How to Tell If Your Vape Juice Has Gone Bad (and What to Do About It)

Does vape juice expire?

Yes, vape juice can expire and has a shelf life of 1-2 years. Vape juice is made of ingredients that degrade over time, so it does go bad eventually. If the vape juice has nicotine in it, the shelf life is about 1 year when sealed. For nicotine-free vape juice, the shelf life is closer to 2 years when sealed. Opened vape juices with nicotine will last between 3-6 months, while nicotine-free vape juices can last 6-12 months. Companies stamp a “best by” expiration label on vapes, but this date is simply meant to be a guide. It’s typically a predictor of flavor and satisfaction, not safety. If you buy vape juice in bulk, be sure to keep an eye on the expiration dates.

Signs Your Vape Juice Has Expired

Changes in color After being exposed to oxygen for an extended period of time, the color of your vape juice will probably darken, turning yellow or brown depending on its ingredients. The e-liquid may contain nicotine, propylene glycol, synthetic flavors, and other chemicals. Vape juice darkens as it ages due to oxidation and e-liquids with more nicotine tend to darken faster. Vape juice can also darken if your e-liquid is continuously exposed to light, heat, or air.

Separation of ingredients Out of the four common ingredients in vape juice– propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavorings– PG and VG are the most stable and therefore have the longest shelf life. However, nicotine and the flavor compounds tend to degrade over time, with the heavier chemicals sinking to the bottom. Vape juice is designed to have a smooth and viscous texture. If it becomes thicker, murky, or the ingredients begin to separate, those are all signs that the vape juice is no longer in optimal vaping condition.

An “off” taste An “off” taste doesn’t necessarily mean that it tastes bad, just different than when you first got it or last used it. It could be slightly sweeter, funkier, more subtle, or taste like nothing at all, which is when you know that the flavor component has dissipated. A change in smell is another sign that the vape juice has gone past its expiration date. Although vape juices are not designed for smell, they do tend to have a specific lingering scent when new. If the scent is different or unfamiliar to you, then your vape juice may be expired. Some vape-users prefer to store their vapes for a little while before breaking their seal in order to achieve a more subtle flavor. This process is called e-liquid steeping.

Is it safe to use expired vape juice?

Avoid using expired vape juice since the ingredients degrade. Smoking expired vape juice won't kill you, but there are risks associated with it and it's likely to taste bad. As time passes, the ingredients in e-liquid degrade, causing variations in flavor, quality, and nicotine concentration. Therefore, the stability of the chemicals is no longer guaranteed, and neither is a pleasant or healthy vaping experience as a result. Also, using old vape liquid can damage your vape pen due to changing viscosities and a buildup of residue.

Avoid using expired disposable vapes for the same reasons. Although rechargeable vapes are all the rage these days, but if you’re looking for a loophole on extending the shelf life of your e-liquid, disposable vapes aren't the answer. The e-liquid in a single-use vape expires just as quickly as a rechargeable vape, under the same or similar conditions. Although the batteries in a disposable vape do lose charge even without use, it would take a significant amount of time before the batteries died, and would happen long after your vape juice expired.

What is vape juice made out of?

Vape juice is usually comprised of 4 main ingredients. These are propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavorings. Propylene Glycol is a synthetic chemical often found as an additive in food. It helps to provide vape users with a “throat hit” similar to that of smoking tobacco, and also helps the flavor along. Vegetable Glycerin is a natural oil-based chemical that creates vapor, included to facilitate a “smooth” inhale and exhale. Different flavorings, like bubblegum and fruit candy, are also included for taste. While all of these ingredients are considered generally “safe” by the FDA, nicotine is not, as it’s a highly addicted and toxic chemical. Note that even vapes that claim to have zero nicotine still show traces of nicotine. Also, a used vape creates carcinogens and other toxic chemicals. Additionally, consider the ratios between propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) in your e-liquid. Too much PG and the hit will be too strong, rough on the throat and lungs, while having too little PG could result in not getting that same feeling of smoking tobacco that you may be seeking. VG helps to produce vapor for a smoother hit, so look for vape juice with higher concentrations of VG, if that’s more of your preference.

How to Properly Store Your Vape Juice

Minimize exposure to heat, light, and air. While air causes vape juice to oxidize, heat and light help to speed up the process, catalyzing the chemical interactions that cause the juice to degrade faster. In order to prevent this, keep your vape juice in a dark and cool place, ideally around room temperature. Although oxidation can’t be stopped, tucking your vape juice away in a high cabinet, away from the stove and oven, with little to no light will slow the process down a bit.

Keep your vape juice sealed tightly. Until you’re ready to use it, keep your vape juice sealed. Sealed vape juice can last up to 1 year depending on the ingredients, but opened vape juice has a shelf life of about 6 months. If kept perfectly sealed, no oxygen will get in, and the only oxygen present will be what was already in there at the time of packaging.

Consider keeping vape juice in the fridge. As long as you don’t live in a home with children, keeping your vape juice in the fridge is not a bad idea. This keeps it cool and away from sunlight, allowing for maximum freshness once the seal is popped. The cold fridge will slow both oxidation and degradation of ingredients, and you’ll be able to keep it there for a long while without a noticeable change in quality or flavor.

How to Dispose of Expired Vape Juice

Don’t throw it in the trash or down the drain. Some people believe that pouring e-liquid down the train or into the trash can can pollute the water and enter the sewage system. Many vapes contain nicotine, a harmful chemical, so potential contamination not worth the the risk. Although it may seem overly cautious, the long-term effects of vape juice in water are not yet known, so it’s better to stay on the safe side and dispose of your expire vape juice another way.

Do dump it into kitty litter. Although this method might seem unorthodox, vape juice is composed of toxic chemicals, which are hazardous to the health of humans and animals alike. Kitty litter is one unconventional way to solve this issue. Pour your vape juice into the kitty litter and allow it to absorb into a cluster. Then, throw the kitty litter into a plastic bag, seal it, and throw it out with the trash like normal. Finally, dispose of the empty glass by tossing it into the recycling bin. You can also try pouring the expired e-liquid onto some paper towels or other fabrics and let them soak it up. This is a good option only if you live alone and don’t have pets who might rummage through and lick it.