If you’re new to vaping, then you’ve got a lot to learn. From the basics of vaping and choosing the right vape kit through to more advanced vaping techniques such as Sub-Ohm vaping and maximising the flavour of your e-liquid, you’ve got lots of exciting new skills and info to process as you move forward in your vaping journey.
One of the things you might be wondering about is if vape juice has an expiry date, how long e-liquid lasts and if it goes bad.
The Answer’s Yes
Like any consumable product, E-liquid does go bad, which is why e-liquids have an expiration date on the bottle. Usually, this date is around 1-2 years into the future.
That might seem like a long time, but there’s a reason for it. Because the two main ingredients in vape juice, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), are both commonly used in food production to preserve foods, they last for a long time.
VG is predominantly sugar made from plants, while PG belongs to the same group as alcohol. Both sugar and alcohol have long expiry dates because they’re both preservatives.
While these products are preservatives, when combined with the synthetic flavours used to make e-liquids taste delicious and nicotine, which is included in some vape liquids to help former smokers wean themselves off cigarettes, they will eventually go bad.
Is Expired Vape Juice Bad For You?
There’s no evidence that expired e-liquids will do you any harm, but they also won’t give you the delicious taste and great vaping experience that you expect.
That’s because the flavour is usually the first thing to disappear when e-liquids expire. You also won’t get the nicotine hit you crave from expired vape juice.
So, while it won’t harm you, expired vape juice won’t do you any good either. That’s why you should try to reduce the chances of your vape liquid expiring.
Store Your E-Liquid Correctly
One of the easiest ways to stop your e-liquid from going bad sooner than expected is to store it correctly. Some vapers like to store their vape juice in the fridge, but this isn’t necessary.
In fact, keeping your bottles of e-liquid in a cupboard, where it’s dark and dry, will keep them at an ideal temperature, so this is a better idea.
Sunlight and even a little heat can break down the chemical components in your vape liquid, which means it might expire quicker than usual if your e-liquid is kept in direct sunlight or a warm place, such as a car dashboard.
Therefore, if you can’t find a snug kitchen cupboard to keep your e-liquid, try using a cardboard box or a drawer. Make sure the space is clean and dry so that your e-liquid bottles don’t get dirty or contaminated in any way.
Always put the lid on your e-liquid bottle carefully, and ensure that it is tight so that no air, dust or other particles can get in and contaminate your precious vape juice.
You can store your vape liquid in the bottle you bought it in, meaning you won’t have to undertake the messy business of moving it from one container to another.
If you’re keeping e-liquid in your vape pen, then you must keep the vape pen upright when it’s not in use. It’s also advisable to keep e-liquid bottles upright, as this means that the vape juice won’t leak out of the cap.
These tips won’t stop your e-liquid from going bad if you keep it for many years, but they will reduce the chances of your vape liquid turning bad before its time.
That leads us on to our next point.
Only Buy As Much Vape Liquid As You Need
If you want to ensure that you don’t keep your e-liquid for too long, then the best approach is to use it within a few weeks or months.
That means only buying as much e-liquid as you need. This approach might sound difficult if you’re new to vaping or you’re worried about running out of vape juice when you fancy a puff.
Many e-liquid providers offer subscription services so that you can get your favourite flavour of vape liquid delivered to your door at a set time each week or month.
With these services, you’ll always have exactly the right amount of e-liquid and won’t have any left to waste while always ensuring that you have enough vape liquid to feed your hobby.
You can always change your subscription or buy a single bottle of e-liquid to supplement your e-liquid collection if you start vaping more.