A vape juice is a liquid that is used in an electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette. It is also known by the names e-liquid, e juice, and pod juice where e stands for electronic. While pod juice might specifically refer to the liquid in pods, all of them necessarily mean the same thing. Vape juices were created in order to provide people with an alternative to smoking tobacco products. It helps users to enjoy the sensation of smoking without exposure to harmful toxins and chemicals.

There are more than 6000 flavors available in the market today made by different manufacturers. A few of the flavors are Classic, Menthol, Cherry Crush, Java Jolt, Pina Colada, Vanilla Bean, Bad Apple, Iced Berry, Banana, Pomegranate, Peach Pit, Watermelon, Coo Coo Coconut, Pineapple Punch, Caramel Popcorn, Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy and Tutti Frutti. These flavors add the punch to the vape and give a good taste and smell that appeals to the different senses of the user unlike the traditional cigarette.

History of vape juice

E-juice was invented by a Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik in 2003. It was first introduced into the market in the early 2000s. It was created as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes. But it was his employer – Ruyan – that identified the scope of the product and added a twist for customer appeal – flavorings. The first famous flavor was called RY4, which was a tobacco and caramel flavored vape juice. There is still a fan following for the RY4 flavor and a lot of companies are making similar tasting e juice.

Ruyan is now called Dragonite who were monumental in introducing vaping to the west. Along with Ruyan there were two other chinese companies who were early makers of e-juices namely Dekang and Hangsen. Both of them are still in the market today.

Since the flavor of Chinese e-juices were only appealing to Chinese market because of the lack of sweetness in the flavor, which didn’t suit the American palette, a lot of domestic American companies came up with their own plants and started manufacturing in the US

Ingredients of an e-liquid

The e-juice, unlike what its name suggests, contains only a few ingredients.

• Propylene glycol

Propylene Glycol is an organic compound produced from Propylene Oxide. It is colorless, almost odorless, and has a low viscosity. Food grade Propylene Glycol is recognized safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as good to use in food products. The main applications for Propylene Glycol other than in e juices are in solvents, humectants, preservatives in food, tobacco products and in pharmaceutical products.

• Vegetable glycerine

Vegetable Glycerin is a bio liquid usually extracted from plant oils, especially, soy, coconut oil, and palm oil. It is generally clear with little hint of color, usually odorless, in some cases sweet, and relatively thicker than glycol. Vegetable Glycerin is also considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The main applications of Vegetable Glycerin other than in e juices are in are in cosmetics products and in food production

• Flavorings and sweeteners

Flavorings are basically organically derived oils or lab generated ones which give the taste and smell to the e-juice. The percentage of flavoring varies widely based on the type of flavor used. Popular flavors are listed further down in the article.

E-liquids are generally sweetened using sucralose and/or ethyl maltol. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener, and is often used as a zero-calorie sugar replacement. This improves the taste but leaves a residue in the coil thereby reducing the coil life.

• Nicotine

Nicotine provides the cigarette like experience in vapes. It is usually added in the form of nic salt instead of free base nicotine these days. Nic salts are made by extracting the nicotine from tobacco leaves in the lab and then mixing and stabilizing it with benzoic acid. Nicotine formed by this process is relatively cleaner than the nicotine directly from the leaves.

• Water.

Distilled non ionized water is used to dilute the combinations as needed.

How are e-liquids made

 

E liquid is manufactured by combining nic salts with the base, which is usually propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin.

Here are the properties of the ingredients:

Ingredient	Function
Glycerol	Improves viscosity or the thickness of the e juice and brings the vapor out while its vaporized
Propylene Glycol	An important solvent for improving the stability of e-liquid. Since it’s less thick compared to glycerol, it absorbs faster and delivers faster smoke.
Nic salts	It gives the cigarette like experience in the vape.
Flavors and sweeteners	Improves taste and enriches flavor

Its the different combinations of these that makes each e-juice distinct in their qualities. Most of the manufacturers of Vape juices today mix both Propylene Glycol and Glycerol together in certain proportions to get the positive properties of both of the substances. Different manufacturers have different proportions but typically we can see 50/50, 60/40 or 70/30 ratios of Propylene Glycol to Glycerol. By combining the two substances a balance in terms of flavor intensity, throat hit, and vapor density is achieved.

Major flavors

There are an array of flavors, more than 6000,  when it comes to e juice. Here are some of the most popular categories:

Fruit flavors: These can range from traditional favorites like strawberry and peach, to more unique options like dragon fruit or pomegranate.

Candy flavors: Sweet tooths will love indulging in candy-inspired e juices, which often taste just like your favorite childhood sweets. Think gummy bears, jelly beans, or even cotton candy.

Dessert flavors: Rich and decadent, dessert flavored e juices are perfect for those with a serious sweet tooth. Choose from classics like chocolate and vanilla, or go for something more adventurous like tiramisu or crème brûlée.

Minty/mentholated flavors: If you’re looking for a refreshing vape experience, then minty or mentholated e juices are ideal. They provide a cooling sensation as you inhale, making them perfect for hot summer days.

 

Where all are vape juices made

 

E-juices are typically manufactured in China, the United States, and Europe.

Nic Salts

Nic salts were the essential addition to the e juice that made it easy to get higher concentrations of nicotine without getting harsh throat hits. Previously “freebase” nicotine was used, which was directly derived from the tobacco leaves. HIgher concentration of freebase nicotine resulted in very harsh throat hits because of the higher pH level in them. Nic Salts on the other hand are made from pure nicotine extracted from the tobacco leaf and bonded with benzoic acid to create a salt with much lesser pH. This means a higher level of nicotine, say 50 mg\mL can be delivered at a much lower throat hit as compared to freebase nicotine e juices. This is very critical when someone is trying to switch from cigarettes to vapes and needs to get a higher nicotine delivery, which was not possible with freebase e juices.

 

Latest trends and controversies

 

There are many new trends in e-juice manufacturing. One of the most popular is the use of natural and organic ingredients. This is because more people are becoming aware of the harmful effects of chemicals on their health. Another trend is the development of new flavors. This is because people want to try different things and they are also looking for ways to make their e-juices taste better. There are now many companies that offer a wide variety of flavors, which gives consumers more options to choose from. Lastly, there is a trend towards using higher quality ingredients. This means that manufacturers are using purer and more potent ingredients, which results in a better tasting product.

On the other hand, there are various issues that are reported in e juices. Its been said that there are ultrafine particles in the liquid that can be inhaled deep into the lungs and cause breathing issues. There are flavorants such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease and also volatile organic compounds heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead which is harmful to health.

Good amount of caution has to be taken when deciding where you are getting your e liquid from. Its recommended to check the reputation and run a search on the quality standards followed by the manufacturer before purchase.

 

Whitefog e-juice

 

We at Shenzhen Whitefog work with the best quality suppliers for e juices for our vape pens. We only induct a supplier after rigorous scrutiny of their quality certificates. We make sure that they have been awarded the ISO 9001:2015, GMP, GHP, HACCP certificates. Moreover, we are constantly audit the supplier to verify of they are improving the production and management processes to increase the quality of our products.

Feel free to connect with us at lily@whitefog.cn to know in detail about our quality check processes and also to know more on the vapes and offers. Alternatively, you can check our website whitefogtech.com to know more on the latest arrivals. As always happy vaping.