If you’ve been shopping for e-cigarette e-liquids for the first time, you’ve probably already noticed that there are so many manufacturers and flavours to choose from. For example, you can purchase an e-liquid that tastes like your favourite fruits and nuts, or that tastes like dessert, coffee, or even traditional tobacco, to name just a few of your many options.
But you may have also noticed that e-cig juices come in two main varieties: those that use propylene glycol as a base ingredient, and those that use vegetable glycerine as a base. You may even have come across those that combine both of these base ingredients into the same e-liquid.
So what exactly is vegetable glycerine, and how can you determine if this is the right base ingredient for your vaping needs? Continue reading to learn more about it.
What is Vegetable Glycerine?
Vegetable glycerine is an ideal ingredient for those who are vegetarian, vegan, Kosher, or Halal because it is a natural ingredient that is derived from plant sources. In fact, it’s usually made from a type of vegetable oil, such as palm oil, coconut oil, or rapeseed oil.
How is Vegetable Glycerine Used?
VG is a very popular ingredient that’s used in a wide array of everyday items. If you look around your own home, you’re bound to find foods, drinks, and products that you use in and on your body that contain this natural ingredient. Below are just a few of the main uses for VG, in addition to its use in e-cig juice.
Vegetable glycerine is considered a humectant. This means that it can effectively attract moisture and retain it. Oftentimes, it’s an ingredient used in skincare products because it can attract moisture to dry skin in order to keep the skin moist and healthy. This ingredient also has emollient properties that can soften and smooth skin, so it’s found in a variety of cosmetics too.
VG can also be used wherever alcohol can’t be utilised, such as in herbal tinctures. And it is also a very common ingredient in everyday food items that people consume on a regular basis because it is completely safe.
This ingredient is used throughout the food industry primarily as a means to add a bit of sweet flavour to a food, especially since it has a lower number of calories than sugar. It is also hygroscopic, so it absorbs moisture from the air and can be used to keep foods moist and fresh.
Thanks to its soothing properties, vegetable glycerine is also a popular ingredient in medications that include cough medicines. It can even be used to treat gum disease because it is able to inactivate bacterial colonies in the mouth. And it can be used topically as a treatment for a variety of skin conditions, such as rashes, bedsores, burns, wounds, and psoriasis. Plus, it works as a laxative in the form of suppositories.
How Does Vegetable Glycerine Affect Vaping?
VG has a thick consistency, so when it is heated, it is able to produce very thick vapour clouds, which a lot of vapers prefer to the thin clouds that are produced by propylene glycol. Be aware, though, that because vegetable glycerine is so thick, it may end up shortening the life span of your cartridge.
Because VG has its own mild yet sweet flavour, it may interact with the added flavours in an e-liquid. Some users may find that they are able to enjoy truer flavours with a propylene glycol base because PG doesn’t have a flavour of its own.
But, unlike propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine doesn’t cause as many allergic reactions. It also produces a smoother, weaker throat hit and doesn’t dry out or irritate the mouth and throat like PG can. However, it can cause the production of a lot of phlegm, which may be a turn-off to a lot of vapers.
Vegetable glycerine can be combined with propylene glycol so that vapers can derive the benefits of both of these bases. However, those who are allergic to propylene glycol should stick with e-liquids that contain only VG and nothing else.
Safe and Effective for Vaping
Vegetable glycerine is a really popular ingredient in electronic cigarette e-liquids because it is safe and able to produce voluminous clouds of vapour. It’s also able to deliver a delicious flavour, along with the right dose of nicotine that your body craves.
If you want to give this ingredient a try, there are many e-liquids available that feature it, along with other natural ingredients, so you can find the flavours that you’ll love to vape with. Rest easy knowing that you aren’t exposing yourself to the same toxins that you would be inhaling if you were smoking tobacco cigarettes, and that you are using a natural ingredient that is safe for consumption and use on a daily basis.
