E-Liquid Expiration Dates – Everything You Need To Know
Vape liquids are made of several ingredients that don’t by their nature, have clear and defined expiration dates. As e-liquids don’t contain any real “foodstuffs”, the question of expiration dates is a blurry one that is often talked about by vapers and e-liquid wholesale suppliers alike.
Everything has an expiration date, however, whatever it may be made of. E-liquids are the same and there are many rules and regulations surrounding the length of time a vape liquid can be sold by vape shops, manufacturers and e-liquid wholesale suppliers.
It’s especially important to know the facts as a newcomer to the industry; no one wants their first time vaping to be with expired vape liquid. This blog will outline how long it takes the best vape juice brands UK to expire, what the rules are and how to stop your e-liquid from doing so before the date on the bottle.
Firstly, Does Vape Juice ACTUALLY Expire?
As with all products, vape liquid does expire. Whether a food product or not, all products sold will eventually degrade over time. Whilst the length of this degradation depends on the ingredients or materials used in the product, each will affect how long it will be usable.
Use By Factors
Vape liquid has a shelf life of about 2 years generally speaking, but this can be affected by a number of factors including improper storage and incorrectly sealed bottles. Let’s assume your e-liquid has been properly stored and sealed then and look at the defining ingredients in a bottle that affect its longevity.
Propylene glycol is used in many products on top of e-liquids as a preservative. By its very nature, propylene glycol fends off degradation for longer periods of time than its counterpart vegetable glycerine. PG carries the flavour and nicotine, whilst VG adds a thickness to your e-liquid. VG doesn’t act as a preservative as PG does, and so e-liquids with more PG will naturally last longer than VG heavy juices such as sub-ohm e-liquids. It’s worth mentioning that the amount of nicotine in your e-liquid won’t affect its use-by date.
UK Regulations And E-Liquid Expiry Dates
Shelf life isn’t directly addressed in the UK’s Tobacco and Related Products Regulations, but there are e-liquid standards that do talk about shelf life, though these are not legally binding. This regulation addresses the responsibility of manufacturers to undertake stability studies so as to ensure a long shelf life of their products. Responsible vape liquid manufacturers such as Nicohit e-liquid manufacturers UK must meet and exceed the standards set out so that they stand out in the market. It is as much in the interest of brands and vape developers to ensure the quality of their vape liquids as much as it is the customers.
Signs That Your E-Liquid Has Gone Off
So now you know how long your e-liquid will last, what are the signs that your vape juice has gone bad before its expiration date?
The most obvious sign is the liquid’s smell. Whilst it won’t be as pungent as off milk, you’ll be able to tell if your vape liquid smells different from the flavour it is advertised as. You’ll also be able to see if your e-liquid has expired, liquid separation is a common sign and is signified by the heavier ingredients sinking to the bottom of the bottle.