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What Exactly Is In My e-Liquid?

Uncategorised

2 April 2021

Words by Andrew Armstrong

Most vapers never really give a great deal of thought about the contents of their e-liquid and to be fair, why would you? It all boils down to personal choice.

Realistically, you either like it or you don’t. In common with most e-liquids, Cloud 9 only contains four major ingredients: Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerine (VG), Flavourings and Nicotine. 

What is Propylene Glycol?

  • Propylene Glycol (PG) can be found in a variety of every day food products such as cakes, soft drinks, bread and many fast foods. PG is a clear, colourless, odourless liquid that works as a really effective carrier agent. 
  • Both the flavourings and nicotine in our e-liquids are suspended in the PG mixture and they work best in a standard vaporiser with a coil resistance of 1.0ohm or above. The PG element of the mixture is associated with a stronger throat hit that is similar to the sensation of inhaling tobacco. 

Not to be confused with: Ethylene Glycol which is a toxic ingredient found in antifreeze. In 1985 several Austrian wineries illegally adulterated their wines using the toxic substance ethylene glycol to make the wines appear sweeter and more full-bodied in the style of late harvest wines.

What is Vegetable Glycerine?   

  • Just like PG, Vegetable Glycerine (VG) is clear and colourless although it does have a slightly sweet taste. The most notable property of VG however, is that it is more viscose than PG and is the main contributor to vapour production. 
  • Don’t be confused if you see some companies saying Glycerol instead of Glycerine – it’s just a different name for the same compound. VG is also regularly used in lots of everyday products including foods, cosmetics, and a wide range of pharmaceuticals.

Not to be confused with: Vegetable Oil. A lot of people confuse VG with vegetable oil because of the thick and syrupy texture, but VG is not the same as vegetable oil. Vegetable Glycerine is water soluble whereas vegetable oil is not.

Flavourings

  • At Cloud 9 we only ever use the highest quality, tried and tested food-grade flavourings in our liquid formulas. The flavourings themselves are actually made up of a variety of highly concentrated ingredients that all come together in small amounts to create the ideal flavour profile. 
  • Blending the ingredients in our e-liquids is far more complicated than you can imagine so we’ll be devoting another blog solely on how we perfected our different flavours. 

Our Best selling Flavours:

Menthol: Proof positive that mixology is more art than science, Cloud 9 Menthol balances a range of flavours to deliver a subtly smooth vaping experience. Available in 18mg strength.

Virginia Tobacco: Perfect for both experienced and new vapers, Cloud 9 Virginia emulates the iconic Virginia tobacco taste. Available in 18mg strength.

Cherry: If you prefer a more fruity experience over Menthol and Virginia, then Cloud 9 Cherry is for you. An equally smooth delivery bursting with the flavour of Maraschino cherries. Available in 18mg strength.

Classic Tobacco: Our first tobacco flavour created 10 years ago. Cloud 9 Classic tobacco still utilises the same ingredients. If it’s not broken, why fix it? Available in 18mg strength.

Nicotine

  • Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants which, in addition to tobacco, also include tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines. Nicotine is the key ingredient in almost all e-liquids. It satisfies cravings whilst making vaping a wholly worthwhile experience. 
  • There is a common misconception; however, that nicotine is carcinogenic and responsible for the illnesses caused through smoking. Nicotine is highly addictive but is not responsible for any of the illnesses related to smoking. 
  • In fact, it may be similarly as benign as caffeine which is why vaping has become the ideal replacement for smoking. 

What are the effects of Nicotine consumption:

  • The pharmacological effect of consuming  nicotine is an increase in heart rate, heart muscle oxygen consumption rate and heart stroke volume. Consuming nicotine is also linked to raised alertness, euphoria, and a sensation of being relaxed.  
  • Nicotine activates a specific part of your brain that makes you feel happy by stimulating the release of the hormone dopamine.

Are there any tips for storing my e-liquid?

E liquid storage isn’t the first thing to be thought about but, as a growing number of vapers order a month’s supply at a time, it’s worth a thought. There are three main things to avoid; light, heat and air.

Why light? Light will start to affect your e liquid because of UV rays. At a molecular level, The UV rays will warm up your e-liquid to start splitting the individual ingredients. As a general rule, store your e-liquid in a cool, dark place away from children and animals.

Why heat?  In a similar way to the way UV rays damage your liquid, heated e liquid will start creating more ‘energy’ in the liquid and will begin breaking down the ingredients into smaller components. This will change the taste of your e-liquid quite quickly so a cool dark place is best for storage.

Why air? Exposure to air will cause the oxygen to react with the nicotine that will start to ‘break down’ the nicotine in your e-liquid. Just remember to put the lid back on the bottle after refilling your vape and all will be well.

Is it safe to store my e-liquid in the freezer?

  • No, absolutely not. A cool, dark place is ideal. Temperature extremes are to be avoided at all costs and too cold is as bad as too hot. 
  • The different ingredients in the bottle all have different freezing points below -18C that most freezers operate. Separation of the ingredients will be inevitable.

How long before my e-liquid expires?

Cloud 9 e-liquids have a best before date of two years from the date of production. Although this is an estimation of their shelf life, if  properly steeped and stored in the correct conditions, e-liquids improve like good wines with age.   

Summary

In essence, here are relatively few components in your Cloud 9 e-liquid and you can rest assured that they are all of the highest quality and TPD2 compliant. We ensure the quality of the ingredients, mixology and storage leaving you to enjoy a satisfying vape.

