What Is E-Liquid?

Riot’s Guide to Everything You Could Ever Want To Know About E-Liquid.

E-liquid, vape juice, or vape liquid - whatever you want to call it, it's a vital tool in your vaping arsenal. With hundreds of flavours to choose from, a spectrum of PG/VG ratios to try and various nicotine strengths, you’d be forgiven for not knowing where to start. This straightforward guide explains everything, so if you want to know exactly what is in vape juice, plus loads more relevant info, read on.

What Is E-Liquid?

E-liquid is a specially formulated liquid that is heated within a vaping device to create an inhalable vapour. It delivers both nicotine and flavour to whoever is vaping, and comes in a multitude of nicotine strengths and flavours. E-liquid is also called vape juice or vape liquid but they all mean the same thing.

What Is In Vape Liquid?

The ingredients in vape juice are actually pretty simple, usually consisting of just four main components. Vape juice ingredients include:

Vegetable Glycerin (VG) - Commonly referred to as ‘VG’, this is what produces the smoothness and vapour thickness.
Propylene Glycol (PG) - Mostly called ‘PG’, this carries the flavour and provides a throat hit.
Flavourings - Food-grade concentrates are added for taste and to enhance the experience.
Nicotine - This is optional and variable, so you can choose nicotine-free or a variety of strengths.

Step-by-step guide for mixing a shortfill e-liquid and nicotine for vaping

Other Vape Juice Ingredients

These four core ingredients make up the vast majority of e-liquids, but you may find some with other additives. Sweeteners like sucralose may be added to enhance certain flavours, or acidic additives in nicotine salts provide a smoother throat hit at higher nicotine concentrations. Occasionally, distilled water is included to dilute the VG/PG base, particularly in high-VG liquids, to improve wicking.

Wicking is the process of drawing e-liquid from the tank, using an absorbent material like cotton, into the coil – the heating element that turns e-liquid into vapour. The wick holds the liquid and delivers it to the heated coil, where it vaporises. Good wicking ensures smooth vapour production, while poor wicking can cause dry hits or leaking.

What Is VG/PG In Vape Juice?

As touched on above, VG and PG are two of the core ingredients in vape juice. The ratio of VG to PG is one of the most important factors in defining the performance and feel of an e-liquid. This balance directly impacts throat hit, flavour intensity, and vapour production, allowing users to tailor their vaping experience to their exact preferences.

High VG - e.g. 70/30 or 80/20 VG/PG	High PG e.g. 60/40 or 70/30 PG/VG	50/50 PG/VG 3
High-VG e-liquids are designed for producing large, dense clouds of vapour. The experience is smoother, with a much milder throat hit. The thicker viscosity requires higher-powered vape devices, often with larger coils for more effective vapourising.	E-liquids with a higher concentration of PG offer a stronger throat hit, more akin to cigarette smoking, and give a more intense flavour delivery. The thinner consistency works well in simpler, lower-power devices, as it wicks easily and is less likely to clog small coils.	As you might suspect, this is a balanced half and half ratio that offers a good mix of flavour, throat hit, and vapour production. It’s a versatile option suitable for most standard vape kits and pod systems.

Types of Vape Juice

There are many ways to vape, and there are different types of e-liquid to suit individual preferences and tastes. Here are the most popular types of vape juice:

Freebase nicotine - This is the traditional form of nicotine used in most e-liquids. It provides a noticeable throat hit that becomes harsher at higher concentrations. It's ideal for low-to-mid range nicotine strengths of around 3mg to 12mg.
Nicotine salts - Also known as nic salts, these e-liquids bond nicotine with an organic acid, to lower its pH level. The result is a much smoother inhale, even at high strengths of up to 20mg. Nic salts are absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly, which can help curb cravings if you are transitioning from cigarettes.
Shortfills - These are large bottles of nicotine-free e-liquid with space at the top for the user to add a separate nicotine shot. Vapers can use shortfills to create a large volume of low-nicotine e-liquid, usually with a high VG ratio.
Hybrid nicotine - A mix of freebase nicotine and nicotine salts, hybrid e-liquid varieties give you the best of both worlds - the fast absorption of nic salts, and the longer-lasting satisfaction of freebase.

E-Liquid Nicotine Strengths

E-liquids aren’t just about flavour and taste; they also offer you a choice of nicotine strengths, so you can adjust according to how much nicotine you like. As a general rule, assessing your previous smoking habits can guide you in the right direction when choosing nicotine strengths.

0mg	A no-nicotine vape juice is used for flavour only and mostly used by non-smokers
3mg	This is a very light nicotine option most suited to social smokers or sub-ohm vapers
5mg	Low dose e-liquids like this are best for light smokers or vapers who enjoy a mild hit
10mg	Moderate smokers of up to 10-15 cigarettes a day should opt for a mid-range e-liquid strength
20mg	Heavy smokers (more than 15+ cigarettes daily) often prefer high-strength nic salts for a smooth delivery

How To Use E-Liquid

How you use e-liquid depends on your vaping style and your vape kit.

