Unsure About Nicotine Strengths

[Deepgodeep]

I have a 60mg/ml Nicotine base e-liquid that I bought to basically add to the liquids I have that have no nicotine.

Now I'm no professional, but I know damn well that 60mg/ml isn't a healthy option.

I add drops without measurement in my liquids as per my preference, but I don't know how the strength work and would like to understand, so here are my honest questions:

1) If I add any amount of 60mg nicotine base e-liquid to an e-liquid of mine, is it a 60mg strength e-liquid?

2) ^That was an idiotic question, because I know I'm diluting and I went to grade school. If I add 1 ml of 60mg base to 14 ml of e-liquid, does that mean it's a 4mg e-liquid (60mg*1ml/15totalml = 4mg)? How about 5 ml of 60mg base to a 10 ml e-liquid, is that a 20mg strength e-liquid (60mg*5ml/15totalml = 20mg)?

3) There's roughly 24mg of nicotine in a pack. You're telling me that if I vape 1 ml, that's two fifths out of my kanger protank 3 (2.5ml), of a 24mg strength e-liquid that I just smoked a pack's worth of nicotine? Because when I'm sitting doing work, I suck the soul outta this thing and end up filling it back up at least once.

4) Lastly, I puff on my vape a lot like I said. Controversy is over the nicotine mostly; as far as I know, PG and VG are in daily medications and other everyday swallowed items (but that's swallowed, not smoked). Anyway, bad/good? What strength should a person who has a high tolerance (or regardless of tolerance) be smoking at without many risks (the one I only know is nicotine withdrawal).

TL;DR: I like vaping; teach me strengths because I'm making my own liquids from now on; read #3 at least.

 

[Wolfenstark]

Use this calculator to help you = eJuice Recipe Calculator
I find its easier and better value to buy your Nic in 100mg. Then you make a base solution at a percentage that will suit you to use for making your juice. I put 24ml 100mg nic with 76ml of vg then get 100ml of 24mg. Then if i make a juice at say 4mg and 50ml 24/6 = 4 50/6 = 8.3 so I put in 8.3ml of my 24mg base and the rest will be the flavours and pg/vg.

Wouldn't worry about comparing the nic level to smokes. It depends on the person and the device there using. Most start at 24mg but there usually using lower quality atomisers, many when they go to tanks use around 12mg at first. When they go to using drippers many go to 6mg and lower. Though some stay at the higher levels , do whats comfortable.

 

[kartoffelfaust]

60mg is basically poison. anything over 24 (or 36) should not be used undiluted.

As far as nicotine levels,

How about 5 ml of 60mg base to a 10 ml e-liquid, is that a 20mg strength e-liquid (60mg*5ml/15totalml = 20mg)?

if you add 5ml of 60mg and 5ml of say PG, you end up with 30mg/ml.

Use a calculator, helps you experiment with mixtures a little better.

DIY e-juice | Steam Engine | free vaping calculators

 

[Ryedan]

IMO if you're going to be making juice you would be best off to get a calculator like eJuice Me Up. With this you can enter percentages or ml of ingredients, define the ingredients and it will tell you what the final nic content will be. A lot of people use it so if you have any questions about it that you can't figure out from the FAQ page there you can ask here. There is a quite active DIY e-liquid sub-forum here. Once you have 5 posts in you can post anywhere on ECF. In the meantime there's a ton of info in the sticky threads at the top of the page (look for the push-pins).

Trying to compare an amount of nicotine between smoking it and vaping is hard. The delivery systems are different and there are more substances in smoke than just the nic we vape. I would suggest you try a nic concentration that you think you'll like and see how it goes. If you intake too much nic you'll feel the effects, increased heart rate, queazy stomach, etc and you'll vape less until you get a lower nic juice.

 

[Completely Average]

I have a 60mg/ml Nicotine base e-liquid that I bought to basically add to the liquids I have that have no nicotine.

Now I'm no professional, but I know damn well that 60mg/ml isn't a healthy option.

I add drops without measurement in my liquids as per my preference, but I don't know how the strength work and would like to understand, so here are my honest questions:

1) If I add any amount of 60mg nicotine base e-liquid to an e-liquid of mine, is it a 60mg strength e-liquid?

Obviously not, but you already know that. Still, for others who may read this and not know, the answer is no. It's diluted when you add it to more liquid.

2) ^That was an idiotic question, because I know I'm diluting and I went to grade school. If I add 1 ml of 60mg base to 14 ml of e-liquid, does that mean it's a 4mg e-liquid (60mg*1ml/15totalml = 4mg)? How about 5 ml of 60mg base to a 10 ml e-liquid, is that a 20mg strength e-liquid (60mg*5ml/15totalml = 20mg)?

