Vaping has grown to become one of the most popular means of using nicotine. Some suggest that the reason behind this is increased safety, and others say it is due to feasibility for better dosage control. But the actual reason behind the rising popularity of vaping for nicotine use is, in fact, debatable.
Dosage is a critical challenge while using regular cigarettes. While it is possible to understand how much tobacco is present, the effective nicotine concentration in every cigarette is not regulated. Vaping indeed provides a controlled method for using nicotine, but not without some challenges.
Even experienced vapers often feel confused with the various measurements used to determine the nicotine content in e-liquids. Moreover, nicotine salt liquids are a fairly new category that exhibits certain advantages over traditional e-liquids. Dosage, in this case, is also slightly different from regular nicotine-infused e-liquids. So how can we determine the absolute nicotine content in a vaping liquid? Well, let us find out a few simple ways to do this.
Contents
Understanding Nicotine Levels
The first step before opting for an e-liquid subscription is to determine the right e-liquid for yourself. The factors to consider include flavors, the ratio of base ingredients such as vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol, and of course, the nicotine concentration. It helps develop a better understanding of your vaping habits and reduces health risks associated with careless choices.
Different vape manufacturers use various forms of measurements to determine the nicotine concentration in the e-liquid.
The mg/ml metrics
The mg/ml is one of the most commonly used metrics to show the nicotine content in e-liquids. Milligram or mg is a measure of solids, whereas milliliter or ml is a liquid metric. The mg/ml measurement determines the nicotine content in mg per every ml of the vape juice. To calculate the absolute nicotine level in the entire bottle, multiple the value of nicotine by the total volume of the bottle.
For example, if a 100 ml vape juice bottle says 10mg/ml nicotine concentration, then the total nicotine in the vape juice is 10*100 = 1000mg.
Percentage Metric
Like the mg/ml metric, the percentage is another common expression for nicotine concentration in vape juices. The basic principle here is to understand the ratio of nicotine present to the complete volume of the vape juice bottle.
For example, if your 100 ml vape juice bottle says 5% nicotine concentration, then the absolute nicotine present in your e-liquid is 5ml.
Converting Between The Systems
You can also convert between the two metrics using this easy trick. If you have the mg/ml nicotine concentration, simply divide this value by 10 to get the percentage concentration.
For example, a bottle with 10mg/ml concentration contains 10/10 = 1% nicotine concentration.
To convert the percentage concentration to mg/ml, multiply by 10.
For example, a bottle with 5% nicotine concentration contains 5 * 10 = 50mg/ml nicotine.
Remember:
- Although both metrics are accurate expressions of nicotine levels and can help select a suitable vape juice, the mg/ml is helpful for dosage comparison with regular cigarettes.
- Follow any one metric system while looking for e-juices to ensure you always pick the right bottle.
Choosing The Right Nicotine Level
Matching your regular nicotine with vape juice is crucial to relieve the pressure of transitioning to vaping. New vapers find this task quite challenging. They are less likely to switch to vaping completely due to improper nicotine levels in vape juice.
The golden rule is 12 – 18 mg/ml for light smokers and 24mg/ml for chain smokers. This is a good point to start, although you can try increasing or decreasing the levels to find the best match. You can slowly bring down the concentrations to 9mg/ml, 3mg/ml, until you finally transition to nicotine-free vape juices.
The advantage of stepping down is you train your body to sustain on lower nicotine. You can practice lowering the concentration till you are eventually rid of the dependency.
Explore Nic Salts
If you find even the highest nicotine concentration in vape liquids unsatisfying, there might be two ways to solve this problem. Often, low PG levels in the vape liquid cause a low throat hit that increases the craving to vape more. It is a common problem for new vapers who seek the same feeling as smoking while they vape. An elegant solution for this problem would be to explore e-liquids with a healthy balance of VG: PG. It ensures good cloud density and a potent throat hit, to express the nicotine well.
Alternatively, you can go for nicotine salt e-liquids. Compared to regular juices that use freebase nicotine that is highly addictive and harsh, nicotine salt liquids offer a different experience. They exhibit lower bioavailability, thus leveling fewer traces of the chemical in the bloodstream. It is also less addictive and binds easily with any acid to give a good feeling. A 40mg/ml nic salt vape juice should be a good fit for heavy smokers to soothe their cravings.
Conclusion
Understanding the exact concentration of nicotine in e-liquid is essential to keep track of daily use. The information can also come in handy to choose e-liquids that suit your throat better.
Use this information about nicotine concentrations in e-liquids to pick the right choices for your vaping experiments. Don`t forget to look for a balance of nicotine with optimum levels of Vegetable Glycerin and Propylene Glycol in your e-liquid for the best effects.