How Long Does E-juice Last Once Opened?

It might surprise you that an e-liquid has a shelf life, and it matters when it is opened or not. It contains food-based ingredients, such as vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG), which makes it important to look into the expiry dates written on the vape bottles. You have to check a few things about the vape juice when it is left on its own for a while.

Depending on how it is stored, the e-liquid can last a long time. Most vape liquid can be stored well for two years, for as long as they are stored appropriately. However, when the vacuum seal is broken, the e-juice is now exposed to air. This is why you need to choose and plan well the vape juice you are going to buy. Choose a bottle whose contents you can finish off in 2 to 3 months. If the e-liquid has not been reopened for quite some time, try to smell it first.

The Expiry Dates of Its Ingredients

Keep in mind that the shelf life of PG is two years while that of VG is 4 to 6 years. The flavorings can last up to one year, but the VG and PG can make the vape liquid flavors last longer.

The e-liquid expiry date is often based on the shelf life of PG, hence two years. This applies to all e-liquids, even the Max VG since it only contains a small amount of PG. The expiry date of an e-liquid also depends on how it is produced. If it was made in a medical laboratory by professionally a qualified chemist, it certainly will last longer than an e-liquid that was created in someone’s garage.

This type of e-liquid is also safer for consumption and of higher quality.

How to Identify an Expired E-Juice

The first thing you have to look into is the color of the e-juice. If the e-liquid has nicotine, it will undergo a slight change in color because nicotine is oxidative over time; but when the color has a stark contrast to the original one, chances are it has gone bad. One other thing is the smell.

The smell of the e-liquid will change as it starts to expire. Give the stored e-liquid a good sniff before you start your first puff. You also need to check on the separation of the fluids that make up the e-juice. The ingredients of the e-liquid will eventually separate and form layers over time while it is stored.

Fresh e-liquids are not that hard to shake off and come up with a homogenous mixture. When it becomes hard to do so, it’s an indication that the e-juice is expired. A more definite means of knowing if the e-juice is expired is if it tastes bad or if it leaves off a stale taste. When that happens, get rid of the e-juice right away.

Is It Safe to Vape an Expired E-Liquid?

A lot of vape juices remain experimental when it comes to expiry dates. One e-juice may survive even a year after its expiry date while other e-juice flavors can go bad a few months after it. This is so because different e-juice flavors are made up of different chemical ingredients, which can result in different shelf lives.

How to Dispose of Expired E-Liquid

Once your e-liquid has expired, you can find a lot of ways to eliminate it. It’s not recommended to throw it in the drain without diluting it since the nicotine may be left in the watershed.

One best way to dispose of it is to pour it in highly absorbent and appropriate material such as coffee grounds or cat litter. You may also mix the e-juice in water and use it as a pesticide to spray on the plants. Pests don’t like nicotine.

 

 

Jeff Campbell