Vape Juice: Literally Everything You Need To Know

Vape juice, also known as e-liquid or e-juice, might seem complicated, but it really isn’t. You have two main type of vape juice to choose from:

1. Nicotine salts which are used in pod vapes, MTL tanks, and disposable vapes. They run higher levels of nicotine but aren’t harsh which makes them great for anyone quitting smoking.
2. Freebase vape juice is mostly used in sub-ohm tanks and at lower nicotine levels. Those tanks that kick out big clouds and generate lots of vaper? They run low nicotine, High VG freebase vape juice.

Pod vapes and disposables are the most popular types of vape devices, so most people, whether they know it or not, use nic salts vape juice, usually in 10mg or 20mg strengths.

Per EU regulations, the maximum strength of vape juice you can buy in the UK is 20mg. In the USA, you can get higher (anywhere from 35mg to 50mg). But literally no one needs juice that strong.

Let’s break it all down.

What’s In Vape Juice?

There’s a lot of guff online about vape juice. People claim we don’t know what’s in it or how the ingredients affect the human body.

These claims are false on both counts.

UK experts reviewed the international evidence and found that “in the short and medium-term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking”.

Cigarettes release thousands of different chemicals when they burn – many are poisonous and up to 70 cause cancer. Most of the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke.

NHS

Vape juice in the UK and elsewhere is regulated which means the companies producing it have to be officially registered and meet specific requirements. The wild west days of the vaping industry are well and truly over.

Everything is now regulated, just as it should be.

For the actual ingredients list, vape juice is remarkably simple (especially when you consider that cigarettes have over 4000 known carcinogens per cigarette).

Here’s a breakdown of all the ingredients used in vape juice:

• PG (Propylene Glycol) – carries flavor and gives a sharper throat hit.
• VG (Vegetable Glycerin) – thicker, smoother, and creates big clouds.
• Flavorings – from mango to vanilla custard to classic tobacco; check out the most popular vape juice flavors here. .
• Nicotine – optional, and available in two types: freebase and nicotine salts (aka nic salts).

If you’re new, nic salts are what you’ll most likely end up using (more on that below).

Nic Salts vs Freebase Nicotine: What’s The Deal?

The type of vape juice you use depends on the vape device you’re using. If you’re using a high power, sub ohm tank and mod or pod system, you’ll want to run freebase, High VG vape juice.

With MTL pods and disposables which perform more like a traditional cigarette, with respect to vapor volume and draw, you’ll use nicotine salts vape juice which is stronger but not harsh at higher nicotine levels.

And if you want the absolute best flavor when it comes to nic salts vape juice, you should opt for bar salts vape juice; it’s nic salts just but the flavor is dramatically improved and is designed mimic the type of high contrast, big and bold flavor you get with disposables.

🧪 Freebase Nicotine

• Stronger throat hit
• Lower nicotine strengths (3mg, 6mg, 12mg)
• Best in sub-ohm tanks and box mods
• Good for people reducing nicotine or chasing clouds

⚡ Nicotine Salts (Nic Salts)

• Much smoother hit (even at 20mg+)
• Faster nicotine delivery (feels more like smoking)
• Designed for pod vapes and low-wattage devices
• Great for beginners and ex-smokers

📍 Want to try nic salts? Check out our Nicotine Salts Juice Collection — perfect for MTL pod vapes and beginner setups.

Vape Juice Strengths: What You Need To Know

You do NOT want to run high nicotine freebase vape juice; it tastes disgusting and will make you cough your guts up.

Nic salts were invented to deliver higher amounts of nicotine to the end user (10mg to 20mg) without sacrificing flavor or performance.

90% of people reading this should stick with nic salts; they’re best for pod vapes, and most people — I think it’s upwards of 95% of vapers in the UK nowadays — use pod vapes.

Here’s a quick primer on what you need to know about nicotine strengths and how it affects the vape juice you’re using.

