Are vapes vegan-friendly?
As a vegan, you may be wondering whether vaping is vegan-friendly. Maybe you’ve never vaped before, but you’re looking to start, or you’ve tried it and are now wondering if it goes against your vegan lifestyle.
Whatever the reason, it’s a question that continues to pop up. When we look at vapes being vegan, we don’t just mean the ingredients used, but also the process behind their manufacture.
While yes, most vapes sold in the UK are vegan-friendly, the industry as a whole isn’t free of animal byproducts. Therefore, you need to look closely to make sure the products you’re buying align with your lifestyle.
Are vapes actually vegan-friendly?
The good news is that a lot of vapes and vape products on the market are both vegan and cruelty-free.
With veganism on the rise, it’s more important now than ever to offer vegan-friendly products at large and promote sustainable practices while fighting animal cruelty. Most e-liquids and vape products on the market use only plant-based or synthetic ingredients, making them vegan-friendly.
However, that doesn’t mean every manufacturer avoids animal testing or doesn’t use animal byproducts as flavourings. When it comes to UK and European businesses, laws are in place to discourage animal testing for vape and tobacco products, so these are generally safe for vegans.
That means brands outside the UK and the European Union are less focused on animal welfare rights, and there’s a good chance animal exploitation is involved in the production of their products.
What’s in typical e-liquid?
A standard vape juice contains four components, which are vegan by nature:
- Vegetable glycerine (VG): A thick, sweet liquid made from plant oils (like coconut or soy).
- Propylene glycol (PG): A thinner, odourless base that carries natural flavour and contains no animal products. PG is a synthetic compound.
- Nicotine: Nicotine is usually extracted from tobacco plants (a member of the nightshade family) or made entirely in a lab. However, if these plants have been covered in pesticides, then it may go against some vegans' morals, since they’re used to kill insects. However, nicotine is free of animal products.
- Flavourings: The fun flavours found in vape juice, such as fruit, mint, and savoury foods, are made from natural extracts or artificial flavourings. Most of these are vegan (fruit, herbs, or lab-made chemicals). However, some expectations exist (see below).
Animal-derived flavourings (what to avoid)
While most products used to create the e-juice flavours we all know and love are vegan-friendly, some manufacturers use hidden animal-derived ingredients. This includes:
- Castoreum: An oily secretion from a beaver’s glands, traditionally used to flavour vanilla, raspberry or strawberry.
- Collagen or glycerin: On very rare occasions, gelling agents like collagen or glycerin from animal fat have been used in cheap vape e-liquids.
- Cochineal (carmine): This product is made from crushed beetles and is used as a colouring in strawberry and other fruity e-liquid flavours.
All of our VG, PG, and nicotine e-liquids at Juicemate are vegan-friendly, since they are made from synthetic and plant-based ingredients. If you’re unsure about any of our products, feel free to contact us, and we can help you out.
Are disposable vapes vegan?
It’s been established that disposable vapes aren’t the best choice when it comes to the health of the planet. But what about veganism?
Most disposable vapes and refill kits use exactly the same e-liquid ingredients as reusable vapes, so there’s really not much difference in that department.
The best thing to do is to find a brand that is transparent about the ingredients it uses and avoid those that contain animal byproducts. When it comes to the products used for the casing of both disposable and reusable vapes, some brands may use leather for hand grips or animal-based glue to stick components together.
Look for brands that use synthetic rubber and adhesives for the manufacturing of their vapes.
Vaping vs Smoking (for vegans)
If you’re a frequent smoker and you’re looking to switch to vaping, the good news is that vaping is much more vegan-friendly.
Traditional cigarettes are loaded with animal-derived additives. Some tobacco filters use pork blood (porcine haemoglobin) and beeswax, and manufacturers have used castoreum for flavouring, which is derived from beaver glands.
Switching to a plant-based vape is not only better for your health, but it’s also more aligned with vegan values and ethics.
Vegan-friendly E-liquids at Juicemate
If you’re thinking about switching to vapes today, we stock a range of vegan-friendly e-liquids and vapes at great prices.
With a range of high-PG, VG, and nicotine-free e-liquids to choose from, you can choose from a range of tasty fruity flavours or icy mints, 100% free from animal products.
With our collection, you can enjoy all your favourite flavours guilt-free!