Your math is correct.

3) There's roughly 24mg of nicotine in a pack. You're telling me that if I vape 1 ml, that's two fifths out of my kanger protank 3 (2.5ml), of a 24mg strength e-liquid that I just smoked a pack's worth of nicotine? Because when I'm sitting doing work, I suck the soul outta this thing and end up filling it back up at least once.

Ahhh, now this is an interesting question. Yes, 1ml of 24mg strength juice has as much nicotine as a pack of full strength (Not Lights) cigarettes.

However, ecig vapor particles are too large to be absorbed by your lungs. The particles in cigarette smoke are microscopic and the nicotine is easily absorbed into your lungs. However, in an ecig the nicotine is contained in tiny droplets which are many times larger than the smoke particles and are too large to be absorbed by your lungs. Thus, the majority of nicotine from ecig vapor is absorbed through your mouth and sinuses, and almost all of the nicotine that reaches your lungs is exhaled. In fact you'll absorb more nicotine by drawing the vapor into your mouth, holding it, and then puffing it out than you will inhaling it.

So the answer is yes, the nicotine level in e-liquid is far higher than in a cigarette, but you'll absorb only a fraction of that nicotine. Most will be exhaled and evaporate.

4) Lastly, I puff on my vape a lot like I said. Controversy is over the nicotine mostly; as far as I know, PG and VG are in daily medications and other everyday swallowed items (but that's swallowed, not smoked). Anyway, bad/good? What strength should a person who has a high tolerance (or regardless of tolerance) be smoking at without many risks (the one I only know is nicotine withdrawal).

The answer here is use as much nicotine as you need to satisfy your cravings and no more. If in doubt, you're better off with too little nicotine and taking more puffs than too much nicotine.

As a really broad rule of thumb....

Full strength cigarettes, pack+ per day smoker of many years = 24mg
Pack a day of Lights or less than a pack a day of full strength = 18mg
Pack a day of ultralights or less than a pack a day of lights = 12mg

But your mileage may vary. For the majority of people an 18mg juice is a good place to start.


Now, as far as the health risks go, other than getting nic-sick there are no proven long term health effects of nicotine in low doses. There are some suggestions that it may cause cancer, but by itself the risk is low and causing cancer hasn't been proven. There are some other health risks that you should be aware of though, especially if you're getting into DIY liquids.

1. Probably the single largest danger is in eliquids containing a butter flavoring. The most common butter flavorings used are diacetyl, acetoin, and acetyl propionyl. Diacetyl is absolutely harmful and can cause permanent and irreversible lung damage. Acetoin and acetyl propionyl are very similar chemically and can under some conditions convert to diacetyl. While thorough testing has not been done on acetoin and acetyl propionyl, it should be assumed that they are similarly dangerous.

2. Artificial colors should be avoided. Any flavoring agents that contain artificial colors should not be used. NONE of them have been tested for inhalation hazards, and until they are you have no idea what risks your taking vaping them. Neither does anyone else.

3. Although the health risks of vaping nicotine are minor, there are a LOT of risks with handling concentrated nicotine solution. The nicotine can absorb directly into your skin and the concentration levels are high enough to make you very ill, even from just a few drops. Always wear protective rubber gloves. If you spill some clean it immediately with soap and water while wearing the gloves, and then wash the gloves off thoroughly before removing them. If you clean with a sponge or towel, throw it away and seal your trash to ensure no animals get into it. At 100mg per ml the nicotine concentration is high enough to severely poison or even kill pets and small children with just one or two drops if they eat it. It is EXTREMELY poisonous. Keep in mind that nicotine in much more diluted levels is frequently used as a pesticide. Treat it like the poison it is.

 

[OcalaFlGuy]

The answer here is use as much nicotine as you need to satisfy your cravings and no more. If in doubt, you're better off with too little nicotine and taking more puffs than too much nicotine.

As a really broad rule of thumb....

Full strength cigarettes, pack+ per day smoker of many years = 24mg
Pack a day of Lights or less than a pack a day of full strength = 18mg
Pack a day of ultralights or less than a pack a day of lights = 12mg

But your mileage may vary. For the majority of people an 18mg juice is a good place to start.

As a really broad rule of thumb....

Full strength cigarettes, pack+ per day smoker of many years = 24mg
Pack a day of Lights or less than a pack a day of full strength = 18mg
Pack a day of ultralights or less than a pack a day of lights = 12mg

But your mileage may vary. For the majority of people an 18mg juice is a good place to start.