MTL (Mouth-to-Lung)

If you like to vape the way you used to smoke, pulling the vapour into your mouth first and then inhaling, that’s called MTL (mouth-to-lung) vaping.

MTL works best with smaller pod kits and liquids that have more PG or nic salts.

DTL (Direct-to-Lung)

If you prefer a deeper inhale straight into your lungs, that’s DTL (direct-to-lung) vaping. This style is all about smoothness and clouds.

DTL is usually enjoyed with high-VG liquids in bigger, more powerful devices.

Sub-Ohm Vaping

Then there’s sub-ohm vaping, which uses coils with less than 1 ohm of resistance. This setup creates massive clouds and rich flavour.

Sub-ohm vaping is almost always done with thicker, high-VG juices.

Can You Use Any Vape Liquid In Any Vape?

No - compatibility is key, and some vape juices just won’t work well in some devices.

Thick, VG-heavy liquids aren’t good in small pod systems and will just burn out your coil. On the flip side, thinner 50/50 juices aren’t ideal for powerful sub-ohm kits because they can leak and won’t produce much vapour.

As a rule of thumb: pod kits love 50/50 or nic salts, while big cloud-chasing devices work best with high-VG shortfills.

Making Your Own E-Liquid

If you’ve got the hang of using e-liquid and want to try some DIY mash-ups, then you absolutely can. It means you get to choose the exact flavours, VG/PG ratio, and nicotine level you love. Our simple e-liquid calculator can tell you how to mix up your vape juice ingredients for the perfect bespoke blend.

Vape Juice Flavours

From fruity concoctions to dessert-inspired options, there are different types of vape juice flavours for everyone. You’ll find most e-liquid flavours can be grouped into several categories.

TOBACCO	Mimicking the taste of cigarettes and ranging from rich, earthy blends to lighter, sweeter variations
MENTHOL & MINT	Offering a cool and refreshing sensation, often blended with fruit and favoured by those who like their vape to tingle
FRUITS	A vast category, including simple fruit profiles like strawberry or mango, or fruit medleys that mix several tastes together
DESSERTS	Covering everything from ice creams to apple pie, favoured by vapers with a sweet tooth
BEVERAGES	Recreating popular drinks like cola, lemonade and iced tea for a refreshing e-liquid choice

Which E-Liquid Should I Choose?

Listen, we can give you the facts about e-liquid but the choice is all yours. Generally speaking, choosing a vape juice comes down to nicotine strength, flavour preferences and the device you use.

If you’re vaping mostly for flavour, you can go low-nicotine or even nicotine-free. If you’re satisfying nicotine cravings, choose something stronger. With flavours, a lot of people start with something familiar, like tobacco or menthol, and then branch out into fruity or dessert blends once they get comfortable. Think about your device too. Pod kits and starter kits usually pair best with balanced 50/50 liquids or nic salts. Bigger sub-ohm kits, on the other hand, need thicker, VG-heavy juices.

At the end of the day, there’s no single ‘best’ e-liquid – it’s all about what feels and tastes right for you.

E-liquid strength chart

Here’s an at-a-glance chart that breaks down the different factors involved in deciding which e-liquid strength to opt for. We’ll go into more detail about each element later.

Previous Smoking Habit	Recommended Freebase Strength	Recommended Nic Salt Strength	Vaping Style / Device Type
Very Heavy Smoker (25+ a day)	18mg/mL	20mg/mL	Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) with a pod vape kit or basic starter kit. Nic salts are preferred.
Heavy Smoker (Approx. 20 a day)	12mg/mL - 18mg/mL	20mg/mL	MTL with a pod system or starter kit. Nic salts are highly recommended.
Moderate Smoker (10-15 a day)	6mg/mL - 12mg/mL	10mg/mL - 20mg/mL	MTL with a pod kit, or potentially Direct-to-Lung (DTL) with 6mg freebase.
Light Smoker (Under 10 a day)	3mg/mL - 6mg/mL	5mg/mL - 10mg/mL	MTL or DTL. Lower strengths are versatile across various vape kits.
Very Light / Social Smoker	3mg/mL	5mg/mL	Primarily for DTL vaping with sub-ohm devices or for those who smoke only occasionally.
Quitting Nicotine	0mg/mL	0mg/mL	For users who have tapered off nicotine but still enjoy the act of vaping.

