I don't think you need to be too worried about touching e-liquid. I could be wrong, but isn't it nicotine extract? I don't think pure nicotine in it's raw chemical form is being mixed. Sometimes i get a small amount on my lips, or tongue after a refill. Sure i get a warm, fuzzy tingly feeling, but I just wipe it off. I honestly don't think you need to worry, or wear latex gloves. I think that sends a mis-guided message to those who are interested in vaping. I'm not going to say it's harmless, but if your head is screwed on tightly, you shouldn't have a problem.
Just be careful & KEEP IT OUT OF REACH if you have kids.
I'm not quite following the distinction you're making...?
I was under the impression that, well, the compound is the same in any case. Just the concentrations we're working with will vary. Even though we're not handling pure nicotine, or anywhere near pure, it doesn't mean it's safe as milk.
I think people who are considering DIY e-liquid or handling their liquid a lot can and should be warned that it's not like baking a cake. You're handling a chemical that can irritate mucous membranes, accidentally lead to an unpleasant OD, kill children or small animals, etc.
So, definitely agreed on the caution with children in the house (I'd lock the stuff up in a cashbox or toolbox if I had little ones and pets around).
And the higher a concentration you're working with, the more caution is important - like when you're dealing with nic levels above what you're used to vaping. So I'd say it's possible that some people should be more cautious than others if they have a low tolerance, but nonetheless everybody should be responsible.
Your mouth and the back of your hands are highly vascularized and you can absorb nicotine into your bloodstream fairly quickly if you spill some there. (And, um, no rubbing eyes with nic on the fingers. Yes, it seems obvious when it's said, but...) A few drops of regular e-liquid can
probably be tolerated, but accidents do happen.
And just my hypothesis:
Given that many of us may not be absorbing the full labeled nicotine content through vaping, absorbing it transdermally (through skin) by accident may lead to more nicotine in the bloodstream than if we vaped an equivalent amount.
Lastly, a thought...
Enough people in the ER (or any deaths) from handling e-liquid, and we have a much harder road to getting e-cigs accepted by regulators.