NICOTINE SALT E LIQUIDS
Nicotine salt is an alternative to traditional nicotine in your e-liquids and meets a need that traditional nicotine does not necessarily meet in terms of smoking cessation for some people.
What Every Vaper Should Know About Nicotine Salt ?
Liquids with nicotine salt have been an integral part of the liquid assortment in vaporizer stores for several years. Especially after their introduction to the market, wild speculations arose: does the nicotine contained in NicSalts flood the body faster, does this make them more effective than conventional liquids and who are they suitable for?
From a chemical point of view, nicotine salt liquids are not alkaline compared to traditional liquids, and they also cause a less severe throat scratching. You can find out what exactly liquid nicotine salt is, how it works and how it differs from classic liquids here. We also present some important producers of nicotine salts!
What are liquid nicotine salts?
In short, we are talking about a liquid with nicotine salt, nicotine salts or nicolite for e-cigarette liquids with a lower pH value than that found in other liquids. Since NicSalts appeared on the market just a few years ago, conventional liquids with a higher pH value have been considered classic liquids, among which the newer nicotine salts stand out. Throat hit, the scratchy feeling that occurs in the throat when vaping, is less severe with liquid nicotine salt. When nicotine salt liquids appeared on the Irish market, the English company IVG played a key role. - for a while, there was a rumor that nicotine salts would "enter" the body faster and therefore have a stronger effect.
Current research shows the opposite: nicotine bound to nicotine salt in liquid is less well absorbed by the body and the effect is slightly delayed. However, there is evidence that the effects of NicSalts last slightly longer. Moreover, nicotine salt liquids, just like traditional liquids, are available in various flavors and with different nicotine content. If you want to mix nicotine-containing liquids for e-cigarettes yourself, you can buy the necessary nicotine shots in the traditional form or in the form of a NicSalt shot. The nicotine content in NicSalts, both in the form of a ready-to-use liquid and a shot, obviously does not exceed the maximum level of 20 mg/ml allowed in the European Union under the Tobacco Products Directive 2 (TPD2).
How do nicotine salt liquids differ from classic liquids?
Liquids with nicotine salt differ from classic liquids in their chemical composition, their effect on the body and the sensation they cause when vaping. These three aspects should therefore be examined in more detail below!
Chemically considered liquid with nicotine salt
As mentioned above, nicotine salt liquids have a lower pH value than traditional liquids for e-cigarettes. In chemistry, the pH value, Latin “potentia hydrogenii”, roughly “potential of hydrogen”, is a measure of the acidic or basic character of an aqueous solution. If the pH value is 7, the solution is called pH-neutral. If the pH value is lower, one speaks of acidic solutions; if it is higher than 7, the solution is basic or alkaline. Conventional liquid is basic or alkaline.
To obtain nicotine for liquids, it is extracted from the leaves of the tobacco plant using ammonia. This free nicotine quickly becomes gaseous, is easily absorbed by the body, is characterized by an effective effect - and a comparatively high pH value. Conventional liquid is basic or alkaline, its pH value is above 7. When producing liquids with nicotine salt, benzoic acid is added, which lowers the pH value. NicSalts are more like nicotine in its natural form, and they evaporate at lower temperatures. Against this background, nicotine salt liquid is more suitable for vaping from mouth to lungs, possibly also for restrictive vaping with direct lung puffs, than for classic sub-ohmic vaping, where the coil is fired with comparatively high power.
Nicotine salt liquids and throat hit
Traditional liquids cause a certain scratchy feeling in the throat, which vapers refer to as a throat hit. Especially in the early days of the e-cigarette, there was a lot of discussion about the throat hit in vaping forums. Whether a noticeable throat hit is perceived as pleasant or not is ultimately a matter of taste. On the one hand, there is the view that the throat hit is important, especially for smokers who switch from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes as a proven up to 95% less harmful alternative, because they are familiar with the scratchy throat that tobacco cigarettes cause so you don't feel like you're missing anything. A convincing argument. On the other hand, tobacco cigarettes contain additives that suppress the urge to cough in smokers. This is not the case with liquids for e-cigarettes, so even seasoned smokers may have to cough initially when vaping the e-cigarette. NicSalts, with their generally low throat hit, would be an interesting alternative! For new vapers and experienced vapers alike, it is advisable to test both variants - nicotine salt liquid and classic liquid - to find out your personal preferences, also with regard to the throat hit. With liquids based on nicotine salt it is always lower.
Infusion of liquid with nicotine salt
Another widely discussed criterion in relation to the effect of vaping an e-cigarette is the so-called flash, i.e. the effect of nicotine on the body. When liquid nicotine salts became popular in Ireland, one of the first distributors was an IVG manufacturer operating in Ireland at the time. IVG at least suggested in its marketing that the nicotine in NicSalts had a stronger effect on the body than was known from the liquids that were popular at the time. Research by Austrian pharmacologist Bernd Mayer, professor at the University of Graz, shows the opposite. He describes nicotine absorption as pH-dependent. In an acidic environment, such as liquid nicotine salt, nicotine would be ionized and therefore poorly absorbed by the body. Currently, it is generally accepted that nicotine contained in Nicsalts is absorbed more slowly and worse. However, there is evidence that the effects of nicotine generally last a little longer when vaping nicotine salt liquid.
Nicotine salt liquids from well-known manufacturers - Pod SaltPod Salt NicSalts
A liquid producer that has explicitly specialized in the production of nicotine salt liquid is the British company Pod Salt from Preston in North West England. In 2021, the company won the Vaporound Award in the “Best Salt Nicotine” category presented by the English trade magazine “Vaporound Magazine” for its Taste Pod Salt Banana Ice. Pod Salt has made it its mission to pave the way to e-cigarettes for as many smokers as possible by providing high-quality liquids with a fresh taste, which the manufacturer describes as “smooth”, and to provide vapers with the best possible experience when vaping Nicotine salt liquids to offer. In addition to the classic Core series, the liquids, which are produced in the United Kingdom, also appear as Tasty Tastes in the Pod Salt Fusions series.