If you are into vaping, you probably already know that almost all commercial vape juices contain vegetable glycerin (VG) and/or propylene glycol (PG).
These ingredients are generally used to make liquids vaporize easier and transmit the nicotine and/or flavoring into the vapor.
However, you may be interested in making your own vape juice, and you may want to know how to make vape juice without PG or VG as ingredients. Let's look at how it's done.
The Role of Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerin in Vape Juice
In most vape juice, propylene glycol is used to absorb and carry the flavoring agents as well as being a thinning agent, and vegetable glycerin is used to create the vapor. These ingredients have been widely considered to be safe and effective at creating a satisfying vapor and flavor experiencing in an e-cigarette, but recent studies are starting to cause doubt about these additives having a neutral impact on user health when these additives are heated and vaporized rather than swallowed. This is driving development of healthier alternatives for CBD vape juice such as CBD distillate.
Why Avoid PG or VG in Vape Juice?
There are a number of reasons why people may want to avoid these ingredients in their vape juice:
They find them too sweet
Vegetable glycerin, in particular, is also used in a wide range of foods as a sweetener. Some people find that their vape juice becomes too sweet overall and want a less candy-like flavor
They find them too drying
Propylene glycol is a hygroscopic chemical, that naturally absorbs water. When a person vapes too much and inhales too much propylene glycol, the vapor may dehydrate their eyes, nose, and mouth. Dehydration may also cause “vaper's tongue,” in which the mouth and tongue get dry and they experience a reduced ability to taste flavors.
Heating PG and PEG causes chemical changes in these additives that are risky to health
A study carried out on what the effect of high temperatures are on PG and PEG food that PG and PEG 400 produced high levels of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde when heated to 230°C, and prolonged exposure with heavy use would definitely not be healthy for you, reducing the health advantages of vaping CBD.
Allergies and sensitivities
Some people may be allergic, or at least sensitive, to the VG and PG in vape juice, and would like an alternative. Symptoms of allergy to propylene glycol can include a mild tingling in the mouth or throat, to inflammation and irritation in the respiratory system. Most reactions are to propylene glycol, and are the same effects as dehydration. Some experience greater phlegm or coating in their throat after heavy vaping with vegetable glycerin.
DIY Vape Juice With No PG or VG
You can make a DIY vape juice with no propylene glycol, only vegetable glycerin. This may be too sweet for your preference, and the mixture may be too thick, and may need to be thinned with distilled water. It will have less flavor, and less “throat hit” than vape juices with PG.
You could also make a DIY vape juice with no vegetable glycerin, and only propylene glycol, although this is less common. It will have more flavor and less sweetness, and potentially be more dehydrating, but will have much less vapor. Some people prefer less vapor, so that their vaping is more discrete.
Alternative Ingredients
PEG
Some vapers have experimented with polyethelene glycol. Polyethelene glycol is considered a non-toxic polyether compound, but studies show that vaporizing this compound means it is not no longer non-toxic. It's use in vaping is very limited, and it may have the same effects as PG for those who are sensitive to it. Some feel that PEG 400 is smoother than PG, although others disagree. PEG also carries health issue risk when heated, same as PG.
Triacetin
Triacetin is a triglyceride compound that is colorless and odorless, and non-toxic when eaten or inhaled. It is increasingly common as a flavor enhancer in vape juice, but it also has a detrimental effect on polycarbonate tanks.
Because of their flavor-carrying and vaporizing effects, almost no vapers make a vape juice with no VG or PG, and vegetable glycerin is generally regarded as being essential to making an effective juice for vaping.
Terpenes
As studies begin to clarify the picture about the potential health risks of heating and vaporizing VG, PG and PEG in a vaporizer, consumers and manufacturers are starting look for alternatives to avoid the hazardous byproducts of heating these agents. One alternative is to use natural terpenes as a thinning agent.
These oils are used in aroma therapy and you may consider experimenting with a terpene oil that appeals to you as a thinning agent. You can buy pure oils at health food shops and most good aroma-therapy shops.
Natural terpenes in cannabis produce flavor variations and can have positive effects on the user, depending on the terpene.
A leafly.com article on terpenes gives some ideas on this topic and has a neat guide on different terpenes you may like to consider.
