Ingredients You Should Avoid Using In Your Vape Juice

With the increased popularity of vaping, vapers have a variety of flavors or e-juices to choose from. The market for vape juices has also grown, and therefore numerous manufacturers have sprung up. Some are making vape juices with ingredients that may not be good for your health. Alongside choosing quality e-juice, using a quality vaporizer like the Yocan vaporizer can significantly enhance your vaping experience, ensuring not only better taste but also a safer experience.

If you are new to vaping, or trying to transition from smoking to vaping, then you should be careful when choosing your vaporizer liquids. The manufacturers mix artificial flavors, low-cost nicotine with high PG concentration, a petroleum-based fluid. With vape juice ingredients such as these, it is not healthy to inhale the vapor. After getting your dr dabbers starter kit, read this article to find out the elements you should avoid in your vape juice.

Ingredients Commonly Found in Vape Juice or E-Cigarettes

Before delving into the ingredients that shouldn't be found in your vape juice, let's explore ones that are commonly present. Here is a summary of the common ingredients found in vape juice:

Propylene Glycol (PG): A clear, odorless liquid that serves as a base for the vape juice. PG helps to carry the flavor and produces a throat hit similar to that of traditional cigarettes. It is generally recognized as safe for consumption by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Vegetable Glycerin (VG): A thick, sweet liquid derived from vegetable oils. VG contributes to the production of vapor when heated and adds smoothness to the vaping experience. Like PG, VG is also considered safe for consumption by the FDA. A higher VG leads to larger vapor clouds when vaping.

Nicotine: Vape juice may contain nicotine, which is an addictive stimulant found in tobacco. However, it's important to note that not all vape juices contain nicotine, and there are nicotine-free options available. The nicotine content in vape juice varies, ranging from high levels for heavy smokers to zero nicotine for those looking to quit or avoid nicotine altogether.

Flavorings: Vape juice is often flavored to enhance the vaping experience. A wide range of flavors is available, including fruits, desserts, beverages, menthol, and more. These flavorings are typically food-grade and approved for consumption.

Optional Additives: Some vape juices may contain additional additives such as water, ethyl alcohol, or menthol crystals. These additives can affect the consistency, throat hit, or flavor of the vape juice.

It's important to note that while many of these ingredients are generally recognized as safe for consumption in various devices, the long-term effects of inhaling them through vaping are still being studied. Additionally, the specific composition of vape juice can vary among different brands and manufacturers.

Note: When it comes to e-liquids, the VG (vegetable glycerin) and PG ratios (propylene glycol) used can have varying effects. These effects influence the taste, flavor, harshness, and cloud thickness of vape clouds. Popular VG/PG blends like 70VG/30PG and 50VG/50PG are commonly preferred by vapers.

Mint or Menthol

Don’t purchase any e juices that have mint or menthol mentioned as a flavor. This is because they contain a carcinogen called pulegone, which the food regulators have prohibited from being used as a food additive. When extracted from mint oil and used in liquids, pulegone is usually a higher concentration than the menthol used in menthol cigarettes.

Research shows that most tobacco products manufacturers have reduced using mint and menthol as a flavor due to the fear of its toxicity levels. So it would help if you avoided any e-liquid with mint or menthol as an additive.

Caffeine

Consuming huge amounts of caffeine, whether as a drink or gaseous form, may cause fastened heartbeat, jitteriness, upset stomach, among other effects. It’s also not advisable to overindulge caffeine products if you have high blood pressure or heart problems. It could aggravate the preexisting conditions. Furthermore, it is known to be quite addictive.

Caffeine is mainly taken in drinks such as coffee and other carbonated beverages where caffeine can be regulated. But when you vape an e-juice with caffeine in it, ingesting caffeine in unregulated and high percentages can be harmful to your health. Because when inhaled in vapor form, it hits the body and the bloodstream instantly. Also, when you take caffeine through drinks, it takes longer for the body to absorb caffeine, so it's safer.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an old spice made from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree. Cinnamon has been used for ages as a spice in food and also for its medicinal properties. The distinct flavor and smell of cinnamon are because of its oily part, which is high in a compound called cinnamaldehyde. The compound is what is responsible for cinnamon's health benefits.

The combined effects of nicotine and cinnamon may be toxic to your body. When mixed and vaporized, they are carcinogenic and not suitable to be ingested in your body. Cinnamon toxic levels have also been found to damage leukocytes. It affects the lung’s capability to produce mucus. Cannabis experts highly recommend not using cinnamon in e-juices.

Cinnamon may also cause mouth sores, gum sores, and tongue swelling if not taken in moderation. Some even said they had problems breathing, gagging, and coughing.

Diketones

Diketones are a group of chemicals used in the flavoring world and e-juices as well. Diketones are used to make the creamy and buttery texture in most flavoring, including e-juices. The chemicals that form diketones are diacetyl, acetyl, acetoin, and propionyl. However, the one that has the most researcher's attention is diacetyl because it was discovered to cause bronchiolitis after factory members in a popcorn factory had it after inhaling it for long.

When diketones are used in food flavorings, the law states that the contents should be tested, and people should be told that it has been used in the ingredients. However, it's not usually mandatory for products manufactured for inhalation, such as vape juices. So it's hard to find the word diketones amongst the ingredients labels on vape juices.

However, you should look out for diacetyl. It's one of the different chemicals that’s causing problems when inhaled for an extended period.

Vanilla

Vanilla contains a compound known as vanillin and can be dangerously toxic when inhaled by vapers. Experts say that vanillin may cause dysfunction of blood cells, death of cells, and even heart damage.

Inhaling vape juices with vanilla flavor may also cause skin irritation or eye irritation. Inhaling vanilla for extended periods may cause some severe damage.so if you see vaping liquid with this ingredient, it is best to avoid it.

Fragrance oils

Fragrance oils are primarily used in common household things we use every day. Fragrance oils are created from synthetic petroleum-based ingredients, and others are neurotoxins, which have also been associated with birth defects.

Inhaling a high concentration of fragrance oils, whether from vaping or spraying aerosols, may affect your respiratory system and cause breathing issues. They affect your lungs and can cause lung disease.

Strawberry and Banana flavors

Strawberry is a common ingredient used in food flavoring but can be toxic to your heart if inhaled. The research found that even when inhaled in low concentrations, it still is harmful to your cells and can cause severe damage. The presence of dimethyl pyrazine in the flavoring is what causes the lethal reactions in your body.

Similar effects will also be seen if you use vape juices with banana flavorings because it contains isoamyl acetate, which causes cell degeneration significantly even when used in lower concentrations. Hence, avoid these two flavors in vape juices as much as possible.

Titanium dioxide

Another chemical that can prove toxic if inhaled in e-juices is titanium dioxide. The chemical compounds or titanium dioxide, when inhaled, enter your lungs and brains and could potentially harm your cells and neurons. The nanoparticles cause mutation and inflammation of the cells. It also causes cell damage cells by increasing oxidative stress.

When inhaled in high concentrations for prolonged periods may also cause damage to the immune system because it has carcinogenic properties.

Make your vaping experience fun by using organic products. Organic products may be expensive, but they are suitable for your health, especially if you are vaping for long. Ensure that when you are purchasing e juices, you check the ingredients label thoroughly to ensure it doesn’t contain any of the mentioned ingredients. If you notice a brand that is not revealing each component they've used in making their vape juice, it's best to avoid it.

Photo Courtesy Flickr/Vaping360