E-Liquid and Expiry – How Long Does Vape Juice Last
E-Liquid and Expiry: What is The Shelf Life of E-Liquid?
E-liquid longevity is a popular topic in vaping circles, particularly among beginners and intermediates.
That’s a good question. No one wants to vape bad e-juice. By using juice that has gone past its sell-by date, not only is the vaping experience compromised, but you never know what’s going into your body.
This begs the question…
Does Vape Juice Expire?
There is an expiration date on every consumable product. Consumable products typically contain ingredients with a set shelf life.
Vape juice does contain several food-based ingredients that are not meant to last forever; if they could, they would most likely not be safe to consume.
The thing about vape expiration dates is that, just like with food products, it’s only an estimation of the time when the contents inside the bottle will no longer be as good as when it was purchased.
Most e-liquids have a shelf life of between one and two years from the date of manufacture. And this is due to the constituents present in the juice – in particular, VG, PG, and nicotine.
These three important components – which largely make up every e-liquid (in addition to flavoring) – have an established shelf life of about two years. And that’s providing they are stored in the right conditions.
Ideally, the juice should not be exposed to direct sunlight, heat, or air. Otherwise, the three components start to break down faster, resulting in an expired e-liquid.
When the juice starts tasting stale, it will start tasting a bit off, but this can be misleading sometimes since every flavor is different. While some juices lose their flavor after two years, others can last for up to five years.
Nonetheless, if one of the components of an e-liquid starts to break down, it will spoil the entire batch.
Keep in mind that expiry dates are only estimates. Whether or not you should vape the juice is up to you.
How to Tell If your E-Juice is Expired
It is usually possible to tell whether your e-liquid is good or not by checking for certain signs.
If you take a whiff of your e-liquid, you’ll know whether it is good or bad. Juices will not all smell the same. If it smells funky or looks odd, chances are it is past its prime, just like the gallon of milk in your refrigerator.
When the bottle of vape juice is left idle for some time, the heavier, denser elements tend to sink to the bottom, and shaking the bottle mixes everything up again. In contrast, the juice’s components do not mix even after a couple of shakes.
The juice can also spoil if it is not stored properly before its sell-by date. Usually, it will display symptoms such as discoloration, loss of taste, lack of vapour, and loss of the nicotine.
Extending the Life of your E-Juice
It’s important to note that e-liquids do not expire due to prolonged storage. In fact, it enhances the flavor of the juice through a process called e-liquid steeping.
Steeping involves letting your vape juice sit idle for a period of time in order to develop its flavor. However, the juice needs to be done right or stored under the right conditions mentioned earlier to prevent it from going bad.
The best way to store e-liquid is to keep it in a dark, cool place. E-liquid should not be exposed to direct sunlight since it heats up, accelerating a breakdown of the components, thereby decreasing its quality. E-liquid should not be exposed to direct sunlight since it heats up, accelerating a breakdown of the components, thereby decreasing its quality.
Therefore, even when moving around with your bottles, you should avoid hot areas such as the interior of your car. You will know your e-juice has been exposed to heat when it begins to change color, assuming a yellow hue that gets darker with time.
Any e-liquid not in use should be stored in dark-colored bottles inside a cabinet – a private cabinet will work just fine rather than the kitchens. Make sure that the bottles are tightly sealed so that they don’t come into contact with air.