Most vapers never really give a great deal of thought about the contents of their e-liquid and to be fair, why would you? It all boils down to personal choice.

Realistically, you either like it or you don’t. In common with most e-liquids, Cloud 9 only contains four major ingredients: Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerine (VG), Flavourings and Nicotine. 

What is Propylene Glycol?

  • Propylene Glycol (PG) can be found in a variety of every day food products such as cakes, soft drinks, bread and many fast foods. PG is a clear, colourless, odourless liquid that works as a really effective carrier agent. 
  • Both the flavourings and nicotine in our e-liquids are suspended in the PG mixture and they work best in a standard vaporiser with a coil resistance of 1.0ohm or above. The PG element of the mixture is associated with a stronger throat hit that is similar to the sensation of inhaling tobacco. 

Not to be confused with: Ethylene Glycol which is a toxic ingredient found in antifreeze. In 1985 several Austrian wineries illegally adulterated their wines using the toxic substance ethylene glycol to make the wines appear sweeter and more full-bodied in the style of late harvest wines.

What is Vegetable Glycerine?   

  • Just like PG, Vegetable Glycerine (VG) is clear and colourless although it does have a slightly sweet taste. The most notable property of VG however, is that it is more viscose than PG and is the main contributor to vapour production. 
  • Don’t be confused if you see some companies saying Glycerol instead of Glycerine – it’s just a different name for the same compound. VG is also regularly used in lots of everyday products including foods, cosmetics, and a wide range of pharmaceuticals.

Not to be confused with: Vegetable Oil. A lot of people confuse VG with vegetable oil because of the thick and syrupy texture, but VG is not the same as vegetable oil. Vegetable Glycerine is water soluble whereas vegetable oil is not.

Flavourings

  • At Cloud 9 we only ever use the highest quality, tried and tested food-grade flavourings in our liquid formulas. The flavourings themselves are actually made up of a variety of highly concentrated ingredients that all come together in small amounts to create the ideal flavour profile. 
  • Blending the ingredients in our e-liquids is far more complicated than you can imagine so we’ll be devoting another blog solely on how we perfected our different flavours. 

Our Best selling Flavours:

Menthol: Proof positive that mixology is more art than science, Cloud 9 Menthol balances a range of flavours to deliver a subtly smooth vaping experience. Available in 18mg strength.

Virginia Tobacco: Perfect for both experienced and new vapers, Cloud 9 Virginia emulates the iconic Virginia tobacco taste. Available in 18mg strength.

Cherry: If you prefer a more fruity experience over Menthol and Virginia, then Cloud 9 Cherry is for you. An equally smooth delivery bursting with the flavour of Maraschino cherries. Available in 18mg strength.

Classic Tobacco: Our first tobacco flavour created 10 years ago. Cloud 9 Classic tobacco still utilises the same ingredients. If it’s not broken, why fix it? Available in 18mg strength.

Nicotine

  • Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants which, in addition to tobacco, also include tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines. Nicotine is the key ingredient in almost all e-liquids. It satisfies cravings whilst making vaping a wholly worthwhile experience. 
  • There is a common misconception; however, that nicotine is carcinogenic and responsible for the illnesses caused through smoking. Nicotine is highly addictive but is not responsible for any of the illnesses related to smoking. 
  • In fact, it may be similarly as benign as caffeine which is why vaping has become the ideal replacement for smoking. 

What are the effects of Nicotine consumption:

  • The pharmacological effect of consuming  nicotine is an increase in heart rate, heart muscle oxygen consumption rate and heart stroke volume. Consuming nicotine is also linked to raised alertness, euphoria, and a sensation of being relaxed.  
  • Nicotine activates a specific part of your brain that makes you feel happy by stimulating the release of the hormone dopamine.

Are there any tips for storing my e-liquid?

E liquid storage isn’t the first thing to be thought about but, as a growing number of vapers order a month’s supply at a time, it’s worth a thought. There are three main things to avoid; light, heat and air.

Why light? Light will start to affect your e liquid because of UV rays. At a molecular level, The UV rays will warm up your e-liquid to start splitting the individual ingredients. As a general rule, store your e-liquid in a cool, dark place away from children and animals.

Why heat?  In a similar way to the way UV rays damage your liquid, heated e liquid will start creating more ‘energy’ in the liquid and will begin breaking down the ingredients into smaller components. This will change the taste of your e-liquid quite quickly so a cool dark place is best for storage.

Why air? Exposure to air will cause the oxygen to react with the nicotine that will start to ‘break down’ the nicotine in your e-liquid. Just remember to put the lid back on the bottle after refilling your vape and all will be well.

Is it safe to store my e-liquid in the freezer?

  • No, absolutely not. A cool, dark place is ideal. Temperature extremes are to be avoided at all costs and too cold is as bad as too hot. 
  • The different ingredients in the bottle all have different freezing points below -18C that most freezers operate. Separation of the ingredients will be inevitable.

How long before my e-liquid expires?

Cloud 9 e-liquids have a best before date of two years from the date of production. Although this is an estimation of their shelf life, if  properly steeped and stored in the correct conditions, e-liquids improve like good wines with age.   

Summary

In essence, here are relatively few components in your Cloud 9 e-liquid and you can rest assured that they are all of the highest quality and TPD2 compliant. We ensure the quality of the ingredients, mixology and storage leaving you to enjoy a satisfying vape.

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