Nicotine salt is the latest innovation in e-liquids. How is this nicotine different from regular nicotine? What are the benefits of nicotine salts? Which material to choose? What effects on health?
To begin, let’s talk about nicotine base, which is the nicotine that is historically found in our e-liquids. It is also called purified nicotine and comes in a basic form. It has the advantage of being easily assimilated by the body and offers a lasting effect, but on the downside, it takes longer to spread through our body than cigarette smoke. We are talking here about the average duration of 10 minutes for the vape and 10 seconds for the smoke.
Naturally present in tobacco, nicotine salt is a type of nicotine that offers sensations closer to traditional cigarettes. It allows a faster feeling of satiety and offers a new lever for smoking cessation.
Understand the difference between nicotine salt and nicotine base.
Originally, all e-liquids are made with the same nicotine. This nicotine, which has been mixed with a base of propylene glycol and glycerine, has enabled hundreds of thousands of people to succeed in their goal of quitting smoking.
Above all, the nicotine base makes it possible to obtain a long, but more continuous absorption of nicotine and scratching in the throat (HIT) which helps our brain to assimilate the vape to the action of smoking.
Nicotine salt, on the other hand, is a form of nicotine that is closer to the nicotine contained in cigarettes. It has a faster rise in the brain and a less intense throat sensation. These characteristics are due to the PH of nicotine salt which is more acidic and to the fact that with nicotine salt, the nicotine molecule does not escape from the smoke to settle in the mouth or the throat and therefore goes directly into the lungs without loss.
The advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages :
- Satisfaction: Many people who try conventional liquids for the first time often find that their electronic cigarette does not give them the same satisfaction as a conventional cigarette. Nicotine salt solves this problem since it has a more powerful rise in nicotine than nicotine base.
- A smoother throat sensation: For some people, regular liquids cause too much irritation in the throat, which prevents them from vaping at a sufficient level of nicotine. Nicotine salt allows you to vape at rates of 20mg/ml with the same feeling (HIT) as a classic 6mg liquid.
- Less Impact on Flavor: The nicotine salt does not have a significant impact on the flavour of the liquid.
Disadvantages:
- Too intense for some: nicotine salt liquids are often in 10 or 20 mg, they are not suitable for people who smoke very few cigarettes, nor even for people who have already made good progress on their withdrawal and who today are in 6 or 3 mg of nicotine.
- Lack of HIT: although the lack of feeling in the throat is an advantage for some, it can also be a hindrance for others. Indeed, nicotine base has the advantage of offering this scratching in the throat which allows our brain to better assimilate the vape to the action of smoking. With the lack of HIT, some people feel like they are not smoking anything and therefore feel a lack of satisfaction.
For who is nicotine salt for?
Nicotine salt is aimed at first-time vapers, but not at all profiles!
Even if the list of advantages is long, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the lack of HIT can be a real obstacle for many smokers wishing to quit smoking.
You have to test both to realize and then ask yourself these questions:
- Am I satisfied with the nicotine base?
- Does the lack of feeling in the throat bother me?
If you are not satisfied with nicotine base and you don’t care about HIT, then go for it, nicotine salt is for you.
If you need HIT then try increasing your nicotine dosage with regular liquids.
Is nicotine salt a health hazard?
Nicotine salts are comparable in safety to nicotine base. But nicotine salts are not as easy to incorporate into liquid as nicotine base. To solve this problem, benzoic acid (sometimes other compounds) is added to the composition. However, laboratory analyzes have revealed no hazard concerning vaporizing and inhaling this acid.
Which material to vape nicotine salt?
The use of dedicated equipment is not necessarily necessary, but be careful all the same, Zeus or Skrr type war machines with their large clouds are to be avoided if you do not want to end up with a large nicotine overdose.
Favour indirect inhaling clearomisers such as the Nautilus or the Zenith with resistances greater than 1 ohm, or opt directly for a pod system which will have the advantage of being easy to use and perfectly adapted.
Conclusion :
Nicotine salts should therefore not replace our good old nicotine base. However, they offer a new lever for quitting smoking by allowing a whole category of vapers to better appreciate their vaping experience.
Sweet in the throat but powerful in nicotine are the innovations brought by this nicotine to all vapers in search of other sensations and simplicity.