Published on: 11/07/2022
How to tell if nicotine has been irreparably damaged or you can still use it.
Recently, we have experienced a surprising spread of products offering alternative ways of smoking.
We are talking about electronic cigarettes, which have numerous advantages over traditional cigarettes.
Firstly, it does not involve the process of combustion, which, as you know, is the most significant contributor to cancer-related cigarette smoking.
Secondly, the electronic cigarette does not give off classic smoke, thus avoiding leaving a nasty smell on your clothes or even on your fingers or mouth, freeing you from the classic lousy breath of those who still smoke traditional cigarettes.
Lastly, this new way of smoking, or vaping, offers its users the possibility of choosing from an infinity of aromas.
And if you are one of those vapers who prefer to mix their smoking liquids, you likely have already noticed a strange and slight yellowing of your nicotine base liquid.
Let’s see what it depends on and what to do when it happens.
Read also: Nicotine bases from abroad: should you buy them or not?
Nicotine oxidation: why it happens and how to realise it.
Generally speaking, oxidation refers to a standard process that, reduced to its simplest terms, can be described as a chemical reaction in contact with oxygen.
This kind of process affects both living beings, including humans, and inanimate objects, such as metals.
You may have noticed how a simple apple, soon after being cut, begins to change its colour… Here is a banal example of oxidation!
Contact with the air provoked a reaction identifiable at first sight.
In the case of nicotine, things are no different.
In its liquid state, nicotine is transparent in colour.
If you have noticed, however, that your bottle seems to turn yellow/brownish after some time, don’t worry!
The air inside the bottle, however little, has triggered the oxidation mechanism.
But then, you may be wondering, should I throw away my e-liquid base?
Not necessarily. Looking at the most popular vaping forums, it seems that there is a very simple way to know if your liquid nicotine is still usable: try it.
It seems that the substance takes on a rather unpleasant sour aftertaste as a result of the oxidation process. Also, if you are not a novice to vaping, it will not be difficult for you to realise the difference.
If the colour has changed drastically, you should assess the situation more carefully and possibly discard the liquid that has gone bad.
But where do I discard it?
Good question! This type of substance cannot and must not be dispersed in the environment.
If you want to dispose of a few bottles, consider going to a pharmacy.
They will dispose of it correctly, along with expired medicines.
Returning to nicotine, you may doubt whether it is dangerous once oxidised.
Let’s look at it together.
Is oxidised nicotine dangerous?
Apparently not.
For the time being, no particular consequences related to the use of this substance have been recorded other than those already known to be associated with the consumption of traditional nicotine.
However, as with all products, the best thing to do to avoid inconvenience is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and consume them before the expiry date.
Read also: Who is the inventor of the electronic cigarette? History of the birth of the e-cig
Here are a few tips for storing your liquid correctly.
While it is true that oxidation is a natural chemical process that we cannot inhibit, there are several handy tips for minimising its action.
Perhaps you did not know that nicotine is a photosensitive substance. This means that it changes due to direct light.
For this reason, the first tip I would give you is to store your base away from windows.
Another element that can significantly deteriorate your e-cigarette liquid is heated. Avoid, if you can, storing your bottles near heat sources or moving them frequently, causing temperature changes that are not good for them.
Therefore, the best way to store your bottles is to keep them in a cool place, away from heat and light sources.
What about the bottles? To preserve the durability of nicotine, which ones is best to choose?
In this case, the best choice undoubtedly falls on glass bottles. However, plastic is not recommended for long-term storage.
Finally, I will reveal one last detail that may make all the difference.
If you want to protect your liquid as much as possible from oxidation, a tip that is as bland as it is helpful is to prefer small bottles to minimise the presence of air inside them.
In conclusion, is oxidised nicotine harmful to you?
As I explained above, oxidation is a chemical process resulting from contact with oxygen.
This phenomenon, although unavoidable, can be curbed by implementing a few simple measures, which will help you store your e-cigarette liquids better and for longer.
But what to do if your liquid has already oxidised and is slightly yellowed?
Don’t panic!
All you have to do is vape a small amount to see whether it is still good. In this case, it will have developed an easily recognisable unpleasant aroma.
In any case, I recommend that you always check the expiry date of your e-liquid and follow your supplier’s instructions.
Suppose you are also an electronic cigarette user. In that case, before I say goodbye, I invite you to visit our shop for vapers’ products: you will find plenty of quality items to enjoy your vaping sessions to the full!
We are waiting for you on Terpy.shop!
