Aromas and additives for your DIY e liquids

The proverb says "tastes and colours, there's no arguing about it": a flavour loved by some is not necessarily the favourite of others. It's up to you to discover your favourites. In this matter, there are no rules. Follow your preferences, your desires, and dare to vary the recipes as you please. There are over a hundred different flavours. Whether it's mint, tobacco, strawberry, peach, or candy, you'll definitely find flavours that suit you.

What are the different types of aromas for your e liquid ?

There are therefore a multitude of flavours, but to help vapers, 5 major families of flavours emerge:

Classics : flavours designed for vapers looking for flavours reminiscent of tobacco. Ideal for beginners wanting to quit smoking but needing that little sensation reminiscent of the classic cigarette.

Gourmet : flavours centred around the world of pastry and other sweets. You can also find flavours of custard, popcorn, caramel, and many others.

Mint : intended for vapers who love mentholated and fresh, even icy flavours. These flavours can be enhanced with notes of anise, eucalyptus, etc.

Fruity : flavours composed of one or more fruits, from the most classic to the most exotic. Ideal for vapers looking for sweet and fruity flavours.

Drinks : from iced tea to milkshakes to energy drinks, find the flavours of your favourite sodas and cocktails.

Can you mix several flavours ?

It is indeed possible to mix several flavours in the making of your DIY e-liquid. However, not all blends are to be made, and you would not want to vape the mixture. You need to learn to dose each flavour so that the DIY blend is harmonious and enjoyable in the mouth. We advise you to start your DIY preparations by mixing single flavours.

Furthermore, start with minimal doses and adjust the dosage gradually. The risk when mixing several flavours could result in not vaping the e-liquid. To help you in making your recipes, you can use our“DIY recipe.

How to create a DIY recipe ?

Here are the different steps to make a DIY e-liquid recipe for your electronic cigarette. Once you have ordered the different components for preparing your DIY e-liquid, you can follow these steps:

• First step, pour the quantity of flavour previously indicated on the DIY calculator into the bottle. The volume will depend on the proportion of PG/VG in your base, the more VG you have, the more concentrate you will need.
• Second step, this one is optional, you can add one or more additives in a few drops to enhance the taste of your flavour.
• Third step, add the neutral base according to the dosage provided by the calculator.
• Fourth step, it's time to add the nicotine, once again the quantity will depend on the indications of the DIY calculator.
• Fifth step, the preparation has been made, now you need to make it all homogeneous. For mixing, you have several choices, you can shake your bottle for about a minute (in all directions), use a magnetic stirrer, or any other homemade system.

How to dose your DIY aroma ?

There are two ways to dose flavours:

Number of drops (depending on the flavours and the brand, the number of drops differs).

In % and therefore in millilitres. You should count an average of 10% of flavours in a DIY e-liquid preparation.

On each flavour product sheet is indicated the recommended dosage in percentage for a 50/50 PG/VG base.

What is the maturation time for your DIY e liquid ?

The maturation time, also called steeping time, is the time to let your DIY preparation rest to get the best flavour. This varies depending on the type of flavour and the complexity of the mixture. The maturation time can range from 48 hours to about twenty days. Here are some indications regarding the steeping time required depending on the type of flavour:

• Fruity e-liquids: between 48 hours and 5 days for a mono-flavoured DIY e-liquid and at least 7 days if there are several flavours.

• Minty or fresh e-liquids: between 48 hours and 7 days for a mono-flavoured DIY e-liquid and 2 weeks for a complex recipe.
• Gourmet e-liquids: a minimum of 2 weeks is necessary for a mono-flavoured DIY e-liquid and up to 3 weeks for a recipe with several flavours.
• Classic e-liquids: a minimum of 15 days for a simple flavoured DIY e-liquid and for a complex recipe at least 3 weeks of maturation.

To help you know the maturation time of flavours, it is indicated on all product sheets of Le Petit Vapoteur website.

Of course, this is the minimum maturation time, you can let your mixture mature for longer without any risk. However, be careful not to overdo it, as it is not recommended to keep an e-liquid for more than two years.

In addition to the steeping time, for your DIY e-liquid to have an optimal flavour, we recommend storing it in a place away from light with a fairly cool temperature.

You can also shake your preparation from time to time so that the flavours are well released and mix perfectly to make your preparation homogeneous. The flavours will only be better.

How to choose a DIY additive ?

Additives are optional when preparing a DIY e-liquid. Like flavours, the choice of an additive depends on your tastes and what you want to add to your e-liquid.

There are 3 main families of additives:

→ Taste enhancers: bring more flavour to the e-liquid

→ Sensationals: give the e-liquid new sensations (freshness, menthol...)

→ Spicy: add a spicy note to the e-liquid

Here are examples of additives:

 Malic Acid (SOUR) :

Malic acid causes a slightly acidic sensation. This additive gives a sensation of spicy and tangy flavour. It is widely used for candy and beverage flavours like colas and sodas. It also pairs very well with fruity flavours.

Methyl Lactate (KOOLADA) :

Methyl lactate causes an intense freshness sensation similar to that of menthol. Methyl lactate is a neutral and flavourless additive. It doesn't taste like mint but creates an intense feeling of freshness. Use in moderation according to your tastes.

Sweetener :

Sweetener is a commonly used sweetener. Sweetener enhances the sweet sensations of a preparation and consequently neutralises the bitterness of certain flavours and nicotine. The recommended dosage is 1 drop for 1 ml to 2 ml of base (Source French Industrial Laboratory).

Vanillin:

Vanillin is a flavour enhancer that enhances flavours and helps balance aroma blends without altering them. It softens and rounds off preparations. Often used with 2 to 6 drops per ml. Don't overuse it as it can cause a bitter taste in high doses. Recommended for fruity (banana), gourmet, beverage, and classic recipes.

Acetyl Pyrazine :

The Acetyl Pyrazine additive is highly concentrated and should be dosed at 1 to 2 drops per 10 ml. Acetyl Pyrazine gives a "gourmet" smoky effect to DIY preparations and can bring out notes reminiscent of popcorn or roasted hazelnut. It is commonly used in gourmet classic recipes, biscuity, or caramel flavours.

Why use an additive in your preparation ?

Additives help enhance or adjust the flavours of an e-liquid. They can enhance the taste of certain flavours, round off the final e-liquid, make it sweeter, or give it a fresh sensation. By using additives, you can create unique recipes tailored to your tastes. This way, your e-liquid will not match any other; it will have its own identity. It's up to you to adjust the percentage of additives needed for your preparation.

Tip: Stick to proportions of 1 to 3% of your base liquid mixture + concentrated flavour(s), as additives are often very potent.

Encrustation of Coils 

As you know, the coils of electronic cigarettes have a limited lifespan, but certain elements influence it. You should know that, by default, you will always have residues of PG, VG, and cotton that will clog them. However, the composition of the e-liquid used in your e-cigarette also affects the clogging of your coils. For example, the acidity level or sweetening additives will reduce the duration of use. However, what truly affects clogging is how often you vape; the more you vape, the faster your coil will clog, and therefore lose efficiency.