How E-Liquid is Made?
E-liquid looks simple in the bottle, but what is in it determines how it behaves in your device — how much vapour it makes, how it carries flavour, and whether it wicks properly. This is what goes into it and why each part matters.
The four ingredients
Almost every e-liquid is built from the same four things: propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavouring and, usually, nicotine.
Vegetable glycerine (VG)
A thick, slightly sweet liquid derived from vegetable oils such as palm, coconut or soybean. It is widely used in food — icings, tinned goods, jams, cereal bars.
In e-liquid, VG is what produces vapour. The higher the VG, the more vapour and the smoother the draw. It is also thicker, which is why high-VG liquid needs a coil designed to wick it.
Propylene glycol (PG)
A thin, colourless, near-tasteless liquid. It carries flavour better than VG and gives a sharper throat hit, but produces less vapour.
Because it is thinner, PG wicks more easily, which is why smaller devices and pod systems tend to want higher-PG liquid. Some people find PG irritating; if that is you, a higher-VG e-liquid is the better choice.
The ratio is the thing to check
Most bottles state a ratio such as 70/30 VG/PG. That single number tells you more about how the liquid will behave than the flavour name does.
If a device is not wicking properly — dry hits, muted flavour — the ratio is often why. Our guide to choosing an e-liquid covers matching ratio to device.
Flavourings
Food-grade flavour concentrates, in an enormous range — fruit, dessert, drinks, menthol, tobacco. Most manufacturers do not publish their exact flavour formulations, which is normal in the food industry.
How nicotine strength is measured
Strength is given in milligrams per millilitre (mg/ml), often shortened to just "mg" on the label.
It is a concentration, not a total. A liquid labelled 3mg contains 3 milligrams of nicotine in every millilitre — so a 30ml bottle at 3mg/ml holds 90mg of nicotine in total. A 30ml bottle at 30mg/ml holds 900mg.
Some labels use a percentage instead. They are the same measure: 3mg/ml is 0.3%, 20mg/ml is 2%, 50mg/ml is 5%.
Which strength suits you depends heavily on your device. Salt nicotine at 30–50mg is built for small pod systems; freebase at 3–12mg is for larger sub-ohm devices. Our nic salt comparison explains why the same number feels very different in each.
Handling nicotine liquid safely
Concentrated nicotine liquid should be handled with care. Keep bottles closed, stored out of reach of children and pets, and wipe up spills rather than leaving them on skin.
This matters most with high-strength salt nicotine. Ordinary refilling of a pod is not a concern — just do not treat the liquid casually.
Storing it
Cool, dark and sealed. Heat and sunlight degrade flavour and darken the liquid over time, which matters more here than in most climates. Do not leave a bottle in a parked car.
Our guide on whether vape juice expires covers shelf life in more detail.
What to check when buying
Products placed legally on the UAE market must meet national standards for composition and labelling and be registered before sale. Look for health warnings in both Arabic and English, an expiry date and an ingredients list.
Everything we stock comes through authorised UAE distributors. If you want the sourcing on a specific bottle, ask us.
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Nicotine products are restricted to adults aged 18 and over in the UAE.