High VG Vape Juice
There are some vape juices on the market now that are high VG or only VG, with no PG at all, but VG is probably still harmful when heated, but less so than PG and PEG. High VG vape juices have a minimal amount of PG, just to carry the flavor. Some of these vape juices may use PEG 400, instead of PG.
Many VG only vape juices have the benefit of potentially being organic and natural, depending on the flavoring ingredients and compounds, however VG is not completely harmless as an additive when heated, but less harmful than PEG.
If you are sensitive to propylene glycol, remember that it is not essential in your vape juice. You can use PEG 400 to carry more flavor, or simply thin the juice with a little distilled water and have a reduced flavor experience, or you may consider a terpene. There are many high VG or all VG DIY vape juice recipes available, and it's easy to experiment, bearing in mind the health warning.
If you want to avoid the thick vapor and sweetness of vegetable glycerin, you could try to make an all PG vape juice, and some people have done so. However, these aren't generally regarded as satisfying vape juices and the health angle is now considered a problem.
We personally prefer CBD vape juice that is free of flavoring additives, either pure vaporizing form or with VG. CBD oil vape juices offer health advantages and are a healthier option all round. You can make your own CBD vape juice using a quality CBD oil, or save yourself the trouble and get one of the many CBD vaping products that are now easily available.
Given time and development, additive-free CBD Distillate cartridges will be available on the market being pure CBD that needs no thinning for a vape.
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Many of the best and most widely used flavorings come from companies which have no intentional connection to vaping whatsoever: companies like LorAnn and Capella—which started off making baking extracts and coffee flavorings, respectively.
Oh my goodness! an amazing article dude. Thank you However I am experiencing issue with ur rss . Dont know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting identical rss problem? Anyone who knows kindly respond. Thx
Hi there, Please add yourself as a subscriber for the free e-book and you will then get information about the lastest posts sent out to you each week. Thanks for the enquiry and comment.
Hey Bryan, Thanks for the nice comment. Glad you have enjoyed your visit 🙂
Great blog! Vаluable information for vapors.
keep it up.
Hey Anibal, Thanks for the nice comment 🙂
You link to Facebook isn’t working. Would like to be able to follow you. Thank you
Hi Pamela, Thanks for comment and nudge about Facebook. At this point we have not started a Facebook page and we are primarily posting socially on Pintrest. The team is looking at Facebook at the moment but we need to be cautious about how we promote the site on some social media platforms considering the topic. Cheers
Hi, i’m new in the world of vaping and i heard that this liquids are a bit tossic and not very healty; is there a way to create a liquid that has very low levels of harming?
Hi Luke,
Thanks for the comment and query.
You want to absolutely avoid anything that is available on the street. There is a serious problem with cartridges being uncertified for content that people have been buying on the street where they have no way of knowing what they are putting in their lungs. The CDC and FDA have been investigating vape cartridges at the bottom of the crisis and many that are sold as THC have been found to be tainted if not plain toxic. Additives such as tocopherol (vitamin E) are also very dangerous to the lungs. Dank cartridges are at the forefront of the investigation.
One root cause is that cartridges are being filled with no consideration for certified consumer health in terms of purity, quality or certified lab testing to confirm for the consumer what they are getting. This is absolutely reckless, abusive and dangerous and from this situation there has been a sudden rash of illnesses and some deaths.
Another problem rests with flavors used in vape-juice. Some additives used to create flavor in nicotine based vape-juice are dangerous. I might add that some flavors are and issue more than others and it depends on the amount. This gets us into the area of terpenes vs flavors, but there are some extreme issues with some flavor additives. An example of this the additive used to create a buttery flavor. This results in a condition called ‘popcorn lung’ as it is the same flavor additive used for artificial butter flavor in popcorn and in the past popcorn makers have got this condition from inhaling too much of this flavor additive in the production process.
Our position is that if you are vaping CBD or THC then you need to do your own research and regulation and you should get the certified pure product from a government dispensary or a highly responsible company supplier that can give you a certified lab analysis report for the content and strength of the product you are buying.
