Is E-Liquid Vegan?

28 April 2016

When you draw on your e-cigarette, a special little substance called e-liquid is heated and vapourised, ready to be inhaled by you. Sounds simple enough but, particularly if you are vegan, you’ll naturally want to know exactly what ingredients are being taken into your body during this process. 

Vegan or not, we doubt anyone will find the idea of inhaling vapourised animal parts appealing (Lady Gaga took it far enough when she wore that meat dress). In a world seemingly built from animal products, whether they’re on people’s plates, feet or bodies, it would be fair to assume that vaping is yet another activity that isn’t suitable for vegans. 

But, fortunately, that assumption would be wrong! The majority of e-liquids are vegan – read on to learn more.

THE FACTS

  • No animal parts are involved in the process of creating e-liquids.
  • The more standard, natural flavours, for instance fruit flavoured e-liquids, usually come from natural sources. Natural flavouring is derived from plants, fruits and vegetables.
  • The e-liquids which are a little more whacky, for instance cake or custard based flavours, tend to be constructed from chemicals to create the more specific taste. Which means no real eggs, milk or butter used!
  • E-liquids have a base of vegetable glycerine (VG), propylene glycol (PG) or a combination of both:
    • Vegetable glycerine is vegan friendly, produced from plant oils, typically palm oil, soy or coconut oil.
    • Propylene glycol is an organic compound produced from petroleum – it is not made from an animal. 
  • E-liquids may also contain distilled water which, shock horror, is fine for vegans!
  • E-liquids may also contain nicotine. This is an addictive substance found in members of the Nightshade family of plants, including tomatoes, potatoes, green pepper and aubergine
  • Whilst this is all good news for vegans, there is always a chance chemicals, like PG or those in artificial flavouring, may have been tested on animals. If in doubt, always contact the manufacturer and express your concern. They should be happy to put your mind at ease!

So, in summary, e-liquids are made from vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol, flavouring, distilled water and nicotine. Many of these ingredients are derived from plants and none contain animal parts or products. 

However, depending on how strictly vegan you are, things fall into grey territory when dealing with chemicals, such as PG or artificial flavours. It’s not always easy to determine whether these chemicals have been tested on animals during the production process.

If you are concerned, contact the supplier to see if they can give you more information. If this doesn’t prove fruitful, we would suggest choosing e-liquids which are 100% VG, rather than a PG/VG mix, and also those which use natural flavourings only.

Happy vaping, vegans!

See Our Trending E-Liquids!

EDGE Cherry Ice Menthol E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Cherry Ice Menthol E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Cherry and menthol flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
EDGE Blueberry E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Blueberry E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Fruity blueberry flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
OK Vape Tobacco Medium Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (12mg)

OK Vape Tobacco Medium Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (12mg)

£6.99
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  • Tobacco-flavoured electronic cigarette refill
  • Suitable for the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Medium nicotine strength of 12mg
  • Each pack contains 5 refills, with bulk offers available
  • Available from £5.50 per pack!
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout
Blu Pro E-Cigarette Clearomiser

Blu Pro E-Cigarette Clearomiser

£5.99
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  • Ergonomic mouthpiece for consistent vapour
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OK Vape E-Cigarette Low Strength Menthol Refill Cartridges (6mg)

OK Vape E-Cigarette Low Strength Menthol Refill Cartridges (6mg)

£6.99
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  • Menthol flavour refill cartridges for the OK Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Each pack contains five cartridges and lasts for the equivalent of 125 traditional cigarettes
  • Low strength with 6mg of nicotine in each cartridge
  • Bulk offers available starting at £5.50 per pack
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout
EDGE Blackcurrant E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Blackcurrant E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Fruity blackcurrant flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
EDGE Strawberry Milkshake E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Strawberry Milkshake E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Strawberry milkshake flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
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Elf Bar 600 Snoow Tobacco Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

Elf Bar 600 Snoow Tobacco Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

£4.99
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  • Disposable vape pen supplied in a creamy snoow tobacco flavour
  • Provides 600 puffs per bar, roughly the same as 20 cigarettes
  • Compact, portable and drag-activated for a great vape experience 
  • Mix and match 10 of any flavour to reduce price to £3.80 per device
OK Vape Tobacco High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (18mg)

OK Vape Tobacco High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (18mg)

£6.99
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  • Tobacco-flavoured electronic cigarette refill
  • Suitable for the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • High nicotine strength of 18mg
  • Each pack contains 5 refills, with bulk offers available
  • Available from £5.50 per pack!
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout
EDGE Virginia Tobacco E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Virginia Tobacco E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Tobacco flavoured e-liquid
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EDGE GO Blackcurrant Refill Pods (5 Packs)

EDGE GO Blackcurrant Refill Pods (5 Packs)

£23.99
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  • Five packs of blackcurrant-flavoured pods
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  • Easy to use with a simple click-and-go design
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OK Vape E-Cigarette Nicotine-Free Menthol Refill Cartridges (0mg)

OK Vape E-Cigarette Nicotine-Free Menthol Refill Cartridges (0mg)

£6.99
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  • Menthol flavour refill cartridges for the OK Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Each pack contains five cartridges and lasts for the equivalent of 125 traditional cigarettes
  • Nicotine-free with 0mg of nicotine in each cartridge
  • Bulk offers available starting at £5.50 per pack
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout