0% PG eLiquid flavorants? ... and I truly mean 0%

[SmatoMizer]

I started vaping about three months ago. I have tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears -- mine's caused by sustained exposure to loud noise from a few decades of being rock bands and a few years in the army carrying an M60 machine gun. Anyway...). My ringing "volume" has increased since beginning to vape. I started out dragging on 50vg/50pg juice and noticed the increase. Did some research and an increase in tinnitus has been linked to mild nicotine overdose and to the presence of PG in eliquids. I've been through a 30ml bottle each of 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, and maxVG (all at 3mg nic strength)... and noticed the ringing lessening but still "louder" than before I started to vape. To completely rule out either nic overuse or PG, I just spent a terrible (flavorless) 10 days vaping 100%VG (added some distilled water to deal with viscosity issues but no nic, no flavorants) and my tinnitus dropped back to pre-vaping levels.

I know that most flavorants use PG, as it is an excellent carrier of flavor. I also know that some vendors claims of 100%VG liquids really means 100%VG except for the 10-20% PG based flavorants (which just makes these maxVG, yes? ... gotta love marketing!).

I want to DIY my own 100% vg juices. Can anyone recommend flavor vendors, or home-made procedures to make your own flavorants that truly contain 0% PG?

***please type loudly, so i can hear you over the ringing!

 

[AmandaD]

@HeadInClouds has the same issue and may be able to help on this one. Most of his recipes call for only 4-8% flavoring, which (providing you use Vg based nic) would land you at 92-96% VG. In the meantime others may chime in on where to get non pg-based flavorings!

 

[stevegmu]

Since you seem to dislike flavorless, were you vaping less? If so, you were probably just getting less nicotine, which exasperates tinnitus more than anything...

 

[OBDave]

Nude Nicotine makes VG-based flavorings and offers 100% VG pre-mixed liquids as well. I believe Breazy.com has a couple lines that claim to be truly 100% VG on their site as well...

 

[SmatoMizer]

Since you seem to dislike flavorless, were you vaping less? If so, you were probably just getting less nicotine, which exasperates tinnitus more than anything...

Good thought, but no. I was trying to keep everything as uniform as possible ... so in all my vaping experimentation (with all the differing vg/pg ratios and then the final 100%vg) I was doing my usual number of 5-minute vape sessions a day.

 

[SmatoMizer]

@HeadInClouds has the same issue and may be able to help on this one. Most of his recipes call for only 4-8% flavoring, which (providing you use Vg based nic) would land you at 92-96% VG. In the meantime others may chime in on where to get non pg-based flavorings!

Thank you. I was checking out some of @HeadInClouds other threads and came across a link that got me going in the right direction on where to look. really what search terms to actually use in google. I am so new to vaping that beside learning how to actually vape (MTL, lung hits, fish-gasping-for-air, etc. inhaling methods) just learning the lingo has been a wonderful adventure in and of itself.

Here's what i've come across so far ...

http://wizardlabs.us/index.php?route=product/category&path=79_93
http://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/c-133-flavors-non-pg.aspx
http://www.diyflavorshack.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=63
http://www.nudenicotine.com/products-page/concentrated-flavorings/
https://highdesertvapes.com/categories/DIY/DIY-Flavors/Non-PG-Based-Flavors/
http://www.ecblendflavors.com/all-natural-and-organic-100-vg/
http://vapingzone.com/DIY-Flavoring-Alcohol-Base/cid-59-1.html

 

[HeadInClouds]

I started vaping about three months ago. I have tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears -- mine's caused by sustained exposure to loud noise from a few decades of being rock bands and a few years in the army carrying an M60 machine gun. Anyway...). My ringing "volume" has increased since beginning to vape. I started out dragging on 50vg/50pg juice and noticed the increase. Did some research and an increase in tinnitus has been linked to mild nicotine overdose and to the presence of PG in eliquids. ..

***please type loudly, so i can hear you over the ringing!

I commiserate. (Note to others, the PG --> tinnitus link is medically documented; we're not crackpots.) I've had tinnitus since I was a kid, so I'm accustomed to the constant whine - but vaping PG can make it unbearably loud. Nicotine strength doesn't matter at all IN MY CASE - I experimented to confirm that.

Things you can do to reduce PG in your vapes: get your nic base in VG (I use VapersTek VG-based nic), use the strongest possible PG-based flavorings at the lowest possible rate, alternate minimum-PG vapes with unflavored, and flat-out vape less.

