A very popular question out there is how long vape juice lasts before it goes bad, and can you vape with an expired e-liquid?

Well, let’s take a quick dive into everything you need to know about the shelf life of vape juice and the best ways to make your e-liquid last as long as possible.

Does vape juice expire?

This might seem not very encouraging, but yes, vape juice expires. However, the good news is that this won’t happen within the first year unless you do something to speed it up. Under normal conditions, it will take a long time for vape juice to expire as this is a slow process.

Most e-liquids have a best-before date. However, the exciting thing here is that this is not the exact date the vape juice gets unusable. Instead, that is when the degradation of the e-liquid most likely begins. So, with e-liquids having a shelf-life of as long as two years from the date of manufacturing, they can expire several months after their best-before date.

Meanwhile, the formulation of the vape juice also influences how long vape juices last. For example, e-liquids with nicotine salt will expire faster than e-liquids with freebase nicotine. The method of storage also matters. When you store it in terrible conditions, such as a warm or damp area, there’s a high chance that the e-liquid will expire way faster than it typically would.

How long does PG e-liquid last?

PG stands for propylene glycol, which is present in some e-liquids. Compared to other e-liquids, propylene glycol doesn’t encourage fast degradation of vape juice. Therefore, this means that disposable vapes and vape pens containing PG e-liquids will have a longer shelf life. Of course, this will also be influenced by the method of storage of the vape juice.

How long does VG e-liquid last?

VG stands for vegetable glycerin. Compared to PG e-liquids, vegetable glycerin contains no ingredient that helps to prevent the natural degradation of e-liquids over time. Therefore, most vape juices containing vegetable glycerin are more likely to get bad than those containing PG e-liquids. However, if you want your VG e-liquid to last longer, at least until the expiration date, be sure to store it with care.

What happens when vape juice expires?

The expiration of vape juice typically involves the degrading of the nicotine and flavorings within this e-liquid. When vape juice expires, the flavor breaks down to a different taste or completely disappears. The smell may disappear as well.

An expired vape juice also experiences oxidation, which is responsible for the e-liquid changing into a much darker color. Also, this oxidation process affects the strength of the nicotine, significantly reducing this and affecting the overall quality of the e-liquid.

Meanwhile, depending on the ingredients and formulation used in the vape juice, this liquid may become much thinner or thicker. Finally, the ingredients start to break down individually and separate, with heavier particles settling at the bottom of the bottle.

How can you tell that vape juice is bad?

Even two years after the best-before date of vape juice, it can still be vaped. However, the quality will definitely be different. This is also dependent on whether the manufacturer followed due quality standards when making the product.

Still, the nicotine in the vape juice will start to degrade, and that means you won’t be getting that fantastic throat hit like when you just purchased the vape juice. You will also sense some changes in the flavor, as this will be pretty different from how you remember.

Apart from the taste and flavor, there are other physical signs to help you tell that vape juice has gone bad. One of the most obvious signs is the color of the e-liquid. When it takes up a darker look, almost black, then this is a massive sign that something bad has happened. This will also reflect in the smell of the e-liquid, especially if it is fruity. The vape juice won’t have that fruity quality anymore, while some heavier elements within the e-liquid will start to sink to the bottom of the bottle.

If you notice some strange particles at the bottom of your vape juice bottle, this is a sign that it has gone bad. However, if you give it a good shake and everything mixes perfectly, you can still vape. If it doesn’t, you have to discard the vape juice.

Can you vape expired vape juice?

Although we mentioned earlier that a best-before date doesn’t typically signify that this is the date the vape juice has gone terribly bad. Instead, it shows that it’s the moment when the process of degradation starts.

Still, it is only a matter of time before the vape juice starts to have a different level of thickness, color, smell, and flavor. During the earlier stages, the vape juice is not toxic enough to harm consumers. However, as soon as you notice these changes, it’s a good idea to discard the vape juice.

Therefore, you should pay attention to any changes in quality before vaping with an expired vape juice. Ultimately, to be better safe than sorry, you can immediately let go of a vape juice and replace it as soon as it is past its expiry date.

Can you vape expired disposable vapes?

Just as vape juice has expiry dates, so do disposable vapes. This can typically be found on the body of the vaping device or its packaging. Most times, the expiry dates are linked to the vape juice within the disposable vape, so you’ll find that this could be similar to what you would find on the e-liquid bottle.

Therefore, the same rule applies to both e-liquids and disposable vapes. If you want to ensure better quality disposable vapes, you should store them appropriately in air-tight packaging where there is minimal exposure to light and wetness. With this, it can still be safe to vape months after the disposable vape has expired. However, as soon as you start to notice changes in the flavor or taste of the disposable vape, you should discard it immediately.

Is my dark vape juice in a pod or tank bad?

While darker-colored vape juice is one of the common signs that it has gone bad, there can be other reasons why your e-liquid is darkening while it’s in your vape pod or tank. Yes, oxidation happens really fast when the vape juice is within a vaping device.

This darker color can also be the result of an old coil. Most e-liquids contain different levels of sugar and artificial sweeteners, depending on the manufacturers' choices. However, the sweeteners or sugar within the e-liquid will caramelize as you heat the coil to vaporize the vape juice.

This sticky caramel mixture will stay on the coil and cotton. Therefore, after vaping for a while using this same coil, you’ll start to notice that the dark color soaks into the e-liquid and changes it to a much darker color.

If the darker color fades out after changing the coil, then the vape juice is not bad. However, if there are no changes after replacing the coil, it’s likely that the vape juice is not fit for consumption and should be discarded.

How to get rid of expired e-liquids

It’s always best to get rid of expired e-liquids in a way that is friendly to the environment. Therefore, you should empty vape juice from any bottle or container and recycle it to minimize its harmful effect on our immediate environment. However, the area where you pour the e-liquid out also matters.

You can dispose of them with any absorbent material like cat litter or sawdust. Then, place this with your regular waste to be discarded properly. The e-liquid itself is not recyclable, but the container is. For disposable vapes, these are recyclable but might be a bit more complicated than e-liquids. It’s best to separate the cotton, metal, and plastic components to make them easily recyclable.

How to store vape juice

One of the key things to note when storing vape juice is the cap. Proper storage starts with ensuring that the container cap is securely fitted on the bottle to avoid air penetrating the vaping product. Then, place the container in a cool and dark place out of the reach of the sun.

This is especially important because the intensity of the sun can break down ingredients in the e-liquid. When this happens, the vape juice becomes dangerous to consume. Therefore, the best place to store your vape juice is in an opaque container on a shelf far away from children's reach.

Conclusion

The main takeaway here is that vape juice goes bad after it has been stored for a long time past its expiry date. When it passes its best-before date, that’s when the process of degradation of ingredients begins.

Therefore, to be on the safer side, it’s best to discard your e-liquid as soon as it expires while also ensuring that you store it properly away from air, heat, and sunlight. Meanwhile, it would help if you also bought disposable vapes with high-quality vape juice like GT vape to ensure that you get one with a longer shelf life.

There’s so much to love about the Upbar GT Vape, starting from its minimalist design. If you want the freedom to vape without the inconvenience of carrying a bulky kit in your pockets, this is a great choice for you. You’ll be getting great value in a sleek package with an airflow structure that allows for one of the best air exchange and e-liquid supply in existence. You’ll definitely be getting nothing less than 600 puffs from this vape, making it a fantastic choice for average users.