About E-Liquid & what is in it.

SO….what exactly is in E-Liquid (sometimes called E-Juice).  If you ask a vaper this question, the standard response you may have received is that it only contains 4 ingredients compared to the 4000+ ingredients found in combustible tobacco (cigarettes).  Which isn’t exactly false, nor is it exactly true.   

There are four main components in E-Liquid = Base, Flavouring, Nicotine (optional) and Distilled water.   However, E-liquid is  normally composed of up to 10 ingredients – the base (1 and/ or 2) and the flavourings (up to 7, and sometimes distilled water and liquid nicotine.  Let’s go through them.

E-Liquid Base

The Base makes up 80-90% of e-juice and is composed of different percentages of Vegetable Glycerine and/or Propylene Glycol.  Both of these ingredients are widely used in all types of food and pharmaceutical applications, as well as personal care products like toothpaste.

VG (Vegetable Glycerin)

It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. It is widely used in the food industry as a sweetener and humectant and in pharmaceutical formulations.  Most e-liquid manufacturers in New Zealand use Organic certified USP/BP VG in their mixtures.   In pharmaceutical applications, it is used as a carrier base for cough syrups and liquid medications used internally and applied externally.

and/or

PG (Propylene glycol)

Commonly mixed with VG as the base for liquid.   It is used in fog machines, but more importantly, is used in pharmaceutical applications for aerosol inhalant delivery systems such as those used by asthmatics. In this application of e-liquid, PG can be used as a carrier for flavour and/or to thin the viscosity of VG to make the liquid easier to vapourise.  All of the e-liquid manufacturers in New Zealand use USP/BP certified PG in their e-liquids.

Flavourings (10%-20% of the total e-liquid volume).   

Some e-liquid contains only 1 or two different flavours, some can contain up to 5 or 6 different flavours.   The flavourings used in e-liquid are food  safe by either the USP and/or BP regulations.  

The flavourings used by New Zealand e-liquid manufacturers are the same ones used in the food and pharmaceutical industries for things such as candy, cough syrups, lozenges and gum.   Flavouring companies that are used are:  The Flavour Apprentice, FlavourArt, FlavorWest and Lorann.   Each company has their own certification processes, both internally and those they adhere to per their local regulations.

Liquid Nicotine (0%-2.4% depending on strength.)

Currently, it is illegal in New Zealand to sell e-liquid that contains nicotine.  That being said, it is legal for an individual to import liquid nicotine from overseas for 3 months personal use.  Most vapers in New Zealand import their nicotine from overseas companies such as Nude Nicotine, Nicotine River, and RTS Vapes.  They then take the liquid nicotine and add it to their e-juice (either DIY or retail bought “doublers”) prior to using.  Other vapers in New Zealand import premade Nicotine E-Liquid under the personal importation clause.

Distilled water is sometimes used to dilute the e-liquid if needed.

That’s it.

From as little as 2 ingredients (PG or VG base and flavor) to as many as 10, (and theories on nicotine ingestion not withstanding) all used regularly in food and pharmaceutical applications.

*NB Regarding “Popcorn Lung Controversy”:  

In 2014, there was controversy regarding “popcorn lung” (Bronchiolotis Obliterans), because of some of the flavourings used in the manufacture of e-liquid (specifically dairy and sweet flavours) were lab tested and shown to contain the chemical compounds Diacetyl, Acetyl Propionyl.  This research was done by a research team led by  Dr. Konstantinos Farsolinos, a Cardiologist and researcher in Athens, Greece.  (http://www.ecigarette-research.com/web/index.php/research/2014/178-da-ap)

Dr Farsolinos made the announcement that while e-liquids he tested in those sweet flavour profiles contained these compounds, he noted ”that unlike tobacco cigarettes where these chemicals are produced during the combustion process, in e-cigarettes they are used as ingredients. Thus, this represents an avoidable risk, which should be removed.”

In response to his statement,  flavour concentrate companies reacted by reformulating their recipes to exclude diacetyl and AP in these flavour profiles.   E-liquid manufacturers also reacted by reformulating their e-juice recipes to exclude using flavourings that may contain these compounds.