How to Choose the Best E-Liquid Base for your Custom Blend

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If you're new to the world of DIY e-liquids, you may be wondering how to choose the best e-liquid base for your custom blend. The base you choose can not only affect the flavour but also have an impact on the nicotine hit and cloud production, so ensuring you choose the correct ingredients is key to a truly satisfying vape.

Here we discuss the benefits of each base to help you get started.

Propylene Glycol - PG

Propylene glycol is a thick, colourless liquid with a faint sweetness. Also known as E-number E1520, it is used in a variety of foods and beverages and is formally recognised by the UK’s Food Standards Agency.

In e-liquids, it is used as a carrier for nicotine and flavour concentrates, so if you are looking to create a juice where the flavour or nicotine hit are the main focus, a higher ratio of PG is advised. The higher the ratio of propylene glycol, the stronger the throat hit will be.

E-liquids with a higher propylene glycol ratio tend to be favoured by ex-smokers and new vapers as the vaping experience tends to be closer to that of smoking a tobacco cigarette.

Our 100% propylene glycol bases can be used alone or mixed with vegetable glycerine.

Vegetable Glycerine - VG

Vegetable glycerine is a liquid with a syrupy consistency and a mildly sweet flavour. It is widely used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, helping oil and water-based ingredients mix together.  

In e-liquids, it is the preferred choice for vapers looking to produce larger clouds.

Vegetable glycerine provides a smoother throat hit, so it tends to be favoured by more established vapers. Also, due to its sweeter flavour, it works well as a base for candy and dessert inspired e-liquids.

Due to the thicker, syrupy consistency of vegetable glycerine e-liquids, they require additional priming as the juice takes longer to saturate the cotton in the coil. Preparation of the coils helps to avoid dry hits and burnt tastes.

Our 100% vegetable glycerine bases are suitable for use alone or combined with propylene glycol. A popular ratio for a high VG e-liquid is 70/30, so this is a great starting point when mixing your own e-liquid.

50/50 Bases

A mix of 50% PG and 50% VG is popular for DIY e-liquids mixed with nic salts. Blending the two options creates a perfect balance of flavour, throat hit, and cloud production.

This ratio is popular in pre-mixed nic salt e-liquids, with almost all the major brands using this blend.

Custom Ratios

Like any other consumable, the 'perfect' blend is subjective. To find your sweet spot and create the best e-liquid ratio for your individual tastes, it's best to experiment with different levels.

Knowing the benefits of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine will help you identify your starting point.

At F&S DIY E-liquid, we offer custom e-liquid bases mixed with either freebase nicotine or nicotine salts. If you prefer a nicotine-free e-liquid base, these are also available with your custom PG/VG blend.

Whatever your DIY e-liquid requirements, from e-liquid bases to flavour concentrates, you'll find it in our online store. Order today for fast UK delivery.