Common Vape Nicotine Levels

E-Liquids are available in a standard range of strengths to cater to every type of user. Here are the most common options and who they are best suited for:

Nicotine Strength (mg/ml)	Percentage (%)	Who this is ideal for
0mg/ml	0%	Vapers who've quit nicotine but enjoy the act and flavour of vaping, or for cloud chasers using powerful sub-ohm devices.
3mg/ml	0.3%	The lowest commercially available strength with nicotine. Perfect for light or casual smokers (less than 10 cigarettes a day) or vapers reducing their intake. Common in high-VG liquids for sub-ohm devices.
5mg/ml	0.6%	A popular choice for low-to-moderate smokers (around 10-15 cigarettes a day). Provides a noticeable but mild throat hit and is a great middle ground.
10mg/ml - 12mg/ml	1% - 1.2%	Aimed at smokers who previously consumed around a pack of cigarettes (20) per day. Highly effective for satisfying cravings in standard vape starter kits and pod vape kits, with a substantial throat hit.
18mg/ml - 20mg/ml	1.8% - 2.0%	The highest strengths available, designed for heavy smokers (20+ cigarettes a day) or those who smoked strong, unfiltered cigarettes. Most effective as nicotine salts for a smoother inhale.

Achieving your perfect vape strength

To discover your perfect blend, there are a few things to think about.

Device

Different devices deliver different vaping experiences which helps to determine the necessary e-liquid strength.

Low-powered devices, such as pod systems and starter kits are designed for mouth-to-lung (MTL) vaping. They vaporise less liquid per puff and require a higher nicotine concentration (5mg-20mg) to deliver a satisfying amount of nicotine. Nicotine salts are popular in pod vapes

High-powered devices, or Sub-ohm devices) are designed for direct-to-lung (DTL) vaping and produce huge clouds of vapour. As you’re inhaling a much larger volume of aerosol with each puff, the nicotine strength needs to be a lot lower. Using a high-strength nicotine salt in a sub-ohm device would be very harsh so most sub-ohm vapers use 3mg or 6mg freebase nicotine

PG/VG

The base of every e-liquid is a mixture of Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerin (VG).

High PG liquids (e.g. 50/50) carry more flavour and provide a stronger throat hit. A 10mg liquid with a 50/50 PG/VG ratio will feel much more intense on the throat than the same nicotine vape level in a high VG liquid. These are typically used in pod vape kits.

High VG liquids (e.g. 70/30) produces dense vapour clouds and are much smoother on the throat. High VG liquids are most commonly used in sub-ohm devices, and almost always paired with lower nicotine vape strengths

Flavours

While the flavouring itself doesn’t change the actual mg/ml of nicotine, it can influence your perception of its strength. Some flavour profiles, particularly menthol, mint, and certain citrus tastes, can create a cooling or sharp sensation that enhances or mimics the feeling of a throat hit. This can make a lower nicotine strength feel more satisfying. On the flip side, creamy, dessert, or fruit flavours may feel smoother, potentially masking the intensity of the nicotine.

Experiment and adjust

Trying different flavours, strengths and ratios will help you to find your ideally balanced e-liquid strength. Too much nicotine and you might feel dizzy or nauseous, but too little and you could feel a need to vape constantly to get enough nicotine.

It also depends on what your intended objective is with vaping. If you’re a new vaper and like the sensation but don’t want the nicotine then nicotine free e-liquid is your best friend. If you’re trying to reduce your nicotine intake, then start with a 10mg vape strength and maybe work down, or if you’re more than happy with a nicotine content that matches your old smoking habits, use 20mg.

Time to find your favourite e-liquid

Riot has an orchestra of flavours and e-liquids to suit all vapers; from supercharged RIOT X nicotine salts to decadent Classics Shortfills, explore our full selection of PG/VG ratios and tongue-pleasing tastes to find your new favourite.

What happens to eliquid when you vape?

When you use your vape, the battery sends power to the metal coil. The coil rapidly heats up, and the e-liquid saturated in the surrounding wick is vaporised, turning into an inhalable vapour. This vapour carries the flavour and nicotine from the liquid to your lungs.

Does e-liquid expire?

Yes, e-liquid does have a shelf life, typically around one to two years from the date of manufacture. Over time, the flavour can fade, the nicotine can oxidise, and the overall quality can degrade.

How should I store e-liquid?

To preserve its quality, you should store e-liquid in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight and heat. Exposure to light, heat, and air can make nicotine and flavourings degrade faster. Always ensure the cap is tightly sealed too.

Can I mix different e-liquids together?

Yes, you can mix different e-liquids, and many vapers enjoy creating their own custom flavour combinations. It is best to mix liquids from the same brand or with similar PG/VG ratios to ensure a consistent result.

Can e-liquid lose its flavour?

E-liquid can lose its flavour and this can happen for a few reasons. If the e-liquid is old or stored improperly, the flavour compounds may break down.

There is also a phenomenon known as "vaper's tongue", where your palate becomes desensitised to a flavour you use frequently. Switching flavours for a few days usually resolves this.