E-Liquids II: PG/VG Ratios – Abbreviations, Vaping Tips and Tricks Part VII
E-liquids come in a range of PG/VG ratios. That’s less because huge numbers of people are allergic to PG, and more because everyone has different preferences — and every vaper should try a pure VG juice at least once.
The most common mix ratios in ready-made e-liquids are:
- 55% PG, 35% VG and 10% distilled water, plus flavourings of course
- 80% VG and 20% distilled water, plus flavourings
and, although they’re offered less often, you may also come across these abroad:
- 90% PG and 10% distilled water, and another one I’ve seen
- 80% PG, 10% VG and 10% everything else
With the last two mix ratios, there’s one thing you need to know: the less VG, the less vapour! Of course, there may be situations where that’s exactly the effect you want. Pure VG e-liquids have the downside that ex-smokers can find them a little flat — the throat hit is missing. There are products designed to add that throat hit, as we’ll see later in the DIY mixing chapters, but something still feels missing. The amount of distilled water also depends on the added flavourings and so on – that’s why these figures are always approximate.
We’ll come back to why the figures are approximate a little later. Beginners in particular can struggle with PG e-liquids, although in very few cases is that actually down to allergies. PG dries out the mucous membranes, which is why you should drink plenty of water. Ideally, just keep sipping mineral water. If the new vaper is also an ex-smoker, the normal cigarette withdrawal comes on top of getting used to PG.
Important! With nicotine e-liquids, you obviously won’t have nicotine withdrawal, but the other toxins found in cigarettes are no longer present in e-liquid — and your body may not be too happy about that during the first few weeks either. That said, when vaping, nobody reaches for a cigarette after two days with trembling fingers. The whole “I can’t stick it out” feeling disappears. Another method, aimed specifically at heavy smokers, is this: just have one cigarette early in the morning and one in the evening. Many vapers are dual users, and I’m one of them. After 20 or 30 years, not everyone can give up the chemical cocktail in cigarettes 100%. But after three days, the old cig doesn’t taste particularly great anymore. Some people then make it down to zero, while others stick with their two or three cigarettes a day. But two or three are not 60 or more. There will of course be more posts on this topic later!
If you were a light smoker, you don’t need any dual-use solutions! I’m mentioning dual-use options because vaping forums often conveniently leave out the fact that dual users exist — and there are quite a few of them. In our next post, we’ll talk about flavour.
