What are nic salts? Nic salts, short for nicotine salts, are e-liquids made with nicotine that has been combined with a mild acid. That pairing makes higher strengths feel smoother on the throat than ordinary freebase nicotine at the same strength. In the UK they come in 10ml bottles at up to 20mg/ml, and they are designed for small, low-powered pod kits.
Where the name comes from
Chemistry calls any compound made from an acid and a base a salt. Nicotine on its own is a base. Add an acid, commonly benzoic acid, and you get a nicotine salt. Nothing about it is salty to taste. The word just describes how the nicotine is held in the liquid.
Plain nicotine, the kind used in most e-liquid before nic salts arrived, is called freebase. The two do the same job in a vape. What changes is how they feel when you inhale, especially once the strength goes up. We cover the side-by-side differences in our nic salt vs freebase guide.
The bottled versions of disposable flavours are the easiest way in: Elux nic salts carry over the Elux Legend line-up almost flavour for flavour.
Why nic salts feel smoother
Freebase nicotine gets harsher as the strength rises. At 18mg or 20mg it catches the back of the throat, which is why freebase users on big tanks tend to stay low, around 3mg or 6mg. The acid in a nic salt takes the edge off, so 10mg or 20mg stays comfortable in a small device. Disposables used nic salts for exactly this reason, so the bottled versions of disposable flavours are nic salts too.
What is in a bottle of nic salt
The ingredient list is short: propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), the nicotine salt and food-grade flavourings. Most nic salts are mixed 50/50 PG to VG, which suits the narrow wicks in pod coils. Our guide to what goes into nic salt e-liquid covers each ingredient and the UK paperwork every bottle goes through, and the PG/VG ratio guide explains why the balance matters.
Nic salt strengths in the UK
UK law caps nicotine e-liquid at 20mg/ml in bottles no bigger than 10ml. Within that, the ranges we cover sell these strengths:
| Range | Strengths on sale | Flavours we list |
|---|---|---|
| Elfliq | 5mg, 10mg, 20mg | 46 |
| Elux Legend (incl. Firerose 5000) | 10mg, 20mg (5mg on 20 flavours) | 83 |
| Bar Juice 5000 | 5mg, 10mg, 20mg (15mg on 8 flavours) | 52 |
Strength is the decision people get wrong most often. If a 20mg disposable was your daily, start on 20mg. Our nic salt strength guide walks through the choice, and you can browse every 20mg nic salt, 10mg nic salt or 5mg nic salt we list.
You may see strengths written as a percentage. 2% is the same as 20mg/ml. A 5% nic salt is 50mg/ml, which is sold in some other countries but cannot legally be sold in the UK.
Which devices take nic salts
Nic salts are made for mouth-to-lung pod kits: a small rechargeable battery with a refillable pod and a coil of roughly 0.8 to 1.2 ohms. Those coils run at low power, which keeps the vapour cool and the nicotine comfortable. Put a 20mg nic salt in a high-powered sub-ohm tank and it will be far too strong, so keep salts for pod kits.
If you are new to refillable kits, the vaping for beginners guide covers the device side, and how to refill a vape pod shows the filling step by step.
Nic salts and the disposables ban
Single-use vapes have been banned from sale across the UK since 1 June 2025. Every big disposable brand had already built its flavours on 20mg nic salt, so the brands simply bottled them. That is why Elfliq mirrors Elf Bar flavours and Elux Legend mirrors the Legend devices. If you are working out what to switch to, see our guide to disposable vape alternatives.
How to read a nic salt label
Every UK bottle carries the same basic information, and knowing where to look saves a wrong purchase:
- Strength in mg/ml, often with the percentage next to it: 20mg/ml is 2%, 10mg/ml is 1%.
- Volume: always 10ml or less for a nicotine liquid.
- PG/VG ratio, usually printed as 50/50.
- The nicotine warning: this product contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance.
- A batch number and a notification ID, which link the product to its MHRA listing.
The cap should be child-resistant and the seal tamper-evident. If either is missing, do not buy it.
Choosing your first nic salt
Three questions narrow it down quickly. What strength were you using? What flavour did you like? Which device will you fill? If the answers are 20mg, a fruit ice flavour and a pod kit, you can pick from almost any of the ranges we cover. If you want 5mg, Elfliq offers it on 40 of its 46 flavours, which is the widest choice. Our nic salt flavours page groups every flavour by type if you are not sure where to start.
Do nic salts burn coils faster?
Not in any way that matters for most people. Coil life depends far more on how sweet the liquid is, how hard you draw and whether the coil was primed properly. Very sweet candy flavours gunk coils up quicker than mint or tobacco. If you get a burnt taste, our guide on why a vape tastes burnt covers the usual causes.
Questions readers ask
What are nic salts in simple terms?
Nicotine combined with a mild acid, mixed into a 10ml e-liquid. They feel smoother than freebase nicotine at higher strengths, which is why pod kits use them.
Are nic salts stronger than normal vape juice?
Not by definition. A 20mg nic salt and a 20mg freebase liquid contain the same nicotine per ml. Nic salts just make that strength easier to inhale, so they are usually sold at higher strengths.
Is 5% nic salt the same as 50mg?
Yes, 5% equals 50mg/ml. That strength cannot be sold in the UK, where the legal limit is 20mg/ml (2%).
Can I use nic salts in any vape?
They work best in low-powered mouth-to-lung pod kits with coils of roughly 0.8 to 1.2 ohms. In a sub-ohm tank a nic salt is far too strong.
Are nic salts safe?
No nicotine product is risk-free, and nicotine is addictive. Every nic salt sold in the UK must be notified to the MHRA and meet the 10ml and 20mg/ml limits. For health questions, speak to your GP or pharmacist.