I'd read 2 packs of full strength smokies a day = 24 mg, 1 pack of full strength a day =18, 1-2 packs a day of LIGHT smokies= 12 mg.

I was smoking 2 packs of 305 Menthol Lights a day. I started with 18 mg but had to knock that down real quickly to 12 as the 18 was just too strong.

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

[MsPantherina]

I started out vaping 24mg. After a couple of months, I went down to 18mg. When we had our eCig business, 18mg was the most popular strength with our customers.

 

[Capt.shay]

I know that every one is different but I don't feel most people need 24mg. I feel that is to high for most smokers, even heavy smokers (I was 2 packs a day before switching to non-filtered hand rolled). I have helped dozens of people quit and the only people I have found that needed 24mg. were people who dipped. I think 18 is best to start as you should be able to hit pretty regularly like you would tobacco without getting Nic. sic.

Being brand new, you might want to consider buying your juice pre-made. Mixing isn't that difficult but it does require a little knowledge. Drop down to the E-juice-DIY section and start reading!

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Jim Beam]

Back when I was using protanks I'd used 18 nic.
Now im using 9 nic with kayfun lite and orchid v4.
Both of these delivers more vape and no dry hits.
Though I can handle 18 nic through them.
Just trying to reduced strength since Im getting more vape.

Jim

 

[salemgold]

60mg is basically poison. anything over 24 (or 36) should not be used undiluted.

As far as nicotine levels,


if you add 5ml of 60mg and 5ml of say PG, you end up with 30mg/ml.

Use a calculator, helps you experiment with mixtures a little better.

DIY e-juice | Steam Engine | free vaping calculators

That is far from the truth. I started out on 36 mg and my mom uses the 54 mg Njoys (when she uses them) We do not absorb nic from vaping as we do from a burning cig. It takes higher levels for heavy smokers. There is plenty of info around the forum on this matter. Here is one good thread nicotine inhaled in ecigs

Whatever works for you to stay off the cigs is the right strength to use. Not suggesting that anyone vape 100 mg nic. Some of it depends on what you gear you are vaping with as to how much nic will be absorbed.

 

[70Baracuda]

I am not a chemist or doctor, the examples below are hypothetical and used for illustrative purposes to express an opinion

I believe:
The level of nicotine needed in your juice, to satisfy you, is greatly dependent on; The device you're using, the wattage your vaping at, how much air is introduced into the vapor, your style of vaping (mouth to lung or lung hits).
In the end, it's: The volume of vaporized ejuice consumed / nicotine absorption rate per day
(plus or minus other variables, such as: subjective satisfaction based upon flavor, throat hit, vapor temperature, etc.)

If you consumed 24mg nicotine per day smoking cigarettes (1 pack of 20). You may find that you need 24mg ejuice using a device with restricted airflow and vaping it at 10watts. In that case you might be consuming 2ml of Ejuice per day which would equate to 48mg of nicotine consumed
24mg x 2ml = 48mg
But the nicotine absorption rate may only be half. End result 24mg nicotine absorbed per day.

OR

Your device maybe a rebuildable dripping atomizer, with wide open air, vaping at 40 watts. In this case you may be consuming 6ml of 24mg ejuice per day which would equate to 144mg of nicotine consumed / an absorption rate of half.
End result 72mg nicotine absorbed per day......... (way higher than the 24mg target!).

So in both cases we used 24mg ejuice but volume consumed was more or less, depending on the device and method of delivery.

 

[Deepgodeep]

Thanks so much to everyone's very helpful words. Learned a hell of a lot!!

 

[r77r7r]

No stupid questions when it involves your safety and health. Or ecigs in general because they're unique in design.

 

[dmwalker24]

Lethal dosages for nicotine are in the region of 50mg per Kilogram. 60mg or 100mg nicotine liquid is scary. In the lab we'd probably be using fume hoods to even work with the stuff. The minimum safety standard for solutions over 100mg includes organic vapor respirators. Certainly people are free to choose to work directly with it, but I find it far more convenient not to have to worry about it. You DIY'ers are a brave lot.

 

[r77r7r]

Lethal dosages for nicotine are in the region of 50mg per Kilogram. 60mg or 100mg nicotine liquid is scary. In the lab we'd probably be using fume hoods to even work with the stuff. The minimum safety standard for solutions over 100mg includes organic vapor respirators. Certainly people are free to choose to work directly with it, but I find it far more convenient not to have to worry about it. You DIY'ers are a brave lot.

I'm sure I'm not alone- I've never handled over 48, usually 36.