The moment you hear the words Nicotine Salts, the first thing that springs in your mind is salt that consists of Nicotine. That is the truth! But, not really the whole truth. Ready to know everything about nicotine salts, or nic salts as they are also called? Well, we are here to give you every bit of information that you need about vaping and how to add nic salts to your repertoire of vapes.
Nicotine Salts are a Great Nicotine Replacement Therapy
When you started smoking for the first time, you probably thought it would be a one-time thing. Smokers typically start off with one or two cigarettes a day, telling themselves that they can quit at any time. Others do it to look cool and trendy, and fit in with the crowd. As you increase the number of cigarettes, you’ll get addicted to nicotine very easily. Now that you’re ready to kick the habit, you’ll need an alternative that satisfies your cravings but is better in some way so you stay motivated.
Conventional Smoking is a Dangerous Habit
One of the main downsides of conventional cigarette smoking is the dry, raspy feeling you get at the back of your throat when you inhale. That sensation results because pure tobacco releases nicotine by combusting or burning. The smoke that goes down your throat irritates the sensitive tissues since it also contains a bunch of other harmful chemicals. in fact, cigarette smoke is known to contain more than 7,000 toxic chemicals. Many of these chemicals have been scientifically proven to be poisonous by themselves or are clearly carcinogenic and capable of causing cancer.
Nicotine addiction can be so powerful that smokers continue with the habit even though they’re well aware of the dangers. If you’re a non-smoker, you’ll find it hard to understand how smokers can endure the burning sensations in the throat along with acrid fumes that irritate facial skin and eyes. The downsides are precisely why nicotine salts are fast becoming the new craze.
Nic Salts Can Satisfy Your Cravings Without the Downsides
Nicotine salts help you kick the habit of smoking cigarettes since you can satisfy your cravings without any of the typical ill effects. Every inhale and exhale is smooth with none of the irritation. Instead of the acrid burning odor that clings to your breath, hair, skin, and clothes, you’ll breathe in pleasant scents. E-liquids and e-juices that you use with vaping devices typically contain different flavorings that resemble the taste of fruits, flowers, desserts, and your favorite summer beverages. Instead of nasty smoke, you’ll inhale soft clouds of wispy vapors.
That’s just one of the reasons why nicotine salts are becoming a new craze! Are you still thinking – why would I want to use salts in the first place and vape when I can just buy regular cigarettes? The answer is short and simple! To put in a sentence – you’ll get the same levels of nicotine comparable to a pack of 20 cigarettes from just a few puffs of vaping e-liquids.
Let’s Talk About the Invention of Cigarettes
Present-day cigarettes are the result of Marlboro’s attempts to create a new version of smokable tobacco with additional “fillers” that served to lower the actual amount of tobacco leaves used. At the same time, the ammonia content charged up the nicotine content and converted it into a “freebase” form. Since freebase nicotine is more bioavailable, it can reach the bloodstream and brain quickly, thus giving the smoker a faster and harder “hit.” That’s the reason why ensuing generations became addicted to smoking. The high resulting from the drug hitting their brains was exhilarating.
The Science Behind Nic Salts
Nicotine salts are often considered to be the best alternatives that can be used by smokers to kill their cravings and make the transition to a smoke-free lifestyle. Not only can vaping satiate the urge to smoke, but it also reduces the roughness in the throat. Using a vape device is far smoother making it easy to make the switch. To understand why that happens, you’ll want to explore the science behind the formulation of nic salts.
Freebase nicotine has a higher pH level because of its alkaline nature. And, that’s the reason why it causes that throat irritation. Chemists attempted to take away that alkalinity by adding an acid. Benzoic acid was chosen because it can neutralize the base feature and transform it into a smoother compound. You probably know benzoic acid as a food preservative that prevents the growth of microbes. Other everyday use products that contain this chemical are insect repellants, dyes, perfumes, and skin ointments and creams.
The reason behind the term, “nicotine salts” is that when acids and alkalines combine, they result in a crystal or “salt” form. Just to be clear, this compound has nothing to do with the table salt you add to your meals. The nic salts added to e-juices have no sodium and cannot raise your blood pressure because of the intake of excess sodium.
