Vaping FAQs - Vapor Shoppe

What is vaping?

Vaping is the action or practice of inhaling and exhaling the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette. There are many vaping devices out there, but they all work in the same fundamental way: A battery powers a coil heating element that turns a liquid solution known as e-liquid into an aerosol. 

Why should I vape?

When a cigarette is burning, it creates more than 7,000 chemicals, many of which are poisonous and/or carcinogenic. Vaping, on the other hand, contains only 3 ingredients: propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and nicotine. Vaping provides you with the sensations, rituals and nicotine that smoking provides, but is not smoking. In fact, from a flavour perspective, we believe vaping is now more enjoyable and satisfying than smoking ever was.

What are propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG)?

Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine are the ingredients in freebase e-liquid that work together to produce vapour. PG and VG are used in a variety of common foods at your local grocery store, such as pastries, teas, and ice creams. PG is associated with a stronger “throat hit” but with less visible vapour, whereas VG has a sweetish taste and produces a much more visible vapour. Some vapers find PG irritates their throat and lungs and choose to use VG based e-liquids instead. Some e-liquids contain a blend of both ingredients to balance out the characteristics of each.

What is nicotine salt?

Most e-cigarettes use solvents such as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin as the carrier compounds in the aerosol; however, nicotine salts are formed from a nicotine base and a weak organic acid instead. The benzoic acid in nicotine salt serves two major purposes: first, it allows the nicotine salt to vaporize at much lower temperatures and therefore delivers a much smoother hit, and second, it helps the nicotine absorb into the user’s body much faster than freebase nicotine.

Should I vape freebase e-liquid or nicotine salt?

There are two different types of e-liquids to choose from: nicotine salts and freebase nicotine. Studies show that people who regularly use pod-style e-cigarettes with nicotine salts, such as the brand JUUL and STLTH, have higher levels of nicotine in their bodies than those who regularly vape freebase nicotine. However, freebase nicotine can deliver a harsh and unappealing sensation when inhaled, whereas, salt nicotine is vaporized inside the pod and quickly delivers a high concentration of nicotine to the body without the unpleasant harshness provided by freebase nicotine. If a consumer uses a combination of both of these methods, they will be consuming less nicotine than with solely using nicotine salts, as well as satisfying their nicotine craving much faster than with solely using freebase nicotine. We strongly suggest using both of these methods because if a user consumes only nicotine salt, they may consume too much nicotine and feel sick afterwards; and if a user consumes only freebase nicotine, they may not fully satisfy their nicotine craving.

How can I attain the benefits of both freebase e-liquid and nicotine salt?

A person can do this by purchasing a sub-ohm device with freebase nicotine to use as their main vape device at home, as well as a nicotine salts pod system to provide nearly-instant satisfaction and to bring out to the bar or to other places where you may not want to carry around a larger sub-ohm device. If quitting smoking is your goal, using a combination of nicotine salts and freebase nicotine may be your best bet!