Hi CG,
There are those of us who cannot use PG, and those who cannot use VG. PG Allergies are much more common, but VG Allergies exist. The most common issue with VG is Dry Mouth, but that's a Side Effect and not an Allergy. Drinking lots of water is good to help alleviate this, especially at first, but any Vaper should be drinking much more water.
I very first started using an
e-liquid that was said to be "mostly" VG, from a seller in town. I have since learned that it has some PG in it, because after some
vaping experience I have learned that I can
taste PG... it tastes Oily to me, and it gives me a little Buzz. I used that for 3 months.
After that, I started with 100% VG as a Purist Theme because, in my mind, it was more pure, coming from vegetables rather than being chemical based. I have since learned that much of the VG available today is synthesized, but that's still OK by me. At first, all I used was Unflavored 100% VG, having purchased one liter of USP VG, and one liter of Unflavored VG 36mg/ml Nic. I mixed them 50/50 to make 18mg/ml, to match the cigarette level I had been smoking. It was good, but I couldn't totally quit smoking with it. I cut way down, though.
I became curious about Flavors, so I entered a contest here on ECF. I won and got 30ml of 100% VG Cinnamon Red Hots. It was great and I loved it. I was able to cut down on cigs even more with that. A friend then showed me how to make my own in my DIY process with the flavoring.
Shortly after this, I won another contest where the juices were 80/20 PG/VG (at least 80%, if not more). I got 30ml of one and a 10ml sample of another. They were both chocolate flavors, one with coffee. They smelled dreamy, but I let them steep for a whole week by recommendations. When I tried them, they both tasted Oily, of course, and they both tasted like Mudd. After about 20 minutes, my arms started turning red and they broke out in red bumps. On separate occasions (a day or two apart), they both did this. The juices also made me jittery and anxious, and gave me a Buzz. I quit using them and went back to my 100% VG, and the condition went away in a short time, both times. I really wanted to Like these juices, so I tried one again. The condition on both arms came back with a vengeance, and went away again after I stopped. Now, even 20% PG will break me out, and it gets worse each time I do PG. At this point, I'm scared to do even 5% PG.
I went back to 100% VG and Cinnamon Red Hots. When I found the AGA-T2 with a glass tank, I was able to totally quit the Stinkies. The Plastic in my other tanks was tainting the color and flavor of all of the juices I had used in it, and this was the reason I wasn't fully satisfied. Any plastic, Polypropylene and especially Polycarbonate, will taint the color and flavor of your
juice. And juices like Cinnamon and Citrus will eventually crack any plastic. This may be another issue for you, but probably not the skin breakouts, runny nose, etc.
The issues you are having are more often related to PG than VG, but they could be harsh reactions to some flavorings, too. But most reactions to Flavorings I've heard about were internal, like to the throat and lungs.
So, all I can suggest is that you try a juice that is 100% VG and see what happens, and maybe then one that is 100% PG and see what happens. Whichever one does not cause you a problem will be the one you can use, and you may have to stop using the other altogether, or use it in very small quantities, like 5-10%. You must also consider that many flavorings (most, in fact) are actually in a PG Base, so using something like a Banana flavor will have at least some PG in it in most cases. If your problem turns out to be the VG, then you will be quite fortunate. Another unfortunate thing is that many juice vendors cannot (or will not) tell you precisely what is in them. Some vendors claim to sell a 100% VG Flavored juice, but it has a PG-Based Flavoring in it at up to 15 and 20%, so it is not truly 100% VG. For me to say that my Cinnamon Red Hots is 100% VG, I mean there is Zero PG in it. The Flavoring is Natural Flavors and Ethyl Alcohol... no PG.
There are also people who cannot tolerate some things that are in the flavorings. Ethyl Alcohol in one, also called Ethanol and Pure Grain Alcohol (PGA) - three names for the same thing. Cinnamon is another. If you find that one juice creates the issue and another doesn't, it may be the Flavoring, but it is more likely to be the percentage of either PG or VG in the mix.
I hope this helps you.