At this stage, I would avoid all additives for flavor, cloud and viscosity even PG, VG, PEG and whatever the flavor additive might be. Just get the pure product form. If the lab purity certification does not exist or is refused, don’t buy the product. (I might add that the recent rash of illnesses and deaths have happened very quickly and vape-juices using PG and VG have not been an issue for the last 10 odd years, until very recently with the explosion of unregulated and illicit production – so play it safe)
When you vape, do so according to the the dosage requirement set by a medical professional (if for medical reasons) or if recreational, get some advice on how to vape safely and responsibly. Buy a quality vape device that allows you to regulate the temperature and vape pure form CBD oil or THC without additives, you don’t want the device to run to hot (avoid overheating the vape juice or oil past the heat setting needed as this can cause a chemical change that is not good for you, especially if there are additives involved). Be also sure to get advice on the the best vape device for battery safety. Do not leave the device on when not being used and do not leave it on charge and unattended once the battery is full.
We have an article on the site on how to make your own THC juice at home which you might like to read.
The other point I would like to make for you is that dry herb vaping is not an issue in this investigation. The issue is focussed on oil cartridges. If you want to vape dry herb, I would venture to say that this would be the safest option of all. The founder of NORML, the DC lobby organization for marijuana legalization, has made the point that there has never been an issue with dry herb vaping to his knowledge. I support his position on dry herb vaping and would say that if you have are still worried, stick to vaping dry herb marijuana and avoid oils altogether.
So, in conclusion, health comes FIRST, don’t buy ANYTHING on the street, buy a best quality vaporizer which has temperature regulation, buy only lab certified and top quality CBD or THC oil from a certified company and ask for advice on how to use your vape safely, how much CBD or THC is safe and remember that dry herb vaping is regarded as the safest option.
If you want to use CBD or THC for a medical condition, get medical guidance first and if for recreational purposes, do your homework about using any of these substances, either on the net from sites like Leafly or NORML, from a medical professional or from a licensed dispensary with experienced and caring staff.
I hope this has been a help for you. Take care.
Hi, i’m new in the world of vaping and i heard that this liquids are a bit tossic and not very healty; is there a way to create a liquid that has very low levels of harming?
Hi Luke,
Thanks for the comment and query.
You want to absolutely avoid anything that is available on the street. There is a serious problem with cartridges being uncertified for content that people have been buying on the street where they have no way of knowing what they are putting in their lungs. The CDC and FDA have been investigating vape cartridges at the bottom of the crisis and many that are sold as THC have been found to be tainted if not plain toxic. Additives such as tocopherol (vitamin E) are also very dangerous to the lungs. Dank cartridges are at the forefront of the investigation.
One root cause is that cartridges are being filled with no consideration for certified consumer health in terms of purity, quality or certified lab testing to confirm for the consumer what they are getting. This is absolutely reckless, abusive and dangerous and from this situation there has been a sudden rash of illnesses and some deaths.
Another problem rests with flavors used in vape-juice. Some additives used to create flavor in nicotine based vape-juice are dangerous. I might add that some flavors are and issue more than others and it depends on the amount. This gets us into the area of terpenes vs flavors, but there are some extreme issues with some flavor additives. An example of this the additive used to create a buttery flavor. This results in a condition called ‘popcorn lung’ as it is the same flavor additive used for artificial butter flavor in popcorn and in the past popcorn makers have got this condition from inhaling too much of this flavor additive in the production process.
Our position is that if you are vaping CBD or THC then you need to do your own research and regulation and you should get the certified pure product from a government dispensary or a highly responsible company supplier that can give you a certified lab analysis report for the content and strength of the product you are buying.
At this stage, I would avoid all additives for flavor, cloud and viscosity even PG, VG, PEG and whatever the flavor additive might be. Just get the pure product form. If the lab purity certification does not exist or is refused, don’t buy the product. (I might add that the recent rash of illnesses and deaths have happened very quickly and vape-juices using PG and VG have not been an issue for the last 10 odd years, until very recently with the explosion of unregulated and illicit production – so play it safe)
When you vape, do so according to the the dosage requirement set by a medical professional (if for medical reasons) or if recreational, get some advice on how to vape safely and responsibly. Buy a quality vape device that allows you to regulate the temperature and vape pure form CBD oil or THC without additives, you don’t want the device to run to hot (avoid overheating the vape juice or oil past the heat setting needed as this can cause a chemical change that is not good for you, especially if there are additives involved). Be also sure to get advice on the the best vape device for battery safety. Do not leave the device on when not being used and do not leave it on charge and unattended once the battery is full.
