What New Vapers Need to Know About PG & VG

E-liquids don’t contain all that many main ingredients.

In fact, there’s just a handful of them in every given juice:

Carrier – or base – liquids (such as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, and in rare cases MTC oil).
Nicotine (nic shots that are either freebase nicotine or nicotine salts, depending on the nicotine strength you’re going for).
Flavorings (which usually contain different chemicals that are common ingredients we use in food products).

Compared to cigarettes and other tobacco products, vape juices that you load into vape pens are pretty simple.

Still, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be inquisitive when it comes to base vape juice ingredients.

Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine are the first two you need to know more about because they make up the bulk of every e-liquid.

So here’s what they are in a nutshell:

Propylene glycol – odorless and colorless liquid that carries flavors well. Used in many household products. Higher PG e-liquids are recommended for vapers who enjoy flavors and a good throat hit, or have an allergy to vegetable glycerin (although PG allergies are known as well).
Vegetable glycerin – colorless and odorless thick liquid that’s more viscous than PG (also, more sweet and less able to carry nuanced flavors). It’s used in many food products as an artificial sweetener. Higer VG-based e-liquid is recommended for vapers who enjoy big clouds, want to use sub-ohm devices, and love your juices on the sweeter side.

So that’s as much about these that can fit in a nutshell.

Want to know more?

Keep on reading as we explore the details about these base e-liquid ingredients – what are they good for, their drawbacks, and which kind of VG/PG ratio you should be using!

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Let’s dig in!

What Do PG and VG Have To Do With Vaping?

Depending on the manufacturer, a bottle of e-liquid will mostly contain PG, VG, or a mix of both.

Why is that?

It’s because both are what we call base liquids or carrier liquids.

They make up the bulk of a vaping juice because they are odorless, tasteless, harmless, and relatively cheap e-liquid ingredients (compared to other ingredients). Also because they carry flavors and nicotine well, and – thanks to their chemical structure – have a relatively high smoke point that makes them suitable for evaporation.

You see, vaping on pure nicotine would kill a person since high, undiluted nicotine content is a pretty toxic substance. On the other hand, vaping on pure or mildly dilated flavorings is also not recommended – the aromas would simply be too harsh.

Enter PG and VG, which are making vaping in its current form possible.

Keep in mind that vape juice can be almost entirely VG or almost entirely PG (minus the flavorings and the nicotine). However, it can also be a mix of those two base liquids. It’s not uncommon to find e-liquid bottles that say 70/30 PG/VG; or 80/20 VG/PG. Both base liquids have slightly different properties, such as viscosity, ability to carry flavors, evaporation point, and so on.

Next, you will learn a bit more about both of them and find out how vaping with PG is different from vaping with VG, as well as when you should use one over the other (depending on your preference).

What Is PG?

PG stands for propylene glycol.

This is a petroleum-based product (or rather, byproduct) that’s produced from propylene oxide (global yearly production rates are around 900,000 metric tonnes).

It’s a colorless liquid (and ab odorless thick liquid) that’s completely non-corrosive and has negligible toxicity.

Propylene glycol is used in many industries and in products that you probably wouldn’t guess at the first glance, such as:

Asthma inhalers
Beauty products
Baby products
Food
Medicine
Fog machines

(Overblown Health Concerns

Still, there has been a lot of bad press surrounding PG lately, and specifically, its use in the vaping industry in high ratio of PG e-liquids. This is because PG is wrongly associated with ethyl glycol, which is harmful to humans and animals. Vape opponents love to list the dangers of ethyl glycol, erroneously attributing them to PG (deliberately or out of ignorance – that’s hard to say).

However, the American Food Administration agency has long ago given a green light to PG, listing it as generally safe for human consumption. In addition to that, an older study has found that PG has no negative health effects when inhaled. A study from 2010 also concluded that, while certain glycols can be connected to asthma and inflammation, PG is not one of those glycols.

As you can see, when it comes to major health concerns regarding PG, there aren’t any. You can safely vape on 100% PG vape juices without the fear that you’re somehow inhaling a substance that will, in the future, cause you harm. At least, that’s what current research leads us to conclude.

However, this doesn’t mean that PG inhalation doesn’t have certain common side effects for some people. These will occur if you overdo it with vaping or your organism is naturally susceptible to those effects.

PG vaping side-effects include:

Sore throat
Dry mouth
Headaches
Stomach aches
Coughing

If you’re experiencing headaches or stomach aches, it’s best to let your vape rest a bit, since this is indicative of a light overdose. However, coughing, sore throat, and dry mouth are to be expected at the beginning since you’re body is getting adjusted. It’s important to note that you will be more thirsty when vaping so the best way to deal with most of these side-effects is simply to increase your water intake.

In all fairness, we will say that some people are allergic to PG.

One in 10 people will have a mild sensitivity at the beginning of use, although a number of those who are really allergic (upper respiratory problems) is probably somewhere around 3-4 % of the total vaping population. Some allergies are mild and will only manifest if you’re exposed to larger quantities of PG – a large chunk of people who are allergic to PG report no problems if their vape juices contain less than 20 % of the substance (we recommend higher VG liquids to them). If the allergic reaction persists, or if a skin rash starts showing, consider switching to 100 % VG vape juices.

