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It's when the maker suggests when the juice will last be at its best in nic and flavor when stored correctly.
It usually was 2 years from the time it was made.
You won't get sick after that date, but it probably won't taste as good or have the strength it once had.
It usually was 2 years from the time it was made.
You won't get sick after that date, but it probably won't taste as good or have the strength it once had.
And don't forget to take that info with a grain a salt.
Most dates are off by a large margin. Store it properly and you can use it until it no longer tastes good to you.
Most dates are off by a large margin. Store it properly and you can use it until it no longer tastes good to you.
Hi, Aescwynn, and welcome to ECF 
IME, the "use by" date isn't really helpful. Properly stored, i.e. cool and dark and minimizing exposure to air, juice should be good for a year or more. Use by is from the maker, and their thinking that either the flavors or the nic will degrade over time, along with their thoughts on when it will have the "best" flavor. Well, yes, they will eventually degrade, but it usually takes a LONG time! Excessive heat may cause the flavors to go "off", and along with lots of O2 may cause the nic to lose some of it's potency. Otherwise, no problems. I've had store bought over a year old, stored capped on a bookshelf, for over a year with no apparent lost of taste or effect.
DO shake the bottle before using, as things can have a tendency to separate out. If it smells ok, it's ok
IME, the "use by" date isn't really helpful. Properly stored, i.e. cool and dark and minimizing exposure to air, juice should be good for a year or more. Use by is from the maker, and their thinking that either the flavors or the nic will degrade over time, along with their thoughts on when it will have the "best" flavor. Well, yes, they will eventually degrade, but it usually takes a LONG time! Excessive heat may cause the flavors to go "off", and along with lots of O2 may cause the nic to lose some of it's potency. Otherwise, no problems. I've had store bought over a year old, stored capped on a bookshelf, for over a year with no apparent lost of taste or effect.
DO shake the bottle before using, as things can have a tendency to separate out. If it smells ok, it's ok
Eliquid does seem to have a fair amount of longevity, and I don't know that I trust use by dates so much. If the juice looks really, really dark, or tastes off, I wouldn't use it, nor if any particulate matter had precipitated into the liquid. Otherwise, well, it depends. If you have eliquids that you don't think you will use for a time, store in a cool dark place. Even a refrigerator might be okay, for longer term storage, although it may cause the liquid to look cloudy or even separated, well, what matters is what it looks like once brought to room temp and shaken. There are times flavor may precipitate out under cold conditions. I keep my flavors in the fridge, but I live in Tucson, which is pretty much the same as living on the surface of the sun. Any "cool" place created is going to be artificial.
But, 2 years is a reasonable time to finish off a bottle of eliquid. If you come across, ever, a bottle you've misplaced and it's aged a great deal, I generally will make that decision based on how the liquid looks, and if it looks okay I will vape it, and if it tastes okay and I like it, I will use it.
However, these are really decisions you need to make for yourself, you are the one who will be vaping it. I tossed some eliquid that was like 7 years old (it looked fine) merely because I was like, "It's 7 years old, it's really not worth my time." Etc.
Anna
But, 2 years is a reasonable time to finish off a bottle of eliquid. If you come across, ever, a bottle you've misplaced and it's aged a great deal, I generally will make that decision based on how the liquid looks, and if it looks okay I will vape it, and if it tastes okay and I like it, I will use it.
However, these are really decisions you need to make for yourself, you are the one who will be vaping it. I tossed some eliquid that was like 7 years old (it looked fine) merely because I was like, "It's 7 years old, it's really not worth my time." Etc.
Anna
Not sure where you're at but in the US it's a meaningless requirement that has bled over to vaping.
In glass none of my flavors have gone bad (changed in any meaningful way). In plastic I've had a few get odd (my DIY or bought). I don't know if they were harmful, no way was I going to taste them.
Note that some flavors change color after they're mixed for about a week. That's not the change like I'm talking about above. What I'm talking about above nobody in their right mind would think looked like a good thing to taste.
I've got some bought liquids from 2009 in plastic and glass. They still look good and smell right. But I'm not gonna taste them.
In glass none of my flavors have gone bad (changed in any meaningful way). In plastic I've had a few get odd (my DIY or bought). I don't know if they were harmful, no way was I going to taste them.
Note that some flavors change color after they're mixed for about a week. That's not the change like I'm talking about above. What I'm talking about above nobody in their right mind would think looked like a good thing to taste.
I've got some bought liquids from 2009 in plastic and glass. They still look good and smell right. But I'm not gonna taste them.
In my experience, once juice turns dark it might taste fine at first but then the taste goes sour, like a buildup.
Although eliquid can keep very long periods, there are variables. For example, I used a good deal of several 120 ml (plastic bottled) commercial juices. They sat in a windowed room, though not near the window. After about 4 months of not using, the juice turned much darker and much thicker. Not only would I not want to vape this due to undesirable flavor, but if I try, my coil would be history due to the thickness of the liquid. On the other hand... I had other bottles in a darker, slightly cooler, room in a drawer away from all lighting. These bottles were the same age as the former, full and unopened. They looked slightly darker than when I purchased but perfectly vapable. So, IMO, "looks" is a much better “use by” date.
I want to thank every single person who's responded! I now know how to handle my e-liquid and what to expect/what to look for. This post, in particular, is great because it describes where my juices have been stored: a windowed room, but not in direct sun at any time of the day. Most of the juices are in plastic bottles. So now I know to move them out of the light. I will put them in a small cabinet near an AC vent.
Thanks again!
2009? Ya big chicken....bring em here, ill try for ya. Just stand clear in case i puke...lolNot sure where you're at but in the US it's a meaningless requirement that has bled over to vaping.
In glass none of my flavors have gone bad (changed in any meaningful way). In plastic I've had a few get odd (my DIY or bought). I don't know if they were harmful, no way was I going to taste them.
Note that some flavors change color after they're mixed for about a week. That's not the change like I'm talking about above. What I'm talking about above nobody in their right mind would think looked like a good thing to taste.
I've got some bought liquids from 2009 in plastic and glass. They still look good and smell right. But I'm not gonna taste them.
OK, but be warned, I'm pretty sure China means the animal not the cigarettes on the one named Camel.
I’ve never had one go bad. Some of them do darken, even in the first days or weeks. So you’ll want to know which tend to do that, because they’ll keep getting darker. The ones that don’t darken right off the bat seems like are more likely to be weird when they finally do.
Some age poorly though, the flavors go weird. I doubt I’ve had any long enough for the nic level to be compromised, I’ve been diy for over 4 years. I think the oldest juice in there is maybe a year old. I vape it or gift it before it can sit too long.
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