The Benefits of Mixing Your Own E-Liquid

By creating your own e-liquids you can keep your costs low and beat the new government levy on premixed e-liquids. Explore your creative side by mixing up combinations of your favourite flavours from concentrates and make them as intense as you like. You can make big batches in larger bottles that will last longer than a 10ml, and once you’ve made a batch, you won’t have to do another for months.

Advantages of Crafting Your Own E-Liquid:

• Save Money - Slash costs by mixing your own.

• Custom Flavour - Create your own flavours and sweetness levels.

• Custom Strength - Tailor nicotine strength to your liking.

• Custom Vapour - Adjust the PG/VG ratios to get exactly the type of vape you want.

• Large Batches - Only make every few months.

• Larger Bottle Sizes - No more 10mls.

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make E-Liquids?

There are a few essential ingredients and equipment that you will need to start mixing your own e-liquids. You will find the same components in all premixed e-liquids that you usually buy, the difference being that when you mix your own, you have full control over the ratio which will affect the vapour and the flavour.

Base Liquids

First off, you need the base ingredients Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerine or PG & VG. They carry the flavour and create vapour when heated, they are mixed to different ratios based on your vape kit and the type of vape you desire. PG & VG will make up the bulk of your e-liquid and are usually purchased in large 500ml or 1L bottles.

PG is a thinner liquid that binds to flavour and delivers a noticeable hit in the back of the throat, e-liquids with a higher amount of PG are typically used in disposable vapes and 10ml nic salt e-liquids as they mimic the sensation of cigarette smoke.

VG has a thick consistancy and is used to create vapour. E-liquids with a higher VG ratio will produce volumnous clouds of vapour with virtually no throat hit. You'll find high VG e-liquids in shortfill bottles and premixed 10mls for use in sub-ohm vape kits.

Flavouring

The most exciting aspect of DIY e-liquids is undoubtedly flavour concentrates. There are a wide variety of options on offer allowing you to unleash your creative side by mixing fusions of your favourite flavours together. They can be purchased in 30ml bottles and will make up 10-20% of your e-liquid mix. Concentrates are available in fruit, menthol, soda, dessert, tobacco and candy options that can be blended together in endless combinations.

Nicotine

If you choose to add nicotine to your mix, you can purchase 10ml nic shots of nicotine salt or freebase nicotine at various strengths to create a custom nicotine level of your choosing.

What Equipment Do You Need To Make E-Liquids?

You can measure out your ingredients by volume with measuring containers or you can use a scale to measure by weight. First decide how much e-liquid you wish to make. When first starting out, you may wish to use a 60ml or 120ml bottle on your first attempt just in case you get something wrong, so you haven't wasted huge amounts of liquid. Alternately, you can use measuring beakers to make large batches of e-liquid and then decant them into portable bottles that you can take with you.

To measure by volume you will need graduated cylinders, adding each liquid one by one to the correct amount. Syringes are useful as they make extracting exact amounts of liquid much easier than free pouring. If you are mixing nicotine gloves are also a must, as it can be absorbed through the skin. A roll of kitchen towel will come in handy for any spills.

You can measure by weight by placing a container or a bottle on a kitchen scale and pouring your ingredients in to your desired quantities.

Choosing Your Flavours

Flavour concentrates are where you can get creative and really reap the rewards of making your own e-liquids. The benefit of mixing vape juice at home is that you can choose any number of flavours and get exactly the flavour you want and make it as sweet as you like. Concentrates are available in 30ml bottles, the flavouring typically makes up 10-20% of your mix. Adding a 5% of flavour will result in a mild almost muted flavour profile, whereas 20% is regarded as the maximum and will yield an intense flavour. Flavour profiles range from fruits and candies to menthol and drink flavours, rich desserts and earthy tobaccos.

Part of the government's new proposed vaping restrictions is a ban on certain flavours that could include restrictions on sweet flavours like candies, drinks and desserts and may potentially leave vapers with limited tobacco, menthol and fruit options. By mixing your own, you can bypass these flavour restrictions and carry on enjoying flavoursome vaping.

How To Mix E-Liquids

Before you begin, you need to set up a sterile environment. Clean your work area and ensure that there is no risk of contamination with other substances.

1. Add 10 to 20 drops of your flavour concentrate.
2. Add PG and VG to your desired ratio.
3. Add nicotine to your desired strength.
4. Mix the ingredients together and decant into a vape juice bottle.

An e-liquid calculator is invaluable in helping you to work out the proportions of each ingredient. The first consideration before you mix is the ratio of your base liquids PG & VG. If you use a low powered mouth to lung (MTL) vape kit then you'll want a high PG content of 50:50 PG/VG or 60:40 PG/VG. Liquids at this ratio are thin and easily vapable by refillable pod kits and pens. They will deliver a satisfying throat hit with a draw and vapour production that replicates the feel of a disposable vape or a cigarette.

A mix with a VG content of 40:60 PG/VG or 30:70:PG/VG will create a thick e-liquid with that produces a dense cloud of vapour with virtually no throat hit. These types of liquids work best in high powered sub-ohm vape kits that require you to use the direct to lung (DTL) vape method.

Storing Your E-Liquid

Exposing your e-liquid to air for extended periods leads to oxidation, a process where oxygen interacts with the e-liquid's flavourings. This reaction can change the liquid's colour and degrade its taste over time. To preserve the quality of your batch, promptly transfer it into bottles and ensure they are securely sealed. You can also read our guide on how to correctly store your e-liquids.

Ingredients to Avoid

It is vital that you purchase your ingredients from reputable vape retailers to ensure that you are only using safe components made specfically for vaping. With that in mind here is a list of indgredients to avoid:

• Non E-Liquid Flavouring - There are many other food grade flavourings available, however this does not mean that they are vapeable. E-liquid concentrates are blended with a PG base and are designed to be vaped.
• Essential Oils - Vaping any type of oil is extremely unsafe and could cause serious damage to your lungs.
• Water/Alcohol - Ignore any advice that tells you that adding water or alcohol thins the mix or improves the flavour. This is a myth, vaping water creates steam and causes your coils to pop and vaping alcohol can cause serious harm to your lungs. If you need to thin the e-liquid out, simply add more PG to the mix.

Now you know how to mix your own e-liquids and maximise cost savings and flavour potential: All that's left to do now is pick out your ingredients and get creating! At Vape Superstore we have thousands of e-liquids with hundreds of flavour profiles. Whether you're into nic salt vaping with MTL pod kits or enjoy billowing clouds of flavour with the latest DTL vape kits, we've got you covered with an array of options and the best deals anywhere in the UK!