When to Use It

There’s a considerable difference between high VG and high PG vape juices. Vaping on juices with a higher ratio of PG might be the best choice for you if:

Vapor and clouds are not that important to you – PG e-liquid produces less vapor than VG
You need something similar to cigarettes – it has a stronger throat hit than VG
You don’t want to spend money on coils every day – it gunks them up less than the alternative
You’re using vape pen devices with weaker atomizers – it has a thinner consistency

What Is VG?

VG stands for vegetable glycerine.

Vegetable glycerin has nothing to do with petroleum, so if that’s your objection to PG, this should be a natural choice. VG is made from vegetable oil, mainly from plants like soy, coconut, and palm – it’s a 100% natural product and an organic compound. The vapor produced by high VG e-liquids is very thick and smooth, making it perfect for cloud chasing competitions. Yep, there’s an actual sport (well, sort of) that’s evolved from vaping!

It has many uses; more than propylene glycol, in fact. Products in which you can find it include everything from food to personal hygiene items, as well as other products in the pharmaceutical industry.

Here’s a short list:

Used as a food additive
Shampoos and deodorants
Toothpaste
Baked goods
Medicinal products
Cosmetics
Certain types of pet food
Pharmaceutical products

No Health Concerns

Thanks to the fact that VG has no connection to petroleum and is not synthetically manufactured, there was never a VG scare in the newspapers, which is more than we can say for PG. Generally, it is considered to be very safe. Multiple healthcare agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, have come out saying that vegetable glycerine is harmless.

A few studies, such as this one from R.A. Renne et all, even conclude that inhaling glycerol in the aerosol has no detrimental effects on health. This particular study focused on rats, however – it would be great to get a confirmation from a study involving humans since that would put everyone’s minds at ease. That said, we are using it as a food additive and extensively in the food industry, so it certainly isn’t all that bad.

VG vaping side-effects include:

Coughing
Sore throat
Increased thirst
Dry mouth

Again, these effects are mostly short-term or occur if you chain-vape for long periods of time, for example, an hour or so without a break. Sore throat, coughing, and dry mouth will most likely diminish as your body gets used to VG and as for the thirst, it’s always a good idea to drink plenty of fluids when vaping.

One of the concerns with vaping on VG is the fact that it vaporizes at a higher level than PG. This means that, theoretically, it’s possible to heat the juice so much that it starts melting the wicking material, which can then be inhaled as well. Although this is possible, it’s also highly unlikely. In normal vaping circumstances, you would feel your wick burning because that gives off a very unpleasant taste. Naturally, you would stop vaping and investigate the problem, finally replacing the burnt wick material. To be on the safe side, keep an eye on your vaping temperature when using high VG e-liquids – it’s better to be safe than sorry, as they say.

As for VG allergies, they are not as common as PG allergies. An estimated 1 % of the population is allergic to VG, and, in most cases, these are mild allergies. Rule of thumb – if you’re overly sensitive to coconut or palm oil, it would be a good idea to avoid vegetable glycerine and, instead, stick to PG vape juices. Also, diabetics, in theory, might experience some problems when metabolizing VG. However, the amounts of VG that would need to be vaped to trigger a reaction are virtually unachievable so that’s one less thing to worry about.

One other concern is the fact that VG is sweeter. It might not be the best idea to use it if you have problems with your teeth… or if you want to vape immediately after removing a tooth.

When To Use It

As mentioned already, e-liquid manufacturers often mix and match different ratios of vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol. And there really isn’t the ‘perfect ratio’ out there.

There’s a ratio you might prefer, though.

And you might prefer higher VG content if you:

You enjoy a smooth vape – high VG e-liquids are very low on the throat hit
You’re not so bothered with the flavors – VG is not great at carrying flavors
You enjoy sweet taste – VG tends to add a drop of sweet taste to all other flavors
You just love blowing bigger clouds – vapor production is more abundant with high VG fluid
You want to use a sub ohm device and – you’ll get a better cloud kick thanks to thicker consistency
Buying coils every so often is not a biggie – will get a tad dirtier when using high VG
You worry about PG safety since it’s synthetic – VG is completely natural

These are all solid reasons to choose higher VG e-liquids or even go max VG. The choice is completely yours.

Which One Will You Choose?

Remember – there’s no wrong choice here, we’re all different.

If you enjoy clouds, go with VG as your predominant base ingredient.

If you’re more into the flavors, then PG is a good choice.

Of course, you can always take the middle road and choose a 50/50 VG/PG vape juice and enjoy the best of both worlds. In the end, experimenting with the blends will help you find the right PG & VG ratio that will fit your vaping style. Although there are many combinations of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, the most popular ratio seems to be the 70/30 split in favor of propylene glycol. This is something you have complete control of if you’re making your own DIY vape juice. But, vape shops have plenty of choices these days (and the cost of vape juice is at an all time low).

Remember, no one is forcing you to choose one or the other – you can easily choose different rations and switch between them. It’s all down to your personal preference and doesn’t make a huge difference in your vape experience as there’s no perfect ratio. That said, new vapers and users tend to prefer higher PG content because of the more pronounced throat hit sensation. But that’s down to individual wants and needs.

Over to you! What have you been vaping on so far? Are you a hungry cloud monster or a fine connoisseur of flavors?

Drop down to the comment section and let us know!

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