Nicotine in E-Cigarettes – Freebase vs Nic Salts
Nicotine in E-Cigarettes
Nicotine is a term almost everyone has heard of. But surprisingly few people know what nicotine actually is. Mention that it’s also found in potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines and other crops, and most people are confused at first. The explanation is simple: nicotine is a natural defence mechanism against insects. It occurs mainly in nightshade plants and, until just a few decades ago, was even used in agriculture as an insecticide. As for why nicotine is found in e-cigarettes, that probably doesn’t need much explaining.
In this post, we’ll look at how nicotine works, the different forms of nicotine used in e-cigarettes and, most importantly, help clear up what nicotine really is.
How does nicotine work?
Put simply, nicotine stimulates dopamine production, which can create a calming sense of well-being. It also activates areas of the brain involved in wakefulness and attention. That makes the feeling of relaxing after a stressful moment, or “rewarding yourself with a cigarette”, easy to understand.
Nicotine and nic salts
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Nic salt • Contains benzoic or citric acid |
Freebase • No additives |
You’ll often hear that nic salts hit faster and harder. That’s only partly true, though, and it comes down to one key reason: nic salts make much higher, more tolerable nicotine strengths possible than freebase nicotine. In the USA, for example, you’ll often find nic salt e-liquids with 50mg / ml or more. That’s because nic salt is significantly smoother to inhale than freebase nicotine. Of course, it also depends on whether you vape MTL or DL.
If you compare them directly in an MTL device, for example, 50mg / ml nic salt might feel roughly as harsh on the throat as around 18mg / ml freebase. Of course, that comparison is subjective and won’t be true for everyone. But it shows that with nic salts, you can comfortably take in about twice as much nicotine without constantly coughing. So yes, nic salt can feel stronger – but only if you increase the nicotine strength in your e-liquid enough. That makes nic salts ideal for vapers who are extremely sensitive and struggle to inhale even tiny amounts of freebase nicotine.