Things you can do to eliminate PG in your vapes: in addition to VG-based nic, use VG like you have been (thinned with water if needed, to wick right) plus flavorings with no PG at all. There aren't that many great ones to choose from! TFA's alcohol-based Cinnamon Red Hots, Absinthe (anise) and Hpno (grapefruit) are tasty ones that also contain no diketones. If you like menthol, you can dissolve the crystals yourself for no-PG menthol flavor. If diketones (or disclosure about diketones) are no concern for you, Nature's Flavors flavor extracts (they use alcohol and no PG) has a variety to offer. NF Peppermint and Wintergreen are especially good standalone flavors. Their Kona can be great if you like coffee, but the diketones are strong in that one. Nude Nic's alcohol-based flavorings get some good reviews. You CAN trust these companies when they say their flavorings contain no PG. By the way, these alcohol-based flavors DO mix fine with PG-containing flavors, so they're fine to use together if you just need to reduce PG.

I went to no PG and gradually added it to find my limit. If I stick with 3% or less flavoring with PG, I can get away with it. So I try to average that over the day, alternating unflavored with DIY that uses PG at lowest possible percentages. I often overdo it, and the ringing lets me know. If I didn't vape I would absolutely smoke, so I continue to vape as harm reduction, despite additional hearing loss and worsening tinnitus. I've been vaping almost two and half years.

I typed as loudly as I could - hopefully there's something of use to you here.

 

[HeadInClouds]

P.S. - If you find you can tolerate some small amount of PG, I'm happy to help you find a way to DIY to accommodate it. PM me here any time, if I can be of any help.

 

[SmatoMizer]

Things you can do to reduce PG in your vapes: get your nic base in VG (I use VapersTek VG-based nic), use the strongest possible PG-based flavorings at the lowest possible rate, alternate minimum-PG vapes with unflavored, and flat-out vape less.

I have cut back on the amount that I vape by about 50%, which sucks because I find vaping to be outstandingly awesome. And any premade juice I've bought lately has been maxVG but that can still be up to 20% PG, depending of flavors.

I went to no PG and gradually added it to find my limit. If I stick with 3% or less flavoring with PG, I can get away with it. So I try to average that over the day, alternating unflavored with DIY that uses PG at lowest possible percentages. I often overdo it, and the ringing lets me know. If I didn't vape I would absolutely smoke, so I continue to vape as harm reduction, despite additional hearing loss and worsening tinnitus. I've been vaping almost two and half years.

Great idea ... it really never occurred to me that there might be a daily tolerance level ... I'm a black and white kinda guy and just assumed it was an exclude it completely moving forward. Thanks I will definitely see if this works for me. Congrats on ditching the analogs. I just over two and a half months free of them. I too would be smoking if it weren't for vaping. And assuming the legislators and big tobacco lobbyists get their heads out of (or more appropriately, into) the clouds I hope to achieve your longevity with vaping.

I typed as loudly as I could - hopefully there's something of use to you here.

I heard you More than "hopefully there's something of use". You've given me an avenue to explore that might let me life-long vape at pre-vape tinnitus volume levels. Hell, I've even entertained the thought that i'd just have to deal with the increased volume for the extra years I may live.

Anyway ... awesome response. A million thanks. I'll let you know how this all goes for me so i too can contribute back to our (PG induced) tinnitus afflicted sisters and brothers

 

[Donovan (ECX Flavor Lab)]

http://www.ecigexpress.com/diy-e-liquid/diy-e-liquid-flavors/north-west-vg-flavors.html
http://www.ecigexpress.com/diy-e-liquid/diy-e-liquid-flavors/lotus-flavors.html
These are flavorings that are 100% vg.

Artemis is correct!

Lotus Flavors/Medicine Flower however does not contain VG. These are super concentrates that have no carrier liquid (PG/VG/Alcohol). They are pure extracts.

 

[SmatoMizer]

Artemis is correct!

Lotus Flavors/Medicine Flower however does not contain VG. These are super concentrates that have no carrier liquid (PG/VG/Alcohol). They are pure extracts.

The lotus flavors product descriptions don't indicate what the recommended percentage is ... any ideas on what is a good starting percentage?

 

[HazyShades]

Artemis is correct!

Lotus Flavors/Medicine Flower however does not contain VG. These are super concentrates that have no carrier liquid (PG/VG/Alcohol). They are pure extracts.

From: www.medicineflower.com

Medicine Flower's certified organic, food-grade flavors are used for culinary, scent and cosmetic applications. Our flavors are cold-processed using extraction without the use of any colorants, fillers, diluting agents or preservatives.
Ingredient: genuine flavor extract*
*Apricot, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Orange and Rum flavors require additional alcohol extraction and may contain up to 5% residual grain alcohol.
"All of these materials are completely genuine and are naturally derived using steam distillation or alcohol/CO2 extraction."

 

[Arlongkpr]

Woot.. Finally a list and friends in the same boat... just cant do PG...

 

[Grego]

Just mixed a batch of watermelon from lotus flavoring .5% shake and vape strong flavor. You can find recomended percentages in the reviews of the different flavors if I remember correctly.