
Nicotine salt e-juice gives quick relief when cravings arise. Originally developed by JUUL labs, users found nic salt to be more satisfying than regular e-juice. It wasn’t long before the rest of the industry caught up.
This type of e-juice is normally high in nicotine, but what makes nicotine salts intriguing is that they're formulated for a smooth inhale instead of feeling harsh despite the high alkaloid quantity. But you'll still feel the nic! You can consume less juice, making them more cost-efficient. Nic salts give you more bang for your buck.
These nicotine salts are some of the best tasting and most satisfying ones available. Read the full guide below to learn all you need to know about nicotine salt e-liquid.
Nicotine salt is a chemical formulation of nicotine that decreases its harshness, allowing vapers to comfortably get more nicotine while inhaling less vapor. The terms nicotine salts, nic salt, salt nic, or salt nicotine all mean the same thing. It’s not table salt (sodium chloride); it doesn’t make your e-liquid salty and it won't increase your sodium intake. In chemistry terms, a salt is a neutral charged ionic compound made from an acid and base.
In nicotine salts, a chemical (usually benzoic acid) neutralizes the nicotine (base) molecules and creates a more stable compound that results in a nicotine that's smoother to consume. JUUL Labs, which was the first to develop nicotine salt as a retail product, says that its formulation is like nicotine in leaf tobacco before it’s stripped out during the extraction process.
Switching from a standard freebase nicotine mix, you’ll notice the difference immediately. Nicotine salts aren't harsh on the throat like freebase nicotine.
Another difference between the two nicotine formulations is that salt nicotine appears to vaporize well at lower temperatures. That makes it ideal for small vape devices like pod vapes which have less power.
Many users report that nicotine salts give a sensation similar to smoking, more than regular e-liquid. That’s not magic! It’s because many of the products contain up to 60 mg/mL of nicotine. More nicotine-per-puff adds a more satisfying experience for smokers and ex-smokers.
In 2014, before JUUL had hit the market with the first salt nicotine retail product, Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos studied the effectiveness of nicotine delivery in various vapor products and determined that “nicotine levels in EC [e-cigarette] liquids should be close to 50 mg/mL in order to approximate nicotine delivery from smoking.” But due to the harshness of standard nicotine, it would’ve been difficult to make a product that was enjoyable to use at those levels; nicotine salts made it possible. Dr. Farsalinos also noted that a high nicotine concentration would also reduce the amount of liquid vapers consumed, which would reduce any unknown risks from vaping.
Because the strengths are typically much higher in nicotine salt, this is a legitimate question. One of the reasons cigarette smoke is addictive is the speed with which it delivers nicotine to the brain. There are questions about whether nicotine salts deliver the drug more rapidly than freebase nicotine — but the issue hasn’t been studied yet.
Nicotine expert Jacques Le Houezec, a neuroscientist and pharmacologist, thinks the only difference between the freebase nicotine and nicotine salt is that the vaper can consume more nicotine in each puff because of the reduced harshness. Due to being able to consume more nicotine likely will increase its potential for dependence, but it’s due to the amount consumed, not because it’s specifically nicotine salt.
Since the only difference between nicotine salt juice and standard e-juice is the inclusion of benzoic acid, salt nic is probably no more or less safe than freebase nicotine e-liquid. The World Health Organization International Programme on Chemical Safety advises consuming no more than 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, which would equal about 345 mg for a 150-pound person — probably an impossible amount to vape, considering that 1 mL of salt e-liquid contains just a few milligrams of benzoic acid.
Most nicotine salt e-liquids come in 25-50 mg strengths. If you’re new to nicotine salts, we suggest starting with 20-35 mg first unless you're a transitioning smoker.
If you’re a vaper that prefers low strength nicotine with greater vapor production, some manufacturers like Mr. Salt-E offer nicotine salts in levels as low as 3-5 mg/mL.
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