We have an article on the site on how to make your own THC juice at home which you might like to read.
The other point I would like to make for you is that dry herb vaping is not an issue in this investigation. The issue is focussed on oil cartridges. If you want to vape dry herb, I would venture to say that this would be the safest option of all. The founder of NORML, the DC lobby organization for marijuana legalization, has made the point that there has never been an issue with dry herb vaping to his knowledge. I support his position on dry herb vaping and would say that if you have are still worried, stick to vaping dry herb marijuana and avoid oils altogether.
So, in conclusion, health comes FIRST, don’t buy ANYTHING on the street, buy a best quality vaporizer which has temperature regulation, buy only lab certified and top quality CBD or THC oil from a certified company and ask for advice on how to use your vape safely, how much CBD or THC is safe and remember that dry herb vaping is regarded as the safest option.
If you want to use CBD or THC for a medical condition, get medical guidance first and if for recreational purposes, do your homework about using any of these substances, either on the net from sites like Leafly or NORML, from a medical professional or from a licensed dispensary with experienced and caring staff.
I hope this has been a help for you. Take care.
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while I believe in the medicinal power of cannabis and I support its legalization, I want to still say that anything you consume that’s too much for your body to take is bad.
Hello fitoru,
I agree with you. Cannabis products taken for health purposes can be wonderful aids to healing and for restoring homeostasis in the body system from which healing for other conditions can be accelerated when balance is retored. Having said that, more is not necessarily better and taking cannabis for a medical condition (CBD or THC) will likely have a point at which the healing agency no longer has any value and it is time to stop. Dosage is an important issue and good advice from a medical professional experienced in administering cannabis for a treatment is a wise step. Dosage can be a very critical issue. Thanks for the comment.
The How to Make Vape Juice Without PG or VG? article is one
of the best I have read!
You are doing a great job with https://themarijuanavape.com site.
🙂 Congrat!
I’m a bit lost by this article, I was hoping to find a step by step procedure. Maybe I’m looking in the wrong place. Can you point me in the right direction?
Hi Andy,
Sorry that a step by step recipe is not clearly given in this article. This is something we will fix and thank you for drawing my attention to it.
I assume your question is related to making vape juice or e-juice using cannabis strains that will deliver CBD or THC, or both (not nicotine e-juice) Please check for the correct strain for what you want to extract if you are buying/growing plant, or buying nugs or seeds. Some CBD shops conveniently offer nugs from the correct strain is you are looking specifically for CBD and you are unsure about the right strain. CBD Genesis has nugs available.
This is an example of a recipe USING VG and PG as a guide for that approach:
Ingredients
1/8 ounce cannabis (optional) Vegetable glycerin 21ml Propelyn Glycol 9ml
Instructions
-Decarboxylate your weed by spreading your coarsely ground cannabis evenly on an oven tray and wrap with tin foil.
-Place in the oven on 240F/115C for 35 minutes, and then let it cool for another 30 minutes without taking of the tin foil.
-In a mason jar, create a solution of 21ml Vegetable Glycerin and 9ml of Propelyn Glycol, using a syringe for exact measures.
-Place your decarbed cannabis in the mason jar with the liquid solution and shake/swirl well.
-Place your closed jar in cold water and let it come to a boil, Boil on low for 2 to 3 hours. Shake/swirl the mason jar every 30 minutes.
-Use a pantyhose, shrimp net or fine sieve to press out all of the liquid.
-Collect liquid with syringes and place into the dropper bottles.
-Add any flavorings your might want to add (optional).
PG and VG are used to add viscosity, smoothness and sweetness (VG) and a ‘throat hit’ (PG) to vapor. PG is also used as a flavor enhancer or carrier – but you can leave both of these out. These two items are also added to enhance ‘cloud’ when vaping.
