Safety First!

Disclaimer

This Safety Guide is intended to help our customers understand, handle and use our products properly. However, it is up to you to follow through. In addition, reading and applying the contents of this Safety Guide does not constitute acceptance of liability on our part, especially in the event of personal injury, death or property damage.

Treat nicotine with the respect it deserves!

Vape Hut Safety Guide

1. Nicotine

1.1. What is nicotine?

Nicotine is an alkaloid compound found naturally in tobacco plants. It is consumed, legally, and produces a slight euphoric sensation in the user. Historically, nicotine was consumed through smoking or chewing. However, this is associated with many unwanted health effects. In fact, studies have shown that cigarette smoke can contain up to 7000 different chemical compounds, many of which are linked to cancer and other diseases.

Today, nicotine can be extracted from tobacco and consumed through electronic cigarettes, so-called vaping, thus significantly reducing the user's exposure to harmful substances. But more on that later.

Nicotine itself does not cause cancer, but it has been associated in at least one study with promoting the growth of cancers formed by other means. My friend, no one forces us to consume nicotine, but as we know it is very addictive. Tobacco is potentially dangerous, expensive and controlled by large cartels. Vaping can help you break this cycle of addiction and has proven to be a very useful quitting aid. But, whether you choose to vape, smoke or quit altogether is a choice you will have to make for yourself!

1.2. Is nicotine dangerous??

Yes! Nicotine itself is toxic to many living organisms, including humans, and an overdose can lead to death. However, it is difficult to state a definitive figure for a lethal dose in humans. The traditional lower limit is often quoted as 6.5 mg/kg. This means that the effects of nicotine depend on the user's body weight, but, for example, a person weighing 80 kg can experience a fatal overdose after consuming just 520 mg of nicotine. For comparison, this is the amount of nicotine contained in about 50 cigarettes. However, in terms of nicotine mass, this is a small amount, and children are much more susceptible to nicotine poisoning!

In addition to inhalation and ingestion, nicotine can also be absorbed through the skin very easily. This is why it is so important to handle nicotine bases with the utmost care and use the proper precautions and equipment. This includes both safety equipment and measurement equipment.

2. Vaping

2.1. What is it?

Vaping is a nicotine delivery method that provides an alternative to traditional tobacco consumption. Unlike cigarettes, nothing burns, thus eliminating the risks associated with inhaling cigarette smoke and the many substances it contains. Instead, a nicotine-containing liquid, the so-called e-cigarette liquid, is vaporized in a device called a vaporizer. This offers a very different experience to tobacco and some long-time smokers may find it takes some getting used to, but most vapers would agree that it's a more enjoyable experience overall.

2.2. What is e-liquid??

Electronic cigarette liquid (E-liquid) is the consumable component of vaping. It is a liquid made of nicotine that has been dissolved in a carrier substance. This is almost always a mixture of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG). Both of these substances have been used in the food and pharmaceutical industries for decades and are considered harmless to health by health authorities around the world.

VG is thicker than PG and so e-liquids that are richer in VG require more powerful vaping devices (vaporizers) as the coils of low wattage devices can clog. Conversely, bases that are too PG-rich are too light and can often result in improper spraying and liquid being emitted from these devices. For this reason, we recommend a 50PG/50VG blend for beginners, as this creates a thickness that can be easily accommodated by the majority of vapers.

2.3. Flavourings

As neither PG nor VG taste particularly pleasant, it is very common for most e-liquids to also contain artificial flavouring. These come in many varieties including tobacco, fruits, candies and even vegetables! However, many e-juice brands use inferior flavourings intended for the food industry. Some of them contain substances that can be very harmful when inhaled. These include diacetyl, acetylpropionyl and acetoin. For this reason, it is essential that you only purchase flavouring and e-juice that have been certified free of such contaminants.

At Vape Hut we only sell ingredients that have been produced in the European Union in accordance with applicable legal standards and are certified as such.

3. Making nicotine products at home

3.1. What equipment do I need?

You will need the following safety, measurement and storage equipment.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Tight fitting silicone gloves (to prevent skin contact and absorption of nicotine from the hands)
Safety glasses or face shield (to protect eyes from spills/splashes)
A breathing mask if handling nicotine powders
Always handle nicotine liquids in a well-ventilated room. However, this is more important for powders that require proper smoke extraction systems.

MEASURING EQUIPMENT

Millimetre precision medical syringes. These may be plastic, but as the signs wear down over time, you will need to replace them periodically. You will need at least a 5 ml syringe, but you will also find 10, 20 and 50 ml syringes very useful.
Dosage Calculator to calculate the correct dosages.

