For vape beginners, there's always a question we will come across. What is freebase juice? What is nicotine salt juice? Is there anything different between them?
Actually, it's easy to figure out the differences between them! First of all, we have to know what they are on earth!
The Freebase Juice
Freebase Vape Juice is really just a nicotine solution added to a mix of vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG) which act as a “base” for vaping the nicotine. The different ratio of PG/VG will directly lead to different vaping experience. Such as the density of vapor, the purity of flavor. In addition, the different kinda flavorings inside can also present different flavors. Such as traditional tobacco flavor and fruit taste. And even mixed flavor.
Freebasing nicotine is a way to increase the potency of nicotine without increasing the dose. The term “freebasing” has been more commonly associated with cocaine addiction, where users, seeking a more intense effect from the drug, convert it from a salt to its base form.
Freebase means that the nicotine is in its purest form compared to the other nicotine derivatives. As a result, the nicotine is much more potent when heated, and it can be absorbed much faster into your lungs, and eventually, your brain.
The Nicotine Salt Juice
Nicotine Salt is a type of nicotine that forms naturally in leaf tobacco and is generally considered to be a more stable form of nicotine vs. traditional freebase nicotine salt found in most e-liquids. Nicotine Salt requires a higher temperature in order to properly vaporize and the ions don’t travel to the nicotine receptors in your body as easily. In other words, Nicotine Salts are not the most efficient way to deliver nicotine to your body…so why use it?
Nicotine Salt rose in popularity with the release of a device called the JUUL and once that device became a staple in the industry, people demanded more and better options. Now Nicotine Salts are readily available and rising even more in popularity.
When you vape traditional freebase nicotine, most people wouldn’t choose something over 18mg, as the hit would be much too harsh. However, with Nicotine Salts, most people who vape 3mg freebase nicotine are able to comfortably vape 25mg-50mg Nicotine Salts and Nicotine Salts help to mimic the sensation of smoking a combustible cigarette.
This can be confusing, and for good reason, as most everything we’ve been talking about e-liquid would lead us to believe that 50mg of nicotine would be extremely harsh and even potentially dangerous, but Nicotine Salt e-liquids have a special ingredient called Benzoic Acid that helps to make Nicotine Salts as smooth and palatable in higher strengths.
Benzoic Acid serves a few purposes:
- Allows the Nicotine Salt to vaporize at much lower temperatures.
- Lowers the pH levels in the Nicotine Salt, which in turn produces a smoother hit
- It causes a reaction which allows Nicotine Salt to be absorbed as easily as Freebase Nicotine.
Because of this Benzoic Acid, most people are able to easily handle higher nicotine strengths and the Nicotine Salt is absorbed by your body much more efficiently.
But with Benzoic Acid, it only allows you vape this kinda juice at low temperature(low wattage) due to the high temperature(high wattage) will make the hit too harsh and unacceptable in some way! Even the output is only at 20w which I've used before, the hit was already too strong and I felt there's a rock impacted on my chest!
The Difference?
For sure, the main difference depends on the device(or the working wattage) you use! If you tend to like use box mods, squonk mods or high output devices. Freebase juice is your only choice. And of course you can also use it in vape pod system kits. But as for nic salt vape juice, you'd better keep that in mind to pay attention to the wattage you set up! I've already regretted for my stupid setup for few times, So I don't want you to experience what I've experienced!
