Nicotine ratio for electronic cigarettes: how to calculate it

Calculating nicotine for e-cig liquids

Published on: 13/05/2022

Do you need help calculating the nicotine for your diy liquids? Here is a simple and practical guide

If you have been using an electronic cigarette for some time, you may be tired of the usual ready-made liquids and want to try something new and unique. You’ve probably heard that making any kind of e-liquid at home is possible, but you don’t know where to start, especially when it comes to nicotine concentration.

Careful nicotine dosage is essential to avoid the discomfort that could drive you away from vaping and back into a cigarette habit. If you use too much nicotine, you risk suffering from headaches, dizziness and nausea. If you use too little, nicotine withdrawal symptoms will come back to haunt you.

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about mixing your own homemade liquids practically and straightforwardly and explain how to dose the nicotine concentration to suit your needs precisely.

DIY liquid components

What products are needed to mix an excellent DIY liquid?

Making your own vaping liquids at home is not difficult, and you don’t need any professional laboratory equipment. The only thing you need is ‘know-how’.

Before explaining to you how much nicotine you will need to use to obtain an ideal result, I must briefly list everything you will need to mix the e-liquid:

  • propylene glycol: This is a substance used in many areas, for example, in ‘smoke machines’ used at concerts or in the food industry as an additive. The role of this product in e-cigarette liquids is to improve the perception of aroma and increase the ‘throat hit’ when vaping;
  • vegetable glycerine: this is a thick, sweetish liquid used in the cosmetics and food industries. It is sometimes even added to wine to enhance the flavour. Vegetable glycerine is added to vaping liquids to increase the density and quantity of vapour produced by the electronic cigarette;
  • concentrated flavouring: there are many different types to suit every vaper’s taste. They should never be used without first diluting them with the rest of the substances on the list;
  • nicotine base: a high concentration solution of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine containing nicotine. This product should also never be used before diluting.

Read also: Are nicotine gums bad for you? Here are the contraindications

Cheek or lung vape? It is the first dilemma in understanding how to mix a homemade liquid.

Now that you know which ingredients you need to produce an electronic cigarette liquid, I have to start explaining the percentages you need to mix them. To simplify the process, it is best to think in ’round figures’ and set yourself the goal of obtaining 100 ml of e-liquid.

Concentrated flavouring is usually sold in 10 ml bottles and should be diluted to 10%. In other words, to produce 100 ml of vaping liquid, you need to use a whole packet. Please note that some concentrated flavourings may need to be diluted in different percentages. Read the instructions on the packaging carefully before proceeding.

As far as glycol and glycerine are concerned, there is no correct percentage for all situations. Therefore, these substances must be dosed differently depending on the type of liquid you want to obtain.

If you use an electronic cheek cigarette, you will have to mix the glycerine and glycol in a 50/50 ratio, i.e. in equal parts. For liquids to be used with lung devices, on the other hand, the ideal ratio is 70/30, i.e. 70 ml of glycerine and 30 ml of glycol per 100 ml of liquid.

In addition, the type of e-cigarette used also influences the amount of nicotine required: for lung smoking, a concentration of 3 mg/ml may be sufficient. For cheek smoking, on the other hand, a concentration of at least 6 mg/ml is necessary to not suffer from nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

How much nicotine to put in DIY liquids

It is how much nicotine you need for DIY liquids

We have finally reached the climax: I will now explain how much nicotine you need to add to your homemade liquid.

I don’t want to give you this information pedantically and discursive but instead offer you easy-to-use recipes. To apply them to any situation, you will need to purchase nicotine bases with a concentration of 20 mg/ml:

  • for 100 ml of cheek liquid for a former heavy smoker (nicotine concentration of 12 mg/ml), you will need to mix:
    • – 6 vials of nicotine base with a concentration of 20 mg/ml;
    • – one 10 ml vial of concentrated flavouring;
    • – 15 ml propylene glycol;
    • – 15 ml of vegetable glycerine;
  • for 100 ml of cheek liquid for a former occasional smoker (nicotine concentration of 6 mg/ml), you will need to mix
    • – 3 vials of nicotine base with a concentration of 20 mg/ml;
    • – one 10 ml vial of concentrated flavouring;
    • – 30 ml propylene glycol;
    • – 30 ml of vegetable glycerine;
  • for 100 ml of lung liquid for a heavy smoker (nicotine concentration of 4 mg/ml), you will need to mix
    • – 2 vials of nicotine base with a concentration of 20 mg/ml;
    • – one 10 ml vial of concentrated flavouring;
    • – 20 ml propylene glycol;
    • – 50 ml of vegetable glycerine;
  • for 100 ml of lung liquid for a former occasional smoker (nicotine concentration of 2 mg/ml), you will need to mix
    • – one vial of nicotine base with a concentration of 20 mg/ml;
    • – one 10 ml vial of concentrated flavouring;
    • – 25 ml propylene glycol;
    • – 55 ml of vegetable glycerine.

Read also: Nicotine patches: do they work? Let’s clarify

In conclusion

You now know how to calculate the nicotine for your homemade liquids and how to dose all the other ingredients to make great vaping products. So use the recipes I have indicated at the end of the article and enjoy your moments of relaxation with an electronic cigarette!

Are you ready to mix the liquids you’ve always wanted? Then go to Terpy and buy everything you need! You will find many high-quality products in our shop, from concentrated flavours to nicotine bases.

We are waiting for you on Terpy.com!