Now I will give your a recipe approach you can use to AVOID USING VG or PG (though you can add these in if you wish). This is from another article post we have produced for making your own THC oil: https://themarijuanavape.com/how-to-make-thc-vape-juice/
Here is our suggested recipe with no VG or PG from another post which looks at making your own THC e-juice:
Step 1: Decarboxylate
First, place five to six grams of bud, which should be finely chopped at this point, into your Pyrex bowl. Place in the oven to bake for around 15 minutes at a temperature of 225 to 250 degrees.
If you don’t have a Pyrex bowl, you can substitute with baking sheet and aluminum foil. Just heat up your weed as you would if you were making cookies. When you remove them, the color should be brown.
Then, add the weed to your mason jar. The weed should now be crispy. Then, add alcohol. You want to make sure the weed is completely submerged. If you are prone to wanting things exactly measured out, just add 24ml of the High Proof Alcohol. You can measure it out using a syringe. Crack a window enough to provide good ventilation.
Add approximately three and a half to four inches of water to the pot and put your mason jar right in the pot. Get the water to reach a low boil and continuously stir the weed in the jar. The goal here is alcohol evaporation as much as possible. Continue stirring as the weed gets darker in color. Once it has a dark color, remove it from the pot. Set it aside and let it cool.
Step 2: Strain
Once some of the excess alcohol has evaporated, you’ll need your cheesecloth or something else you can use for filtering. You’d want to get rid of the plant fibers from the oil through filtering and straining.
To do this, use the cheesecloth to cover the second mason jar. Then, gently add in the mixture that you have in the first mason jar. Allow the cloth to collect the buds. If you find that the mixture is very thick, you may need to scrape the sides and bottom of the jar to free all of the contents.
Squeeze the cheesecloth until you are confident every drop is out. The liquid should be a solid brown color. You can even allow the cheesecloth to just sit there for an hour or two to ensure every bit has filtered through it.
Step 3: Process
Add a little bit of water to your second mason jar. This is the jar that should have your extracted uncut THC oil in it. Then, place the jar back into the pot. You want to boil the solution until there are about five milliliters of liquid remaining in the jar. If you want to be exact, use a syringe.
Finally, you can use the uncut THC oil as is and if it is a little thick there are vaporizers that can handle it, but if you want to cut the oil, you can add in 20 mg of the Propylene Glycol to the mason jar. Take the jar out of the pot. Use a syringe to measure out the jar’s liquid. You can store the liquid in dropper bottles. If you follow these three steps, you should have just about 25 milliliters of cut THC oil that you can use right away.
Final Thoughts
There are a few other general tips to keep in mind when learning how to make vape oil. First, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. This can ensure that the alcohol fumes from the process can easily escape. Also, keep in mind that alcohol is extremely flammable. You want to make sure you exercise caution when handling it.
Next, make sure that you are using reputable providers and stores that are licensed. Clean all of your accessories thoroughly before use, and again right after you’ve finished with the process.
How can I “cut” the resulting distillate without using VG it PG? I have extreme headaches regardless of hydration with either of these sugar alcohols. For instance, to dilute 1gram of pure CBD oil, are terpenes the solution? What percentage of terpene diluent should be added to 1gram – percentage wise?
Hi Nicholas, As a lead in to answering your question, the following is an except from an answer to another querry on making vape juice without PG or VG:
Now I will give your a recipe approach you can use to AVOID USING VG or PG (though you can add these in if you wish). This is from another article post we have produced for making your own THC oil: https://themarijuanavape.com/how-to-make-thc-vape-juice/
Here is our suggested recipe with no VG or PG from another post which looks at making your own THC e-juice:
Step 1: Decarboxylate
First, place five to six grams of bud, which should be finely chopped at this point, into your Pyrex bowl. Place in the oven to bake for around 15 minutes at a temperature of 225 to 250 degrees.
If you don’t have a Pyrex bowl, you can substitute with baking sheet and aluminum foil. Just heat up your weed as you would if you were making cookies. When you remove them, the color should be brown.
Then, add the weed to your mason jar. The weed should now be crispy. Then, add alcohol. You want to make sure the weed is completely submerged. If you are prone to wanting things exactly measured out, just add 24ml of the High Proof Alcohol. You can measure it out using a syringe. Crack a window enough to provide good ventilation.
