Nicotine Salt vs Freebase; Which One Is Right For You?
At
Record Vapes we sell e-juice made from Freebase Nicotine and Salt
Nicotine. What are the differences? Which one is best for you? Let’s explore …
The Science
Freebase Nicotine that
we use today has been around since the 1960’s when Phillip Morris discovered
that by manipulating the pH levels in nicotine. When heated it would produce
more “kick” than previous freebase nicotine. They used ammonia to remove the
positive charge of the base making absorption easier for the human body
Salt Nics
use Benzoic acid. Benzoic acid serves two key purposes in salt nicotine. It
helps nicotine salt vaporize at lower temperatures as well as lowering the pH
levels in the salt nicotine which results in a smoother throat hit. A chemical
reaction occurs that makes the nicotine more absorbable (still up for debate).
Pro’s & Cons
Freebase Nicotine
– One noticeable difference is the harshness induced by higher nicotine
levels. Freebase nicotine has a higher pH level which affects the alkalinity.
What this does is it makes freebase e-liquid taste harsher as you climb the
nicotine ladder. The higher the amount,
the less flavorings in the e-juice you will taste. This can be a pro and a con. Often, a throat hit is desirable when
replacing combustible cigarettes. At
Record Vapes, almost 70% of what we sell in freebase e-juices is 3 mg/ml.
Freebase Nicotine
based e-juices have been in use much longer so there is much more diverse gear
for consuming them. The most popular is in a sub-ohm tank, such as a Smok Baby Beast
which is powered by a multitude of mods.
Advanced
users can use a multitude of devices to chase flavors, chase clouds or a
combination of both. RBA’s (
re-buildable atomizers) such as RDA’s (re-buildable dripping atomizers) and
RTA’s ( re-buildable tank atomizers) allow the user to customize their vape
experience by installing their own coil and cotton to their preferences.
Freebase
Nicotine e-juices can be used in both DL and MTL. DL stands for direct lung, where the consumer
vapes the e-juice directly into their lungs.
MTL means mouth to lung where, like a combustible cigarette, you vape
into your mouth then inhale into your lungs.
There are plenty of MTL RBAs on the market.
Salt Nics in
general, are more likely to produce a vaping experience closer to combustible
cigarettes. On the pro side, they do
tend to be less expensive to get started and to use depending on the style you
choose.
A
closed pod system means the e-juice
comes pre-filled in the pod. When you have
vaped that e-juice, you replace the pod.
Myself, I find it curious why anyone price conscious would opt for
this. I have found I require 8ml of 12mg
nic salt e-juice and locally, that means $60 a day in pods … ouch.
An
open pod system, means you just add e-juice
when you run out. The coil will need
replacing roughly every 2-4 weeks at a cost around $5. A 60ml of 12mg/ml salt nic currently retails
for $22 at Record Vapes so a daily average becomes significantly cheaper. This is just a sample; individual results may
vary.
Salt Nic
devices in general provide a MTL experience only. Some do offer a DL but you are really just
adding air to the existing vapor and reducing the flavor since the power
(watts) and coil (resistance) remain constant.
Overall, Pod systems produce significantly less vapor and flavor than a
freebase device.
What
salt nics do offer is an MTL experience at a higher level of nicotine without
the harshness of freebase nicotine. This
means more nicotine in a shorter period of time. Apart from the typically smaller size and
less fuss these POD systems that use nic salts can satisfy your craving for
nicotine in a much quicker fashion because you can vape 50mg salt nics without
the harshness of freebase nicotine.
CAUTION
ON STEALTHINESS AND NIC SALT IN FREEBASE DEVICES
One
thing to keep in mind is that salt nics operate in lower wattage devices (Pods).
It is strongly recommended to avoid using high powered devices to vape salt
nicotine. Using sub-ohms to vape salt nicotine at 50 mg nic levels will give
you excessive amounts of nicotine and would be unpleasant and very dangerous.
I
would be remiss not to share my thoughts on underage vaping. The FDA calls it an epidemic. There is an attraction to salt nics typically
from underaged vapors because of the smaller pod size and lower vaper
production. They are much easier to
use. As a manufacturer and distributor
of e-juice, I hear comments about the “buzz from nicotine. I hear stories of school kids in bathrooms
using salt nics to get a buzz. This is a
dangerous behavior to both the user and the vapor community.
Side
note: You can also consider getting lower nicotine levels
like 3 mg and 6 mg in nicotine salt form for your sub-ohm device. Use the
custom order form HERE. What you may notice is a smoother throat hit
than what freebase nicotine e-juice offers.
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