How can you tell if a flavoring is safe to vape or not? I've heard so many people talk about what is bad for your atty (like oil, sugar, etc.), but how about what might be dangerous to inhale into your lungs? 
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There is no answer about what is 100% safe. Vapeing is new, so therefor there is no long term data. Most of the flavors used are flavors that were used for cooking. Since they are just being vaped, or changed from a liquid to a gas, without any chemical reactions, the asumption is if you can eat it, you can vape it.
You don't want to vape any liquid that has sugar because it will burn on your atty, make a real bad stink, taste and kill your atty.
You don't want to vape any liquid that has sugar because it will burn on your atty, make a real bad stink, taste and kill your atty.
Are there any sweeteners that might be safe to use in an e-cig? I've heard from some that you need some sort of sweetener to bring out the flavors of the extract you're using?
This is not true. Flavorings will not necessarily be vaporised and may ash instead. There is a link to which Lorann flavorings are likely to be suitable or unsuitable here:DIY E-Juice - Making Your Own Juice
There is also the issue of the actual compounds, which I believe you posted a link for elsewhere, correct, Kin? Unfortunately we still do not know exactly what compounds have a lower risk for lung damage, but it seems prudent to avoid aldehydes and ketones. Butter diacetyl was the main focus of that thread. No companies are using diacetyl now, which is good.
That said, there are some flavors that do produce coughing, which means something in the lungs is not enjoying the vape. I have found this with Lorann's Butter flavor, even though it is supposed to not be diacetyl. This was the case with even a drop added to an otherwise "unbuttered" juice. I believe the meat flavors are aldehyde and ketone based (correct me if my memory is wrong, Kin), so I am avoiding those until more info comes. This is also why I am avoiding cinnamon at present, as it is cinnamaldehyde.
Unfortunately, Fatalis, even us chemists here don't have a lot of concrete info on what flavors are "safe". So for the time being I am following the logic that if the flavor makes me cough, best to cut back or avoid.
I have found this with the following:
Lorann Butter.
capella milk chocolate toffee...but I really want to make this one work!!
Lorann pistachio...which was not a good flavor anyway, so no loss.
Mind you, I favor the toffee nutty chocolate flavors in general, some of which have a buttery flavor, and in generally do not have any cough problems. I just got Capella Pralines and Cream, and it is about the most buttery flavor I've had...WONDERFUL!!! (anyone remember the snack Screaming Yellow Zonkers glazed popcorn? That's it!)...and no coughing as yet.
To a good extent your lungs know what they do not like. The FDA's statements about flavors are all in terms of marketing to kids. Seems they are not concerned about the safety of the flavors themselves. So we may be obsessing over nothing, but a positive cough-test is something I personally pay attention to.
If you search around a bit you can find the ejuce calculator from Scubabatdan. I think the latest version is version 8. It is an excel spreadsheet that helps calculate how to mix your own flavors. On one of the tabs of the spreadsheet Scubabatdan has listed most if not all of the flavorings from Bickford, Capella, Faeries Finest, FlavourArt, LorAnn, and Tasty Puff that would be considered "vape safe" if there really is such a thing. I agree that nobody really knows what is safe or not, but I generally base my determination on the ingredients of the flavor. I stick with stuff that has the fewest ingredients, no sugar, no artificial colors (if possible), etc.
Hope this helps out.
Hope this helps out.
there was also a Lorann flavor list that pointed out oils and art. colors as the criteria for "non-safe". So yes, I avoid colorings and oils. And I do think that those in that list that are listed as safe probably are. But there are some rather odd flavors coming out of FlavorArt, who evidently still use diacetyl, that I need more info on. Roast chicken, and other meat flavors.
Also, I think that a flavor that is an extract of a fruit, while it might taste better than the candy like flavors, is not a good idea to vape, either for your lungs or the atty, since there will be larger molecules, like polysaccarides.
IMHO, this really is largely unknown. Flavors safe for food do not mean safe for vaping. In general, what we want are simple smaller molecules that vaporize easily and are generally not very reactive. Esters for fruits are the prime example. Ketones and aldehydes vaporize easily, but may lead to reactions in the lungs in the long run. Organic acids too. These were listed in the link that Kin posted, and I can't find. Damn this ECF search engine!
Sweeteners are another tough one, as I've mentioned before. Thing is we really do have a few years of vaping with no one have serious issues, so in general most normal flavors seem just fine. The new ones, like meats, however, are an unknown quantity.
"Organic" flavors are completely unknown. It is likely they are extracts from organic fruits, but I've found no info on them. Best to avoid until more info comes in. "Natural" flavor is a loosely used term. The compounds that occur naturally to make fruit taste the way they do are simple chemicals, and using these chemicals, even if they are synthesized is still considered "natural" by the food industry.
Vanillin is artificial vanilla, and it seems this may be the ingredient that makes a "french vanilla" flavor. Its been posted here to avoid vanillin. Too bad, I love french vanilla.
BTW, TV, I got away from the "24 mg" thread for a bit. Work and got interested in cleaning attys. Very nice TKO with the hazmat suit and respirator to remove the fouled carpet. Hope that makes people realize what they can be dealing with with high-nic liquids. I'll get back to it in the next day or so, but I think enough has been said. Thanks for the professional info...that spill was actually worse than even I thought! 8-o
Hey, kurt, I just enjoy your company . A lot of people seem to take tongue-in-cheek the wrong way. Besides, I find you a likely victim when I'm bored . Carry on, Friend .
. A lot of people seem to take tongue-in-cheek the wrong way. Besides, I find you a likely victim when I'm bored . Carry on, Friend .- Status
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