale when vapourised. Finally, you have the choice of adding pharmaceutical-grade nicotine if you want in a strength range to suit your needs.
The Vape Shop e-liquids are heavily regulated and we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the safest alternative to cigarettes available. While vaping may not be 100% safe, most of the chemicals causing smoking-related disease are absent and the chemicals which are present pose limited danger. However, cheap E-liquid is cheap for a reason. All manner of shops both on the high street and online stock the products but you need to be sure about the ingredients inside them.
Check your sources
In China, manufacturers must obtain nontoxic testing permits to regulate the amount of pure nicotine that is mixed with e-liquid batches, but no other permits or regulations are in place for either production or distribution. Nicotine in its pure form is a lethal poison but because relatively few people get nicotine poisoning from cigarettes, as the nicotine is burned away in the smoking process, it is easy to forget this. As little as 30 mg of nicotine could easily kill somebody. E-liquid nicotine is carried by vapours and is not in its pure form, this is pharmaceutical grade, and studies have proven it to be safe. However a stronger form of nicotine was used as a pesticide in years gone by. The strength and poisonous qualities of this are obviously higher. Chinese e-juice is notorious for being manufactured with pesticide-grade nicotine, and industrial propylene glycol (which is found in anti-freeze!). These contaminated ingredients pose an increasing and unnecessary risk to e-cigarette users throughout the world. Some products do not even list the ingredients or have additional ingredients that are not in line with UK or EU regulation. Check the labels, do not take the risk with your health for the sake of “saving a couple of quid”- It is simply not worth it.
The Vape Shop nicotine is pharmaceutical grade and comes in 24mg, 20mg, 18mg, 15mg, 11mg, 7mg, 3mg and 0mg strengths and is diluted down with PG / VG and flavouring according to EU/UK laws. Not only that but we take the utmost care and pride in producing all our e-juice essences to exacting standards and in line with current legislation.
False economy
But it is not only the health risks involved with cheaper, lower quality e-juice that you have to keep in mind. Cheap e-Juice is known to often burn at a greater speed. As a rough guide (depending on your usage), a 10ml carton of premium e-liquid should last you approximately 7 days. You will find that the cheaper alternatives are more likely to last significantly less time. This highlights the false economy of purchasing a cheap alternative: If you pay half the price for a potentially harmful product that only lasts half as long, you may as well have bought from a reputable source in the first place.
The moral of this story? Buy from a reputable source!
