How Long Does E-Liquid Last? And Do E-Liquids Expire?
Are you new to vaping or do you want to find out more about it? Then you have come to the right place. We are going to be answering all of your important questions about e-liquids and vaping. In this post, we will be answering all questions related to ‘how long does e-liquid last?’ such as key information to do with expiry dates, storage and tips on how to get the most out of your e-liquid.
How Long Does A Bottle of E-Liquid Last?
E-liquids have different nicotine strengths, starting at 0mg and going up to 18mg. This is the nicotine contained per milligram or millilitre. The total nicotine can be worked out by multiplying the nicotine strength by the contents of the bottle. For example, if you have a 10 ml bottle of 18mg e-liquid, this is 180mg of nicotine.
A cigarette is always 1 mg of nicotine per one. So, if you smoke 10 cigarettes a day, you will be consuming 10 mg of nicotine per day. If you purchase a 10 ml bottle of e-liquid with a strength of 8 mg, you have 80 mg of nicotine. Therefore, that bottle of e-liquid will last for 8 days, as you will need around 10 mg of nicotine per day and there is a total of 80 mg in the bottle.
As you go further down your smoking-free journey, you will be able to lower the amount of nicotine you consume every day. You will begin to notice that vape juices are lasting you longer.
Does E-Liquid Have an Expiry Date?
Similarly to food, e-liquid has a recommended best before date. Typically, the packaging of an e-liquid will suggest that you use the vape juice within 2 years of its manufacturer date, and this is because of the ingredients that are used to create the liquid. The main ingredients of e-liquid are flavouring, nicotine and propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG). Flavouring has a shelf life of approximately 2 years, and if you use expired e-liquid, you will notice the flavour is very faint.
How Can You Tell If E-Liquid is Expired?
There are a few key signs that e-liquid has expired, these are:
- The liquid practically has no flavour, or the flavour is very faint.
- The ingredients separate in the bottle, and the thicker ingredients will go down to the bottom of the bottle.
- The liquid has darkened in colour.
- You may notice that the liquid has an unpleasant smell.
- You will not feel like your nicotine craving has been satisfied after vaping.
Can You Use Expired E-Liquid?
The expiry date of an e-liquid is a recommendation rather than a rule. There has not been any evidence that expired e-liquid is bad for you. So it is completely your choice. However, you might notice that the vape juice does not taste or smell nice. Additionally, the nicotine in the mixture can fade, so you might not be able to get your nicotine fix for the day with expired e-liquid.
How Should I Store E-Liquids?
Storing e-liquids correctly can help extend how long they last. You must ensure that the cap of the bottle is tightly screwed on, this will ensure that the liquid is not exposed to oxygen (which can weaken the flavour). We also recommend that you store the bottle of e-liquid in a cool and dark place or inside of your fridge. Directly exposing the liquid to sunlight can cause the ingredients to separate in the bottle, which makes the vape juice ineffective.
How Do I Dispose Of E-Liquids?
‘DOs’ of disposing of e-liquids:
- Pour the liquid into coffee grounds to dissolve the vape juice, and then this can be put into the bin.
- Use cat litter to dissolve the liquid, and then dispose of the litter.
- Mix the e-liquid into water. This can be reused and sprayed over plants as a pesticide if you want to get some use out of the e-liquid.
- Put the bottle that the vape juice was in the recycling bin.
‘DON’TS’ of disposing of e-liquids:
- Do not pour the e-liquid down the drain.
- Do not put the bottle with the liquid in it directly into the bin without disposing of the juice first.