What is the Purpose of Vegetable Glycerin in Vape Liquids? 

How Vegetable Glycerin is Used in Vape Liquid

What is Vegetable Glycerin? 

E-liquid (vape liquid) is created in a couple of ways. One method uses Vegetable Glycerin (VG) which is derived from vegetables, then distilled for purification. VG is a clear or slightly brown, odourless, thick liquid. While it can be produced from soybean, coconut, or palm, the most common glycerin used in e-liquid is from palm, with soybean making up the rest of any VG-based vapes.

VG is used in many industries including household products, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and beauty and medical products due to its hydration and moisturizing properties. It is also used in food production as a sweetener. 

How is Vegetable Glycerin Used in Vape Liquids?

VG is much more viscous than propylene glycol, which is the other option for vape liquid bases. This means that it produces a much larger cloud but also happens to directly affect the taste due to being quite sweet. 

Due to its high viscosity, VG typically takes a longer time and more power to achieve the ideal vaping temperature. If a vape device uses polyfill or wick materials, VG takes longer to penetrate the wick. This translates to a longer time between each vape inhalation as the glycerin is absorbed into the wick slowly. 

The main reason that Vegetable Glycerin might be chosen over the other e-liquid option, propylene glycol (PG), is that it creates thick clouds that PG does not, therefore mimicking traditional smoking. It also is easier on the throat than its counterpart, which can lead to less irritation while vaping and a more enjoyable experience.