How to store e-liquids and can they go bad?

Vaping is often praised as a better alternative to smoking not only because it’s less health risky — but also because it’s a much less expensive habit. You will spend much less if you vape than if you smoke — but that’s provided you know how to store your e-liquids and don’t have to throw them away half-full. How to make sure your e-liquids are stored properly? The first thing you will want to know and pay attention to is what to keep your liquids away from. And there are three biggest culprits that will threaten your flavour: they are air, light and heat.

Keep your e-liquids away from heat

When choosing a long-term storage for your e-liquids, try to keep them away from the heat. Both sunlight and high temperatures can negatively affect the components of your vape juice. While real trouble (and by real trouble we mean your e-liquid vaporizing) only occurs at over 140 degrees Celsius, about 37 degrees Celsius is enough to make your vaping juice unstable and runny. This can also alter the taste of your e-liquid and make it pretty much unvapable over time.

Keep your e-liquids away from air and light

Light and air can oxidize the nicotine in your e-liquids, which will make it change color and produce cotinine. As a result, the longer you leave your vape juice in the sun, the less nicotine will be left in it. Depending on the favor of your e-liquid, it may also change color: this typically happens to tastes like coffee and chocolate.

Thus, it’s generally advised to keep your juices away from light and, preferably, in an airtight container.

Don’t forget your e-liquids outside, in your car, etc.

Keep track of your e-liquids and try to not leave them behind in places where they can be affected by the elements. Leaving your vaping juice on the dashboard of your car, for example, can lead to it being damaged by heat or light. Outside temperatures, whether too hot or too cold, are sure to mess up the flavour of your e-liquid.

Should I keep my e-liquids in the fridge?

Some vapers opt for keeping their e-liquids in the fridge — or even the freezer. While this definitely keeps them away from heat and light, “freezing” your e-liquids comes with several dangers of its own. For one, as different components of your vaping juice freeze at different temperatures, they may start to separate and your juice will lose its stability.

Second, if your keep your e-liquid in the refrigerator, you will need to “warm it up” before putting it in your tank, as it’s not advised to vape e-liquids that are below room temperature.

So, where and how should you keep your e-liquids?

The simplest advice here is to keep your e-liquids in a cool dry place: a cabinet, a drawer, etc.

It is also recommended to keep them in small glass bottles instead of the plastic bottles most e-liquids originally come in. The reason for that is that even if the said bottles are made of high quality plastic, they will still let in air — and this will affect your vape juice over time.

One of the most important e-liquid storing conditions is to keep it away from children and pets. Even if they are kept in perfectly sealed bottles, there is a chance, that given enough time, they can be opened, caps can be chewed off and glass containers broken. Thus, it is crucial to make sure that your e-liquid collection is safely locked and out of reach to those for whom it may be dangerous.

It’s also a good idea to take out your e-liquids once in a while (about once a week would be good) and give them a gentle shake to make sure all the components stay well-blended.

Finally, make sure to follow the storage instructions of your e-liquid manufacturer as different liquids come with different PG and VG rations, different flavourings, etc. Some e-liquids may come with the shelf life of one year (if stored properly) while other brands, like Hangsen E-liquids, promise the lifespan of up to two years when kept in proper conditions.

Can my e-liquid really go bad?

Yes, it can. It won’t go bad as easily as milk, but it still can become unusable if you keep it improperly. How to know that your e-liquid has gone bad? You will notice a change in flavour and composition. If your e-liquid starts having a strange aftertaste or you see the ingredients separating — you need to throw it away. Unfortunately, once the liquid has gone bad, there is no way to reverse the process.