You
may have noticed that many bottles of e-liquid and packets of
cartomizers carry an expiry date, but with the “expiry” dates listed on
food so often being inaccurate, it’s natural to wonder whether e-liquids
actually expire.
If you have a vape on a juice that’s a couple of months past the use-by date, is anything bad going to happen?
The
only problem is that there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding this
point, so it’s better to learn about the factors at play and come to
your own decision regarding a particular bottle of juice.
Key Points
- The
expiry date for e-liquid isn’t officially established, but based on the
life of PG, VG and nicotine it can be expected to be 1-2 years (when
stored correctly).
- Numerous different flavorings are used in e-liquid, and in some cases these may mean juice spoils sooner.
- E-liquids
often have sediment if left still for a while, but if this doesn’t mix
when you shake it, your juice might be going bad.
- Exercise the
same caution you would with food products; if your juice smells or looks
funny, it’s probably off, especially if it’s over a year old.
E-Liquid Expiry Dates
Speaking
broadly, any expiry date you see on a bottle of e-liquid is ultimately
an estimation. This is because in the absence of FDA regulation there is
no established use-by date for a bottle of juice, but that doesn’t mean
that the listed dates are inaccurate.
The
use-by date of any bottle of e-juice is likely to be listed as anywhere
between one and two years. This is based largely on the established
shelf life of
nicotine,
PG and
VG
of around two years (as long as they’re stored below 104 °F / 40 °C and
away from UV light; VG keeps best at around 77 °F / 25 °C), but they
aren’t the only contents of e-liquid.
The
flavors are the real uncertainties when it comes to shelf life, but
they’re unlikely to have too much of an impact. To take a couple of
examples – 2-actetylpyrazine (a nutty, chocolatey flavoring) has a shelf life of five years, and
vanillin (vanilla flavor, as you may expect) lasts for
about two years.
Of course, there are many flavors used, so this can differ depending on
the specific bottle of e-juice, but two years is generally accepted as
the life-span.
Has My E-Liquid Gone Bad?
So
you’re pretty much left to your own devices when it comes to
determining if your e-liquid has past its prime. The first thing to do
is think about the conditions it’s been stored in: if it’s been stored
in an unsuitable location (exposed to heat and light), assume that it
will expire sooner than the stated date.
If you’ve kept
your juice in a suitable location, you should inspect it carefully
before using it after the first year, just to be sure.
It’s
normal for the denser elements of the juice to sink to the bottom after
it’s been sitting for a while (which is why shaking your bottles is
advised), but if the different components of the juice won’t mix when
you agitate them, then it’s a sign
something may have gone stale. Some e-liquids don’t mix as much even when they’re new, though, so this is only an issue if there has been a
new separation that doesn’t rectify itself with a rough shake.
Nicotine
darkens when it’s oxidized, but – as mentioned earlier –
this doesn’t have a notable impact on strength, and it doesn’t
necessarily mean it’s expired.
In a test from
njoye-cigs,
under the worst case scenario (stored on a window sill with an open
cap) there was only a reduction from 35 mg/ml to 31 mg/ml in a batch of
juice after four months. However, chemical reactions involving the
flavors may also be responsible, so color isn’t the best way to
determine if your juice has expired or no.
If you’re
approaching the time a juice maybe expiring, the best advice is to
inspect it, smell it and make a judgment call. If there is a sign that
something isn’t quite right; you’re taking the same risk you
would be with food, but, chances are you’ll have a healthy supply of e-juice and won’t miss a bottle you’ve had for around two years. Unless
you’re literally desperate for something to vape, throw it out and don’t
take the chance.
Conclusion – Is Consuming Expired E-Liquid Dangerous?
It’s
pretty unlikely that vaping expired E-liquid will do any
serious damage to you (especially compared to smoking), but it’s also an
under-explored area. The best advice is to use the 1 to 2 year expiry
date as a guide and not take chances with any juice that may have expired. If you do vape it – leaving aside the health and safety side of
things – it’ll probably have lost flavor or taken on a foul smell and or taste. It’s
better to just throw it out.
