When talking about the e-cigarette, many new vapers may be confused about vape juice and it leads to hesitation about purchasing. What’s more, there is little knowledge about what is vape juice, how to store it, etc. To help people learn more, let’s start the trip on vaping.

1. E-juice ingredients

Vegetable Glycerin vs Propylene Glycol

The core of e-juice is two substances: vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol.

Vegetable glycerin (VG) is a viscous, water-soluble juice extracted from natural plant materials, which can be used in food, cosmetics, and medicines. The vape juice, helps vapers feel richer with each puff.

Propylene glycol, abbreviated as PG, is a by-product of petroleum. The substance has no color or odor. PG is most commonly used to contain nicotine and concentrated flavors in e-juices.

2. The Method of Storing E-juice

E-juice is a new substance, and most users do not have much experience. This juice often confuses vapers new to vaping. Some frequently asked questions include:

1)·How e-cigarettee be stored?

2)·Can I freeze it?

First, let's talk about how to store e-juice in the correct way. Essentially, there are three enemies of e- juice freshness.

1. Air
2. Humidity
3. Light

Exposure to any of these elements can greatly affect your e-juice. The nicotine and vegetable glycerin will begin to oxidize, and the taste will weaken or sour. E-cigarette users who love sweet and fruity flavors will be all too familiar with this sour taste. So, how long can the e-juice be stored? It depends on how you store it.

TIPS:

Here are some handy storage tips:

Find a dry and cool place to store e-juice.

Store e- juice in a place away from sunlight.

If you're looking for long-term storage, a refrigerator is your best choice.

For best storage, use dark glass containers to block out as much light as possible.

Some people believe that cold temperatures end up negatively affecting the flavor. However, when it comes to long-term storage, the refrigerator is the best tool we have. It is important to note that e-juices will not freeze in a domestic household freezer due to their much lower freezing point. Note that you should always give them some time to adjust back to room temperature before using them.

3. 
   Will the e-juice go bad?

The answer to this question is yes and no. First, it's important to define what "bad" means in your eyes. In many ways, products do age. Let's take a look at the aging process of e-juice.

E- juices are classified as shelf-stable. This means the product does not contain ingredients that would spoil at room temperature. These types of products can achieve a long shelf life if stored properly. In general, consumers should plan to enjoy their e-juice within 1-2 years of purchase. It is important to consider several factors here.

How long is the shelf life of vape juice

Always take a quick look at the packaging before buying or using the product.

It's important to remember that expiration dates are based on products kept in the best storage options. Casual users are most likely to see shorter time frames than they think. Simply put, the sooner the better. If you are not willing to take the extra step of proper storage, you are best off buying in small doses and using up your supply quickly.

the lifespan of e-juice usually reflects the quality of the product. In terms of flavoring, natural flavorings are thought to oxidize and reduce levels before artificial flavorings. However, low-quality e-juices are thought to degrade faster than high-quality e-juices.

4. 
   How to judge whether the e-juice has deteriorated

Visual symptoms

Check out the visuals. "Healthy" e-juices usually have uniforms The appearance and consistency of the entire substance. Use this as a reference when comparing e-juices. Take a look at the oil in question to see if you can spot any key differences. You may find that the texture or consistency of aged e-juice may be quite different.

Old e-juice can be changed in two ways:

1. An e-juice may separate into different layers, the grease separates, and the overall appearance changes greatly.
2. Others may start to gel together and even develop some solids in the juice.

In either case, it is important to recognize these phenomena as signs of expiration. Many users find that their e-juice turns brown as the product ages. That doesn't bode well for the health of your e-juice, but it's not something to worry about for your health. It is completely normal for e-juice to turn brown over time.

Taste and Smell Symptoms

Next, let's look at smell and taste. Unlike the visuals of a liquid, smell and taste are a bit more subjective and require a bit of expertise. An experienced vaper is much more likely to taste something off in a juice than a new user. 

One way to start when taste testing is by looking at the concentration of flavor. Interestingly enough, some users report that they find the aged e-juice flavor superior to new e-juice. They believe that the extra time the flavor had to develop and darken leads to a more pleasurable experience. Yet, this can only go so far. At one point every juice passes the point of no return. 

Here is when even an experienced vaper should start to raise an eyebrow. Another quick test to run is a smell test. Again, a long-time user will have an easier time with this than a new vaper but make sure to give the juice a good smell. An old juice will most likely give off an offensive smell that most can recognize.

Ultimately, as time passes the compounds found within e-juice inevitably break down. There is no way to truly stop the effects of aging. As the product ages, many of its desirable properties vanish. An e-liquid loses its concentration of nicotine in the product, which may become unsatisfactory to users subsequently.  

Moreover, the flavor that the consumer picked out turns or diminishes in concentration, leaving them with an undesirable taste. A user is left with a product that is deemed safe yet holds no value or taste.

Bottom Line

There is not much public literature on the topic and some users simply don't have enough taste yet to recognize the signs of a past-due product. Just because a product is safe for consumption, does not mean it is good for use. 

We all deserve to enjoy vaping at the best quality. When buying e-liquids make sure to always check the packaging. Hopefully, as awareness surrounding vape juice expiration grows, we can decrease the amount of expired vape juice on the market and get back to vaping only the freshest and best product available.