Nic Salt Vape Juice

• Comes in 10mg, 20mg (in the UK), and also 35mg, and 50mg in the USA
• Ideal for pod systems and MTL vaping
• Most popular format today
• Try: Bar Salt Longfills or Quick Mix Bar Salts

Freebase Nicotine Juice

• Available in lower strengths like 3mg, 6mg, 12mg
• Suited for higher-powered vapes and sub-ohm tanks
• More “throat kick”

0mg Vape Juice

• Just flavor, no nicotine
• Ideal if you’ve quit nicotine but still like to vape

CBD / THC Vape Juice

• Separate category, different devices required
• Only use if legal in your area and you know what you’re doing

PG/VG Ratios: What Do They Mean?

You’ll see numbers like 50/50, 70/30, etc., on vape juice bottles; this is basically the “blend” of PG and VG used in the juice. PG delivers flavor and throat hit, while VG makes things smoother on the inhale and exhale.

This is why High VG vape juices are used in sub-ohm tanks and other high power vaping tanks like RDAs and RTAs.

Most nic salt juices, the kind you use in pod vapes and disposables, are 50/50 with respect to PG and VG. The reason? You want a certain amount of throat hit with an MTL pod vape, and plenty of flavor.

50/50 Nic salts deliver this in spades, and at higher nicotine levels without being harsh. And that is why they’re so popular.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet for getting your head around vape juice PG/VG ratios:

• 50/50 – Equal PG and VG. Balanced throat hit and flavor. Perfect for pod systems.
• 70/30 – More VG, smoother hit, more clouds. Best for bigger vapes and sub-ohm tanks.
• 80/20 or Max VG – Cloud-chasing territory. Not for MTL devices.

Beginner Tip: Stick to 50/50 for most pod vapes. It won’t clog your coils or leak everywhere.

Choosing the Right Nicotine Strength

As I said earlier, there isn’t a smoker alive today that would enjoy 50mg vape juice; it’s just way too strong.

Even the heaviest smoker will be fine with 20mg nic salts juice. I only ever use 10mg nicotine salts vape juice, and that’s been the case for as long as I can remember.

Smoker Type	Suggested Nic Strength (Nic Salts)
Light (1–10 cigs/day)	10mg – 20mg
Medium (10–20/day)	20mg – 35mg
Heavy (20+/day)	35mg – 50mg

Want to test different levels before committing? Go with smaller bottles and mix it up.

Reading Vape Juice Labels

Don’t get overwhelmed. Here’s what matters:

• Nicotine Strength – Usually shown in mg (e.g., 20mg)
• PG/VG Ratio – Tells you the juice consistency
• Flavor Name – Obvious, but creative names can be confusing
• Expiration Date – Juice doesn’t last forever, check the date

Common Problems (And Fixes)

🤔 Vaper’s Tongue?

Can’t taste your juice anymore? Drink more water, try a new flavor, or hit a menthol blend to reset your palate.

😫 Burnt Hits?

Could be a dry coil or vaping too soon after filling. Always let new pods sit for 5-10 minutes before use; this is called priming the coil.

💧 Leaking?

You might be using high-VG juice in a pod device. Go for 50/50 nic salts instead. Or, you might be using a rubbish pod vape.

If that’s the case, switch to a good quality pod vape that doesn’t leak and has excellent performance.

I’d recommend the Vaporesso XROS 5; it’s been a favorite of the team for the past 12 months.

Wrapping Up…

So, to sum it all up:

• Vape juice is the fuel for your vape, available with or without nicotine.
• Nic salts are smoother, stronger, and better suited for pod vapes.
• Freebase nicotine is more old-school—used in bigger devices for bigger clouds.
• Always match your juice to your device, and don’t go overboard with high nic levels if you’re new.

Most of you reading this will be best off with a decent pod vape and some good-quality, UK-made vape juice. Start with 10mg, it’s all most people ever need. And try a few flavors out, so you can find one you like.

Or, grab our Bar Salts Sampler Pack; it’s the five most popular flavors from the VapeBeat Store based on over 80,000+ sales.