The main concern for any user should be “Do the chemicals I am ingesting have any negative effect on health”. Is it OK to buy the cheap e-liquid option? Is there such a thing as gourmet e-liquid in the UK?
With the advent of all manner of flavours including tea, coffee, fruits and even bubble gum flavour it begs the question what cocktail of colourings, flavourings and assorted chemicals are being used? Since there is no regulation there is no authority or medical body overseeing this market so you are effectively ingesting this cocktail without any knowledge of its long-term effects.
E-cigarettes, Shisha Pens or vapour cigarettes and their ingredients are not regulated. There is no requirement for the manufacture of these liquids to be performed in laboratories or in any controlled clean environment and as such, they could be produced anywhere – much is imported from places like China or India and then re-branded for sale in the UK. Who knows where they are manufactured and under what conditions?
What’s In Your Vapour?
Clean Gourmet E-Liquid
Many companies may give a list of ingredients contained within their liquid – however these “lists of ingredients” are a guideline of the content – they do not represent the different chemical ingredients that are in say a tea flavour compared to a strawberry flavour. Obviously, these two examples must have a different chemical nature which can’t be explained away with a generic list of ingredients or marketing blurb. Sellers state things such as “Using only the best or gourmet ingredients found these e-liquids will satisfy your tastes for pure deliciousness” which doesn’t mean a lot as far as purity is concerned. Since there is no regulation there is no need for the list of ingredients, which may have been done some time ago, to represent what is in the liquid that you have just purchased and are about to vape.
What Can you do? CHECK YOUR e-Liquid!
So do any manufacturers take this issue seriously? If you check your product’s packaging you will generally find one of two scenarios – either no ingredients are shown or ingredients are shown but not in any detail. The phrase Natural and artificial flavours is often used to encompass all other ingredients other than water and or propylene glycol – to me this is unsatisfactory. On some packaging you can then go on to read what is known as “Risk Phrases” which are a series of codes to express risks – eg some liquids/cartomisers carry the risk phrases such as R25 (Toxic if swallowed) and R27 (Very toxic in contact with skin). None of which is detailed ingredients.
There are one or two companies that set themselves apart from the crowd who have their own facilities, use pure-grade FDA approved ingredients and/or offer batch testing on every product sold. That is they produce gourmet e-liquid.
For the best in safe eLiquid shopping use a reputable e-Liquid company that sells only lab-tested e-liquids which give full disclosure of ingredients such as Pure.eLiquids.com See Here and Platinum e Liquids by V2.
e-Liquid Ingredients: Accountability
What is required is accountability where there is an obvious connection between supply and quality control. Not a long line of unaccountable groups such as a manufacturer – an importer – a wholesaler – a retailer then re-branding and sale by a marketing agent or supplier. Reputable companies need to manufacturer their own liquids in proper laboratories which are independently assessed by external testers. Each product sold should be required to be traceable by batch number where each batch has been tested at the manufacturing stage and the full ingredients of each batch should be available to the purchaser – much the same as in any medical or food product.
In our e liquid review section we look at the best e liquids available, gourmet e liquid UK brands for vapers