Salts Allow You to Vape Higher Nicotine Levels
When vaping with e-juices was first introduced, the devices were in the basic pen form. Each e-cigarette resembled a USB device and contained a pod that could be refilled with e-liquids in different flavors. JUULs, as one of the first pod-based devices, were called, also had a small battery that could be charged. You’d heat up the e-juices at low temperatures that vaporized the liquid without actually burning. Vapers inhaled the freebase nicotine that was released and satiated their cravings.
The main problem is that since there is no real combustion, you would need e-juices with higher nicotine content. But, as the levels of nicotine rise, so does the throat irritation. For this reason, if the e-juice specifies 24mg/mL or higher nicotine, you sense more of that raspy feeling. That’s possibly the reason why manufacturers came up with the idea of menthol cigarettes that killed some of the discomfort with cool sensations.
The addition of benzoic acid and the neutralized nicotine content in salt form has an additional advantage. You can comfortably vape higher levels of nicotine. As a result, just a few draws are enough to kill your cravings. You’ll consume far lower levels of e-juice as compared to cigarettes with none of the toxic chemicals. Considering that nic salts are extracted directly from tobacco leaves, the e-juices contain stronger nicotine levels.
Freebase Versions May Not be Effective as Nicotine Replacement Therapy
If you’ve found that vaping with conventional devices and e-juices was just not enough to make you give up smoking for good, there’s a good reason. When you smoke a cigarette, the burning tobacco releases nicotine that hits the bloodstream via your lung tissues within a short span of five minutes. On the other hand, when you vape, you’ll continue for at least 35 minutes until the nicotine starts to reach the bloodstream and the cravings settle.
Without the quick and powerful surge, it is hard to continue with vaping, and many smokers ended up going back to cigarettes. Since it is impossible to include 35mg or higher levels of nicotine into conventional e-liquids, using vaping as an effective option to quit cigarettes has just not been successful. Nicotine salts have made it possible for higher levels of nic compound to be compressed into small quantities of e-juice. There’s hope for people looking to kick their smoking habit, after all.
Wait! We’re not done yet. Here’s another positive. Vaping with nic salts is much more discrete. You can opt for smaller portable devices that can be concealed in the palm of your hand. The e-juice vaporizes quickly without the need for high temperatures so smaller low power batteries can do the trick. Users looking to vape unobtrusively can also opt for e-liquids that release a lower volume of vapors.
That’s all the more reason why JUUL has become the new craze. PAX Labs that owns JUUL also holds the U.S. Patent number 9,215,895 B2 for the nicotine salts. Any JUUL device or pre-filled pod available in the market is pretty much highly effective in helping you quit conventional smoking.
Nic Salt E-Liquids are Available in Different Strengths
Nicotine salts like Yogi Ejuice are extracted from the tobacco leaves directly, which makes them the simplest form of nicotine that you can find. Nic Salts are taking the vapor industry by storm. Given the popularity and several vaping devices being made available in the market, nicotine salts are also provided in different strengths. It is for you as the user to decide the amount of nicotine that you want to inhale or the type of device that you are willing to acquire. The best recommendation is to gain all the possible information on the benefits and limitations before you step into this loop.
Understanding How the Nicotine Content Works in Freebase E-Juices
When you’re trying to understand how to choose the right salt or conventional e-juices, a good rule of the thumb is to check the mg levels. You can safely assume that any e-liquids and e-juices containing nicotine ranging from 0mg to 3mg, and 6mg going up to a maximum of 16mg are the freebase versions.
Lower levels of nicotine such as 6mg are suitable for vapers who were light to moderate smokers. Or, if you smoked the light versions of cigarettes. However, if you were a heavy smoker (like 30 cigarettes a day) or preferred unfiltered brands, you’ll go with levels of 12mg. Each 30mL bottle with 3mg e-juice contains 90mg of nicotine. Assuming that every cigarette contains 8mg nicotine, going through a single 30mL bottle will be like smoking 12 cigarettes.
Nicotine Content in Salt E-Juices
If the label says 20mg to 25mg and anything higher, know that this e-juice probably contains nic salts, though there are some exceptions to the rule. Moderate smokers can go with the lower end of 20mg, but if you’ve been a heavy smoker all your life, you could go with higher levels of 50mg. That’s a substantial dose of nicotine and you might want to proceed with caution.
