By Dillon Haraburd, RTS Vapes Director of Operations
Strolling through a convenience store in 2015, the average
person is almost guaranteed to witness at least a handful of individuals
blowing massive clouds of vapor from electronic cigarette devices. This is a
common scene today, but compared to a few years ago this is a drastic
adjustment. As the e-cigarette and the e-cigarette community have evolved and
prospered over the past few years, new products, flavors, e-juices and
companies have come barging into the market head first. This massive influx in
products and new companies has allowed electronic cigarette users of all
experience levels the ability to become overwhelmed exploring countless
websites, catalogs, trade shows and other forms of advertising in the pursuit
of new mods, e-juices, and accessories. Just trying to keep up with the latest
trends, devices, and e-juices can become a monumental task for any consumer,
but one rarely stops to contemplate the origin of these new products.
The electronic cigarette industry,
ECI for short, has ballooned at such a great pace, it is easy to understand why
so many new companies are coming into the market. E-cigarettes, and especially
e-juices, have such great margins of potential profit; the industry is inevitably
attracting individuals more passionate about dollar bills rather than the
quality of their products. For an
experienced e-cigarette user, spotting cheaper end mods and builds is not a
very hard task to accomplish, but what will surprise even the most experienced
vapor is the origin of the raw materials used to manufacture e-liquids.
While comparing and contrasting the
differences between bottles of e-juice from separate manufacturers, it would be
difficult for an individual to make the distinction between which is of higher and
lower quality. The main reason for this is because once the raw materials are
diluted down to a safe level for vaping, the variance between a high quality
and low quality product is extremely hard to distinguish.
The three
main components that make up e-juice can be put into three basic categories;
the first category being nicotine, second the base (Propylene Glycol or Vegetable
Glycerin), and third being the concentrated flavoring. Of course, there are
other chemicals and recipes out there that call for additional additives
besides what I have listed above, but in my opinion these three categories
cover the vast majority of e-juice suppliers.
Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerin come in a variety of grades. These different
grades classify the liquid as either United States Pharmaceutical Grade (USP)
or Food Grade (FG). While common knowledge would lead us to believe that since
e-juice is going into our body, that Food Grade PG and VG is sufficient for
E-Juice. This notion is INCORRECT! Because the Vegetable Glycerin and/or
Propylene Glycol is being inhaled into the lungs, and not just ingested through
the GI tract, the only classification that is safe for vaping is the United
States Pharmaceutical Grade, or USP Grade. A great multitude of E-Juice
suppliers and retail stores are resorting to using the Food Grade bases mainly
because of the drastic difference in cost. For example, a 55 gallon drum of USP
Grade Propylene Glycol can cost upwards of $800.00, while Food Grade Propylene
Glycol can cost as little as $500.00. The best way to tell if your e-juice
supplier or vendor is using USP Grade Vegetable Glycerin and Propylene Glycol
is to ask them. A supplier using USP Grade will be happy to provide you with
documentation showing that their VG and PG meets the USP standard.
Concentrated Food Flavorings are what give E-Juice it great flavor. These concentrated
flavors can be sourced from all over the world including Italy, China, Spain,
Poland, and the USA. These flavors range in potency, price, and chemical
composition depending upon the manufacturer. What is important to know is that
some of the Concentrated Food Flavorings produced are safe to ingest, or eat,
but NOT safe to inhale, or vape. Chemicals such as diacetyl are found in a
great number of Concentrated Food Flavorings because the compounds give a
distinctive buttery note that some people enjoy. These chemicals are regulated
by the FDA and are safe to eat, but can cause a disease known as “Popcorn Lung”
when inhaled, leading to shortness of breath and prolonged coughing. The
disease is currently irreversible with modern day medicine. Unfortunately
because of the great competition in the E-Juice industry, getting an E-Juice
company to disclose the exact flavors it uses in its E-Juice recipes is nearly
impossible. The good news is larger, more established E-Juice manufactures have
taken the initiative to ban all flavors containing any harmful chemicals such
as the one listed above. Just remember that if you are unsure about the E-Juice
you are about to purchase, and the vendor will not disclose if the e-juice
contains any harmful chemicals, do not purchase that particular e-juice.
Instead, go to a more established, reliable retailer who is willing to disclose
the Concentrated Flavoring in their E-Juice recipes.
Liquid nicotine is the third major component used when making any E-Juice recipe. Since
the beginning of the e-juice market, finding quality nicotine has been a
serious challenge for e-juice suppliers. Good, pure, high quality pure liquid
nicotine, or 999 mg, has a slight yellowish tint to it, and a slight odor. Unfortunately,
Pure Liquid Nicotine also has an extremely short shelf life, and when exposed
to oxygen, sunlight or heat it can turn dark brown in color and become
impossible to use for vaping in just a few days’ time. Because pure liquid
nicotine producers know that an e-juice company cannot use product that is not
of high quality, some manufacturers are resorting to adding unsafe chemicals to
their pure liquid nicotine to make the liquid appear clear and not turn brown
and pungent over a short period of time. To ensure the company you purchase
your e-juice from is only using pure liquid nicotine that is completely safe
and free of these chemicals, do not hesitate to ask for a Chemical Analysis of
the liquid nicotine. A Chemical Analysis will show the exact chemical make-up
of the liquid nicotine. Also, be sure to check that the date of the Chemical
Analysis is recent to ensure that the company is not just showing you a generic
form.
Overall,
the vast majority of large e-juice producers are using high quality chemicals
and following safe manufacturing procedures. Unfortunately, there are still
companies in the e-juice market who are solely in it for the money, and will
continue to use the absolute cheapest materials they can find in order to
maximize profits. Just remember that ALL good e-juice suppliers will not
hesitate to provide you with any documentation pertaining to the chemicals that
make up their e-juice. Lastly, do not forget to do your own research, and do
not always believe what a supplier is telling you without getting some form of
documentation to back it up.