Add approximately three and a half to four inches of water to the pot and put your mason jar right in the pot. Get the water to reach a low boil and continuously stir the weed in the jar. The goal here is alcohol evaporation as much as possible. Continue stirring as the weed gets darker in color. Once it has a dark color, remove it from the pot. Set it aside and let it cool.
Step 2: Strain
Once some of the excess alcohol has evaporated, you’ll need your cheesecloth or something else you can use for filtering. You’d want to get rid of the plant fibers from the oil through filtering and straining.
To do this, use the cheesecloth to cover the second mason jar. Then, gently add in the mixture that you have in the first mason jar. Allow the cloth to collect the buds. If you find that the mixture is very thick, you may need to scrape the sides and bottom of the jar to free all of the contents.
Squeeze the cheesecloth until you are confident every drop is out. The liquid should be a solid brown color. You can even allow the cheesecloth to just sit there for an hour or two to ensure every bit has filtered through it.
Step 3: Process
Add a little bit of water to your second mason jar. This is the jar that should have your extracted uncut THC oil in it. Then, place the jar back into the pot. You want to boil the solution until there are about five milliliters of liquid remaining in the jar. If you want to be exact, use a syringe.
Finally, you can use the uncut THC oil as is and if it is a little thick there are vaporizers that can handle it, but if you want to cut the oil, you can add in 20 mg of the Propylene Glycol to the mason jar. Take the jar out of the pot. Use a syringe to measure out the jar’s liquid. You can store the liquid in dropper bottles. If you follow these three steps, you should have just about 25 milliliters of cut THC oil that you can use right away.
Final Thoughts
There are a few other general tips to keep in mind when learning how to make vape oil. First, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. This can ensure that the alcohol fumes from the process can easily escape. Also, keep in mind that alcohol is extremely flammable. You want to make sure you exercise caution when handling it.
Next, make sure that you are using reputable providers and stores that are licensed. Clean all of your accessories thoroughly before use, and again right after you’ve finished with the process.
I should have noted that the alcohol that should be used for extraction is ethanol, same alcohol found in wine, spirits or beer. Do not use an alcohol containing methanol as this is poisonous. Some neat alchohol found in DYI stores can have methanol added to stop it being consumed, so beware!
So, on to your question about terpenes.
I am going to suggest a product and a dilution. I have no affiliation with the company and product I will suggest, but I will give you the link for their product. They specialise in pure terpenes for cutting CBD oil as an alternative for PG, VG, MCT etc.
The suggested information on dilution is: Highly-refined terpenes that are greater than 98%+ in purity, such as those extracted by LabEffects, are incredibly potent aromatic hydrocarbons. When it comes to terpenes in product formulations, a little goes a long way. You only use .5%-3% in sublingual products such as tinctures and 5%-12% in vape products, respectively. So 5% to 12% would be equivelent to 5ml/12ml terpene oil to 95ml/88ml uncut CBD oil extract.
Lab Effects go on to say about their product: The ‘Holy Grail’ in cannabis product formulation sought after for so many years, was finding a terpene with a very subtle or non-existent aromatic/flavor profile so it could be used in higher concentrations as a pure and natural cutting agent, eliminating the need for all other common and risk-prone product diluents. The Cut™, is that ‘Holy Grail’. A flavorless and scentless pure terpene that you can use as a diluent without overwhelming or harming the consumer.
I suggest using their terpene product to cut your distillate. As stated, I have no affiliation or connection to Lab Effects, but what they have developed may well be the best answer for all home producers of vape juice that wish to avoid using PG or VG. I would suggest contacting them for further information, and check out their website. They are in Colorado. Here is an article on their website specific to your enquiry: https://labeffects.com/buyers-beware-diluted-terpenes-could-be-turning-your-toke-toxic/ In this article they are looking at cutting agents in other terpene products that can be toxic in comparison to the product they produce. Again, I suggest contacting them if you want to know more.
I wish you all the best Nicholas and I hope this helps solve the problem for you in successfully cutting the distillate you have to produce a product that will not give you headaches.
Regards and take care.