Turn a bottle of nic salt over and the ingredient list is short. What makes one brand different from another is the balance of those few ingredients, and the flavour work. What makes them all legal to sell is a set of UK rules that apply to every bottle.
The four ingredients
| Ingredient | What it does |
|---|---|
| Propylene glycol (PG) | Carries flavour and gives the throat sensation |
| Vegetable glycerine (VG) | Thicker; produces the visible vapour and a little sweetness |
| Nicotine salt | Nicotine combined with a mild acid, which makes higher strengths smoother |
| Flavourings | Food-grade flavour concentrates blended to a recipe |
Nic salts are normally mixed 50/50 PG to VG, which suits the small coils in pod kits. How the ratio changes throat hit, vapour and coil life is covered in our PG/VG ratio guide.
The UK rules every bottle has to meet
- Nicotine strength no higher than 20mg/ml.
- Refill bottles of nicotine e-liquid no bigger than 10ml.
- Child-resistant and tamper-evident packaging.
- A nicotine health warning on the pack, and a leaflet with usage information.
- Notification to the MHRA, with ingredient and emissions information, before the product goes on sale.
The MHRA publishes the list of notified products. If a nic salt is sold in the UK, it should be on it.
Why flavour ranges mirror disposables
When single-use vapes were banned, the brands behind them already had flavour recipes millions of people knew. Elfliq, Elux Legend and Bar Juice 5000 all bottle those profiles as 10ml nic salts, so someone switching to a refillable kit can keep the taste they are used to.
Questions readers ask
Do nic salts have to be registered in the UK?
Yes. Nicotine e-liquids must be notified to the MHRA before they can be sold.