The Absolute WORST Thing for E-liquid

There are a ton of factors that go into the development, the creation, and keeping of e-liquid. This article is going to focus on the last part. The keeping, and “caring” of e-liquid. You see, the state of your e-liquid, can affect the flavor your receive from it. If the state of your e-liquid is good, and in good quality, than the flavor from should be good as well (of course if the recipe is good). But if the state of your e-liquid is bad, and its in bad quality, then the flavor can seriously hinder your experience. So here are some things to watch out for. 

Water

Water is easily the worst thing that can be in your e-liquid. It completely destroys the vapor experience. From how it vapes, to how it feels, to how it tastes, to even the durability of your RDA/RTA. Water can certainly wreak a lot of havoc. For instance, if there is water on your coil or in your cotton, you’ll taste a very off-flavored vape, that’s very weak and wispy, and even produces a bit of a cough. It’s extremely unpleasant, and there are many ways water can get in your e-liquid. 

The most common way is leaving your e-liquid open. VG is hydroscopic, meaning it likes to suck the moisture out of whatever its in. This is why when you vape too much, you may get dry mouth, and why it’s important to drink a lot of water s a Vaper. 

But this also means when you leave your e-liquid open, especially in a particularly humid environment, the VG will suck the moisture out of the air. Depending on how long you’ve left your e-liquid open, will determine how much moisture may have been infused into your product. This alone can produce a much less potent flavor. 

But you also may get water infused into your RDA. I’ve had situations (it seems most present in my office), where I drip a fresh liquid, go to vape, and I get a lung full of water. This is because the coil itself, and the e-liquid that remained on the coil, was sucking up that moisture. 

So the way you want to fix this is simple. Keep your e-liquids closed and sealed. There should be no reason to leave your eliquids open. Also, when you’re done vaping on an RDA/RTA. Make sure you vape it till its relatively dry. Don’t burn it. But remove as much eliquid from that coil as possible. This should drastically reduce the amount of water buildup

Air

The next thing to watch out for is air. The air itself, and the oxygen, can reduce the flavor of your e-liquid. Again, eliquids left open not only have their flavor reduced by the moisture in the air, but the oxygenation of the aromas. These aroma chemicals are volatile, and like to run about. The reason our eliquid works so well is because we can contain it in a VG/PG base, which helps lock in those aromas. 

But the very top of the eliquid, there is an exposed portion. This is where those aromas can escape. That exposed portion is what you smell when you crack open a bottle. So make sure your eliquid is in a state that doesn’t allow any escape of aroma. But this also isn’t just for aroma escape. This also helps limit the amount of “bad air” that gets sucked in. The quality of the air around you isn’t the more “pure”. When you open your e-liquid, you expose it to this environment, which can certainly color the flavor of your e-liquid. 

And finally, air damages or decomposes your nicotine. This is what will “brown” it. Don’t allow this to happen, by just sealing your e-liquid and making sure it’s closed after every use. 

Heat

Heat can severely affect the flavor of your e-liquid. What we like to do is mix our liquid on a hot plate, and allow things to fully mix. But you need to remember, that heat also speeds up reactions. Those aroma volatiles, that are already quite jumpy, are now super charged. And will only escape the solution much quicker, decreasing your e-liquids flavor. Also, heat can degrade our nicotine. Because of this supercharged reaction, nicotine degradation can happen much quicker. 

So make sure, if you’re using a hot plate, you’re not mixing your e-liquid too hot. Just warm enough to make things a bit more loose for full mixing. After which, bottle and seal your e-liquid, and ensure it never reaches those heats again. And don’t leave your e-liquid in a hot car.

Light

Finally, light. Light is damaging in a very sneaky way. For the most part, the base itself should be OK when exposed to light. Light only really affects the nicotine. UV light specifically as well, so not just any light. The UV rays can also decompose your nicotine, and cause it to brown, as well as exhibit and “off” flavor. The best course of action against this is to keep in an Amber bottle. This helps block out any UV light that may enter and damage the nic. 

Other Damaging Components

Constant violent shaking might sound like a good idea, to keep things “steeped”. But after your initial homogenization, you shouldn’t need to consistently, and violently shake your liquids. What this will do is just add more air into your product, decomposing the Nic and decreasing the flavors. You should also look out for bad VG/PG/NIC. Any product that isn’t in top-tier shape, will have an effect on your e-liquid. Only use fresh, good quality ingredients, if you want to have the best vaping experience. 

But those are all the things you need to be mindful of. The BEST possible way to keep your e-liquids, is in an amber glass bottle, sealed (preferably with a sealer like Cork Pops), and kept away in a cool, dark environment, that has its humidity controlled. This might sound like a lot to do for any ol’ eliquid. And it is. Most of the time, you’ll finish the e-liquid before any degradation happens. But if you want to store for long term, these are the steps you should take. Leave your keeping methods below. I’d love to know how you all are storing your e-liquids. And feel free to share this article with other friends who mix.