E-liquid additives – facts you need to know

E-liquid additives may be a game-changer for your new e-liquid line. Even a small amount of e-liquid additives makes a HUGE difference to your recipe. Vaping brands are racing each other to create new flavor combinations of e-liquids. All this to provide consumers with two factors. Firstly, an alternative method of supplying nicotine to the body. Secondly, a pleasant taste sensation during vaping. However, the question is: how to succeed in this very competitive market?

The basics: quality of raw materials

The important role of additives in e-liquids

There are some key success factors for e-liquid creation. These are the right recipe, the quality of raw materials, and the method of manufacturing. However, it is the e-liquid additive that will give the final product some character and multi-dimensional flavor.

For example, e-liquid flavor boosters provide unique elements that are not found in standard simple flavors. Moreover, the presence of a good e-liquid additive can make a huge difference. Usually, concentrated flavoring alone is not enough to achieve a satisfying effect.

Categories and dosage of e-liquid additives

Basically, there are 4 categories of e-liquid additives:

Sweeteners

Sweeteners give all flavors sweet notes and at the same time leave a very sweet aftertaste on your lips. Recently, some controversies have aroused around sucralose. It is a very popular sweetener used in e-liquids. On the other hand, some manufacturers resign from sucralose for various reasons. Among other things, it is claimed that sucralose burns on the coil at a temperature of 160°C and above. However, with the temperature around 120°C sucralose does not burn, but carmelizes. To clarify, burning and carmelizing of sucralose may not be dangerous to the health of vaper. But definitely, it has a negative effect on a coil and taste of e-liquid itself. You can read more about some allegations in relation sucralose here.

Luckily, in response to the confusion about sucralose, Chemnovatic developed a great alternative. here is as sweet as sucralose but has none of its downsides. Sweetener Blend SB-800 is Chemnovatic’s original recipe and mix of sweeteners. The suggested dosage is between 1% and 4%. Join the club of producers, who follow the newest customers’ expectations! We strongly recommend you to give Sweetener Blend SB-800 a chance!

A few more words on sweeteners

Another VERY popular sweetener for e-liquids is Ethyl Maltol. The difference between sucralose and Ethyl Maltol is that adding sucralose to your recipe is like putting some sugar into your juice. Ethyl Maltol brings out and emphasizes the natural sweetness of already sweet aromas.

For example, if you have a blend of sweet strawberry and banana it is more likely that you should add some Ethyl Maltol to turn up a little bit the sweet tones. Learn more about Ethyl Maltol here.

Sweeteners are very often used in the e-liquid industry for two reasons. First, consumers identify sweetness with pleasure and good product quality. In other words, there is a greater demand for sweet tastes among vapers. Second, sweeteners mask any recipe imperfections and proportion imbalances. Even so, if used incorrectly, sweeteners can completely mute and muffle your recipes. You should always use them carefully.

Acidic additives

Acidic additives give a tinge of sourness to e-liquids. They also lift the juiciness and freshness of fruity flavors. The most common acidic additive is Citric Acid. Apart from Citric acid, also Malic Acid is used to receive a pleasantly sour, fruity taste in your e- liquids. It gives a very fresh apple flavor to every mix. So, the best compositions will be with such flavours as drink, mint, and fruits because it enhances their scent. Suggested dosage: 1-3%. Citric Acid and Malic Acid will completely ruin your recipe if you would like to add them to a bakery, sweets, or dessert flavours.

These two enhancers are rather for more advanced mixers to use. This is because of Citric and Malic Acids properties to mute the flavours. Again, you should use them wisely – acidic enhancers can make or break your recipe.

Cooling additives

The most popular cooling agent is menthol, of course. It can be applied in a form of liquid (diluted in propylene glycol), or in the form of menthol crystals. Menthol is mainly added to obtain a cooling, minty, and refreshing aroma. Through its diverse applications, it could be used in every liquid which needs a cooling effect and mint taste. The best blends are with such flavours as drinks, fruits, tobacco, and sweets as well. Suggested dosage: 0,5-2%.

How about getting cool without any menthol? If you wish to receive great summer vape with the effect of cooling you should try out new e-liquid flavour additives: Koolada and Cooler – freshness and cooling sensation guaranteed! Koolada gives you a feeling similar to trying an ice candy. On the other hand, Cooler gives you freezing and ice sensation on your tongue. These two enhancers are soooo fun to work with!

First of all, cooling agents can REALLY change the final sensation of your e-liquid. Secondly, they will give you the most noticeable change with not really big dose. Adding even a small amount of menthol or Koolada will completely change the flavor of your mixes. Cooler and Koolada also work well when paired with menthol itself. By the way, dark chocolate and raspberry with a hint of menthol are so delicious!

Taste enhancers

Flavor enhancers enrich the flavor notes of concentrated aromas. They also give unprecedented depth and multidimensionality of flavour. They are like spices added to already delicious dishes. A very popular taste booster is Fizzy Add and Fizzy Add v2. Fizzy additives make your e-liquids feel like a sparkling drink. They add a unique tingling sensation to your tongue like bubbles of your favorite soft drink.

An interesting addition is also Acetyl pyrazine. It works perfectly with flavors like chocolate, graham, and tobacco. It gives a bready, nutty, and yeasty taste with notes of corn chips and popcorn.

Put unique experience into the e-liquid bottle

As the vape market increases, consumers are looking for more and more original flavor combinations. So it’s good to experiment with bold combinations. One example is the Chemnovatic aroma of cucumber and lime with the addition of a cooler. It works great on hot summer days. The above mixture gained recognition during the fair in one of the eastern markets, where Chemnovatic had the pleasure to take part.

Also maybe it’s worth thinking about heavier, more intense flavor notes now. But which ones will make grey autumn days more pleasant? Try the tobacco or chocolate flavors with the addition of Acetyl pyrazine.

Recipe creation is an extremely important step in the process of launching a new e-liquid. Would you like to involve flavourists with experience in creating award-winning e-liquids in the process of launching your new e-liquid? If yes, Chemnovatic is the right company to talk to. Contact us at sales@chemnovatic.com and read more about private label e-liquid production (including the steps of recipe creation) here.

Request a sample!

The possibilities of experimenting with additives and flavors are unlimited. The final version of e-liquid depends only on the fantasy of the flavourist/mixologist. One thing is certain, designing e-liquids and creating their taste is one of the most important factors on which the success of our product relies. There are plenty of possibilities, but the best way to find out is to try!

Contact our sales department if you would like to order some e-liquid flavour additives samples for your testing at sales@chemnovatic.com.