E-liquid is sold in a range of nicotine strengths, and the strength is printed on every bottle. Picking one is harder than reading the label, though, because tolerance differs from person to person. Expect some trial and error.
The strengths you will see
- Freebase e-juice: 0mg, 3mg, 6mg, 12mg or 18mg
- Nicotine salt e-liquid: higher strengths such as 24mg, 36mg and 50mg
What nicotine is
Nicotine is an alkaloid that occurs in tobacco and in many other plants. It can be extracted from tobacco or made synthetically in a lab. It acts as a stimulant, and some users say they find it relaxing.
Nicotine is addictive. Taking it prompts the brain to release dopamine, a chemical tied to the feeling of pleasure, and that reinforces the urge to take more. Very high doses of nicotine can be dangerous.
Too much and too little
A juice that is too strong for you can bring on an overwhelming head rush. One that is too weak may leave you feeling nothing from it. The aim is a level between those two.
How to narrow it down
Three things guide the choice: how often you vape, the throat hit you feel and the buzz you get.
- Begin low. The usual approach is to pick a low strength and move up a step at a time. If a 3mg bottle does not do enough for you, the next one can be 6mg.
- Consider your history with nicotine. Someone with no prior nicotine use needs a much lower level than someone who used to smoke. As a loose guide, former light smokers tend to land on 3mg to 6mg, and former heavy smokers on 12mg or 18mg. Nicotine salts at 24mg or more deliver a strong buzz and are chosen by people who want a sensation close to a cigarette. These are suggestions, not rules.
- Match it to how often you puff. If you vape only now and then, a higher strength gets you there in a few puffs. If you vape almost continuously, a low strength lets you take many puffs without an overpowering rush.
- Change it if it is wrong. Nothing obliges you to stay with a level that does not suit you.
Signs you have the level right
For a former smoker, the sensation should be about what a cigarette gave, and you should feel satisfied; if it falls short of that, keep adjusting. For someone new to nicotine, the throat hit and the buzz should not feel intense.
Where to find them
ejuice.deals stocks both freebase and nicotine salt e-liquids across a wide spread of strengths.