Tread carefully because the lack of sensations can make you end up consuming far more nicotine than you intend to. The delightful flavors and tastes often make vapers forget that the activity was all about satiating their nicotine cravings. That’s possibly the reason why getting over the smoking habit is so easy. You can gradually lower the percentages of nicotine salts until you bring it down to 0mg. Once you kick the nic dependence, you can continue experimenting with different brands and flavors to add variety to the palette. Another reason why nic salts are fast becoming the new craze.
Playing Around with Your Nic Salts Experiences
Seasoned vapers have some interesting recommendations for newbies who are just dipping their toes to test the waters. To begin with, many smokers have come to accept the throat hit as a part of their habit. And, this tickle becomes an integral part of smoking. Without the sensation, it is not uncommon for long-term smokers to find that vaping falls short.
If you think that you absolutely need that hit, you can try varying the vaping experience by making adjustments. That also explains why nicotine salts are a new craze. Vaping is almost entirely customizable to suit your tastes and preferences.
Vaping Flavors Aficionados Definitely Should Go for Nicotine Salts
Newbies experimenting with vaping flavors or seasoned vapers, if you’re looking to experience the entire spectrum of tastes, opt for nic salts. That’s because the nicotine in salt form has almost no taste or flavor and is practically colorless and odorless. As a result, you can enjoy the amazing range of fruits, salads, desserts, and various other beverage flavors available in the market today.
Check out the immense selection of brands and you’ll be spoiled for choice. Of course, the most important thing to remember is to choose only high-grade products manufactured in the US.
Features that You Can Customize
- Most importantly, the nicotine strength – Heavy smokers who were doing maybe, a pack and a half to two packs a day can gradually come down to 0% nicotine and vaping for just the pleasure of it.
- Throat hit – Enjoy smoother sensations with none of the discomforts by lowering the nicotine percentage. Or, simply by switching from conventional freebase nicotine to nic salts.
- Selection of vaping devices – Check around the market and prepare to be astonished at the mind-boggling types of vaping devices. You can select from box mods, disposables, squonks, pod-based vapes, and numerous others, each providing a unique experience.
- Temperature control – Many devices allow you to control the settings and the temperature. If you vaporize the e-liquids at high heat, you can expect more of a throat hit.
- Ratios of Vegetable Glycerin and Propylene Glycol – The basic composition of all e-juices, including nicotine salts, is a combination of Vegetable Glycerin (VG) and Propylene Glycol (PG). If you choose an e-liquid with higher VG, you can expect denser clouds and smoother vaping.
- Cotton Wicks – Some of the more advanced vaping devices have a cotton wick that soaks the e-juice. By heating the coils wrapped around the wick, it is possible to vaporize the e-juice and get rich clouds. Experienced vapers recommend that you try hemp wicks to a varied flavor.
Of course, the most delightful facet of vaping with nicotine salts is the unbelievable variety of tastes and flavors. Interestingly, if you would prefer to taste tobacco while vaping, you’ll find a brand and flavor that mimics it more closely than the real thing.
Vaping with Nicotine Salts is the New Craze – And, It Makes Perfect Sense!
When you vape nicotine salts, you ditch the other harmful materials that also come along with the cigarettes and restrict yourself to enjoying the vaporized nicotine salts that are bundled with superb flavoring. Nicotine salts are an excellent alternative to e-juices and ideal for smokers trying to break their habit. Possibly, the best positive is that this version of e-juices are highly versatile and can be inhaled with a range of different devices.
Although you might find that nic salts are a little more expensive at first, they allow a faster rate of absorption and you can easily control the nicotine levels that are willing to consume. Don’t be overwhelmed with the high nicotine consumption through these salts. Give yourself the opportunity to reduce the nicotine intake and phase out the need to smoke cigarettes gradually.
References:
1. Characterization of Nicotine Salts in 23 Electronic Cigarette Refill Liquids
2. Chemical Composition and Evaluation of Nicotine, Tobacco Alkaloids, pH and Selected Flavors in e-Cigarette Cartridges and Refill Solutions
3. JUUL and Combusted Cigarettes Comparably Impair Endothelial Function