DIY Only!
So I was recently introduced to a brand new study that was just released on Science Direct, by head researcher Sharon Cox, which seems to be specifically aimed at the DIY E-liquid Mixing community? What does the study aim to find out? A few things. The main question seems like they basically want to know why DIYer’s make their own e-liquids. They ask a bunch of questions and present a bunch of data that explains the motivations behind going the DIY route. The second question they ask is if DIYer’s produce a product that is potentially harmful, or different than what is commercially available. In order to answer these questions, the researchers gathered 41 vapers, ages ranging up to 65 years old, all of which who make their own e-liquid, vape exclusively, and subohm.
Click here for the Study
Results
While it may shock you, the main motivation vapers have to switching to DIY mixing is….COST! Of course, most mixers who start do so because of how much cheaper it is. The price difference is very enticing. What the researchers found out, and it’s inline with a lot of my anecdotal findings, is that people continue to DIY thanks to the fun of the hobby! Now with the second question, they DID find potentially harmful constituents. These compounds include Benzaldehyde, Acetoin, and Maltol (which they consider dangerous). But then they go on to state
our sample of DIY e-liquids did not appear to introduce any greater variance in chemicals than commercially available e-liquids.
This is great news for mixers! While this isn’t new to us mixers, it’s great to have in a published study that the products we create do no differ from the products created commercially. While sure, some of the compounds used might be a bit worrying, the act of mixing at home creates a product almost exactly the same as commercial options. This means anytime someone says “DIY is bathtub juice and can make you sick!” You can now point them to this study and show them that’s not true (as long as their using the same ingredients and not putting any foreign substances in the eliquid of course).
Overall, it’s nothing damaging. In fact, it’s a good study for mixers and it’s nice to see that science is looking specifically at the mixing scene. Hopefully this gives mixers or would-be mixers more confidence in making the switch to – and I quote from the study –
DIY may offer users of e-cigarettes a long-term affordable practical method of vaping