E-Cig Nicotine Levels

When it comes to shaping your personal vaping experience, there are a few factors to consider. While your choice of flavor has a significant effect on how much you enjoy vaping, there’s another element that might be even more important: your vape nicotine levels. Taking a closer look at your e-liquid nicotine levels can make a huge difference in your vape sessions, giving you a simple and effective way to customize your experience and maximize your satisfaction. 

Confused about how to choose nicotine levels when shopping for e-juice? Even though nicotine is an important vape topic, plenty of vapers aren’t as informed as they’d like to be. But with the right information – and of course, top-quality vape juice – you’ll have everything you need to select a nicotine level that suits your preferences.

We’ve assembled a useful guide that will walk you through everything you need to know about nicotine in vape juice, including what it is and how much you might want, making it simple to find the level that’s best for you.

 

What is Nicotine?

Odds are, you’ve heard plenty about nicotine. We’ve all seen the claims about the supposed evils of nicotine, and how it’s the substance to blame for a long list of smoking-related issues, but how many of us actually understand what nicotine is? As it turns out, it’s an all-natural compound with a long history and a less worrisome story than you might think.

Nicotine falls into a category of compounds known as alkaloids, meaning that it contains nitrogen. It occurs naturally in plants from the nightshade family, including tobacco, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, and green peppers. Nicotine was first isolated from the tobacco plant in the 1800s and is a key ingredient in both traditional cigarettes and vape juices today.

When you look at nicotine through a scientific lens, it’s actually surprisingly similar to caffeine, the compound responsible for the buzz you enjoy after a morning cup of joe. It’s a natural stimulant, which means that it can decrease tension, support improved focus and sensory processing, and slightly increase your heart rate – that’s right, the same effects of your favorite coffeehouse latte.

 

Understanding Vape Juice Nicotine Levels

One of the biggest benefits of vaping is that when you shop for e-liquids, you know exactly what you’re getting in terms of nicotine levels. This makes it much easier to choose a product that suits your preferences, so you can tailor an experience that you know you’ll enjoy.

Every bottle of e-juice is labeled with the blend’s specific nicotine content, usually labeled in milligrams (for example, 3mg). The nicotine content describes how much nicotine is contained in 1mL of that vape juice. You might see some e-juices labeled with nicotine percentages, like 1.8%. In those cases, the percentage represents the milligrams of nicotine in every 1mL (18 milligrams in 1mL).

You can find e-liquid for sale in the following nicotine strengths:

  • 0mg (nicotine-free e-liquids)
  • 3mg
  • 6mg
  • 12mg
  • 18mg
  • 24mg
  • 36mg

Your preferred brand of e-liquid might span the full spectrum of nicotine strengths, or it may just offer a handful of options. You can also consider nicotine salts, which are infused with a slightly different form of nicotine.

 

Finding Your Ideal Nicotine Level

Like most of the decisions, you’ll make while vaping, there’s no “right answer” when it comes to choosing an e-liquid nicotine level – except the one that produces your ideal experience. Many different factors come into play when choosing the right nicotine level, but many vapers use the following guidelines to find a good starting point:

  • 0mg/mL (also known as no nicotine e-liquid) is preferred by vapers who want to avoid nicotine or those that have worked to eliminate nicotine dependence after making the switch. If you are a new vaper who didn’t previously smoke tobacco cigarettes, 0mg/mL is usually a good fit.
  • 3mg/mL is a nicotine level best suited to vapers who are tapering down their nicotine levels in hope of removing it from their routine altogether.
  • 6mg/mL is ideal for vapers who are light to moderate users.
  • 12mg/mL is typically selected by vapers who are heavy users.

Nicotine interacts with each individual’s body in a unique way, so there are no one-size-fits-all recommendations for vaping nicotine levels. While the guidelines listed above offer a useful point of reference, there are more factors to think about when choosing the best nicotine level for your vape:

 

Your Desired Throat Hit and Taste

Sometimes, higher levels of nicotine in your vape juice can mean that you end up with a harsher taste and throat hit. For some vapers, this is a plus; but others don’t necessarily agree. If you want a gentler flavor and smoother throat hit, try going with a lower nicotine level.

 

Your Personal Vape Style

Many vapers don’t realize that the way they vape should be something they consider when shopping for nicotine vape juice. For example, marathon vapers (those that like long, extended vape sessions) typically achieve the best experience with low to moderate nicotine levels. But if your vape sessions are few and far between, you’ll likely have no negative side effects from a high-nicotine vape juice.

 

Sub-Ohm Vaping

Are you a serious sub-ohm vaper? If so, then a lower nicotine concentration could better serve your vaping goals. Sub-ohm mods are designed to produce large, fluffy clouds, which allows you to ingest nicotine more efficiently. As a result, many sub-ohm vapers find that moderate nicotine percentages are more than enough for a satisfying experience. If you’re planning to sub-ohm vape, start out with 3 or 6mg of nicotine and go from there.

 

Your Personal Goals

Some vapers want to work towards a nicotine-free lifestyle, while others don’t deem it a priority. Ultimately, it’s up to you. If you do want to taper off your nicotine intake, starting with a moderate nicotine content level and moving down can be a good approach. However, if you aren’t interested in transitioning away from nicotine, then you can simply determine your ideal level and stick with it.

 

What About Nicotine Salts?

Just when many vapers though they knew everything about nicotine, a brand-new category of nicotine e-liquid burst onto the scene. Nicotine salts, sometimes called salt nic or nic salt e-liquids, are changing the nicotine game.

These unique vape juices use a form of nicotine with a lower pH level, which results in an impressively mild, smooth throat hit. Not only do many vapers report a more enjoyable experience, but they say they also notice a boost in cloud production and flavor quality. Some even say that they end up saving money with nicotine salts because they can achieve a satisfying vape session with far less product and time.

If you want to try nicotine salts, we suggest pairing them with lower-wattage vapes. They are typically recommended for use with pod-style vapes, so you won’t want to load up your high-powered sub-ohm with nic salts – the results will be less than optimal.

 

Shop Premium Nicotine Vape Juice from South Beach Smoke 

No matter what level of nicotine you prefer, South Beach Smoke has you covered. From no-nicotine e-liquids to those on the high end of the concentration spectrum, we’re proud to carry an extensive selection of premium-quality options. You can even create your own custom blend, mixing it up with your ideal nicotine content, flavors, and VG/PG ratio. The possibilities are endless!

Explore our vape juice bestsellers and buy your next go-to e-liquid from South Beach Smoke today.

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Bulgn