Οι σύριγγες μιας χρήσης σε μεγέθη 5, 10 και 20 ml μπορούν να επαναχρησιμοποιηθούν εάν τα σημάδια είναι ακόμα ορατά. Σημείωση, δεν απαιτούνται βελόνες.

Disposable syringes in sizes 5, 10 and 20 ml can be reused if marks are still visible. Note, no needles are required.

Γενικά μπουκάλια Gorrila με καπάκι ασφαλείας για παιδιά σε τυπικά μεγέθη.

General Gorrila child bottles with safety cap in standard sizes.

STORAGE EQUIPMENT

Gorilla bottles for your final e-liquids. These are cheap and safe. Please don't skimp here. You can reuse old bottles if the seals and caps are in good condition. E-liquid is water soluble, so just use tap water to clean them thoroughly. No need for soap. But let them dry completely, as vaping water can be dangerous.
A secure (preferably locking) cabinet to store your ingredients. As we said, nicotine is toxic and should be kept away from children. It is also important that bottles containing nicotine are labeled as such!

3.2. Dosages for your e-liquid

To make your e-liquid you’ll need Nicotine Base, PG/VG Base and a flavour, in addition to the equipment listed above. Now you will need to decide how much finished e-liquid you want to make as well as its nicotine strength (concentration). In addition, we’ll also need to know the recommended dose for our chosen flavouring. Usually we measure liquid volume in millilitres (ml) and strength in milligrams per millilitre (mg/ml). Typical Gorilla bottles come in sizes such as 30, 60 or 120 ml. So, firstly, you need to have the appropriate bottle to match the quantity you want to make. Next you need to choose the nicotine concentration. You should never make an e-liquid with a concentration greater than 20 mg/ml. Ever! Doing so maybe lead to adverse effects including nicotine poisoning. In fact, we recommended using a maximum concentration of 18 mg/ml. This is a good strength for heavy nicotine users such as smokers. As you ween yourself off of cigarettes you can start making weaker e-liquids. Now, 18 mg/ml means that for every millilitre of finished e-liquid, you should 18 mg of pure nicotine. In the case of a 60 ml bottle that equates to 1080 mg of nicotine. Remember what we said about the toxicity of nicotine? So remember that there is enough nicotine in this bottle to cause serious injury or death. That’s another reminder of why we need to use safety equipment and take sensible storage seriously. In order to calculate the exact quantities of Nicotine Base, PG/VG Base and flavour, please use our E-Liquid Calculator. But if you want to know how this calculator works, an explanation follows:

The volume of nicotine is V_N = C_N / 1000 x V x A, where C_N is the nicotine concentration of the finished e-liquid, V is the volume of the finished e-liquid and A is a scaling factor that depends on the concentration of the nicotine base used. For example if a nicotine base with a concentration of 100 mg/ml is used, then A = 10.

The volume of flavouring is V_F = P_F / 100 x V, where P_F is the recommended dose (in %) of the flavouring. This can be found in the green table below, as well as on the shop page of the respective flavouring. (It should also be written on your bottle of flavouring.)

The volume of PG/VG base needed is then V_B = V – V_N – V_F

The volumes of nicotine V_N are calculated for you in the blue table below for various bottle sizes and nicotine concentrations. In general, however, we strongly advise you to use a readymade E-Liquid Calculator.

The values show the volume of nicotine base to add for a given bottle size and e-liquid strength starting with a nicotine base strength of 100 mg/ml

Out of interest, you can calculate the percentage of nicotine P_N from the concentration C_N by dividing the mg/ml value of the nicotine base by 10. For example 18 mg/ml = 1.8% nicotine.

The recommended doses for our flavouring concentrates can be taken from the following table:

Recommended minimum and maximum doses of our flavourings as stated by the manufacturer

3.3. Mixing your e-liquid

Once you have calculated the amounts of flavouring, PG/VG and nicotine base for your e-liquid. Find a suitable table to work on and put on your safety gear:

– Wear tight fitting silicone or latex gloves

– Wear safety glasses
– Wear a face mask that covers your mouth

Measure out the respective amount of PG/VG base using an appropriately sized syringe and deposit it in the Gorilla bottle. Repeat the process for the flavouring and finally the nicotine base.

After you take the nicotine base out of its bottle with the syringe, put down the syringe and close the nicotine base bottle securely before injecting the nicotine base in your Gorilla bottle.

Don’t rush! Take your time and check your amounts carefully.

When the Gorilla bottle is full, secure the lid and shake vigorously.

Don’t forget to label your bottle with a self-adhesive label, perhaps writing the flavour and strength and a warning that it contains nicotine.

Always store your ingredients in a cool, dry and dark cupboard, which is out of reach of children and preferably locked. Remember nicotine is a deadly poison.