Nicotine salts are a form of nicotine found in tobacco leaves. They occur naturally among other compounds found in the same plant.

By adding nicotine salts to e-liquids, vapers can replicate smoking tobacco more closely. Vapers with a preference for nicotine salts are those that are former smokers. The close resemblance with the smoking experience means former smokers find it easier to quit the habit.

While the salts have their benefits and some vapers have quickly adopted the new craze, they are not suitable for everyone just as with anything in the vaping circles.

If you haven't tried nicotine salts, you need to know the pluses and minuses and if they are safe before you decide to try them out.

Benefits of Nicotine Salts

• Compared to nicotine-infused vape juices, nicotine salts deliver more nicotine with each puff. This allows vapers to save more on vape juices and for smokers using e-cigs to stop smoking, the experience is smoother.
• Nicotine salts mimic an experience that is similar to smoking. It’s the same experience smokers are looking for when they start vaping. Because of how close the experience is, smokers can quit smoking with ease.
• Nicotine salts counter throat hit. With normal vape juices, the higher the concentration of nicotine, the harder the throat hit. With nicotine salts, you can vape higher concentration without setting your throat on fire.
• You don’t need to invest in bigger and more expensive vaping hardware. Nicotine salts work perfectly with small devices like vape pens and pod systems.

Why not check out our range of Nicotine Salts?

What’s the Difference Between Nicotine salts and Freebase Nicotine?

Freebase nicotine was invented in the 1960s and is unprotonated. The compound is designed to make cigarettes stronger and more addictive.

After intense research by Phillip Morris, ammonia was added to the mix to make tobacco blends more potent. The nicotine found in vape liquids is also made in the same way.

Nicotine salts are different. They are stable and available organically. But, they are not extremely bioavailable. Unlike the freebase counterparts, nicotine salts are not absorbed as quickly into the human body. Nicotine salts are also not as addictive as freebase nicotine which is stripped of all its protons to increase its bioavailability.

In a nutshell, nicotine salts mimic the experience of nicotine without the rapid absorption into the body or the addiction that comes with freebase or unprotonated nicotine.

Are Nicotine Salts Bad for You?

It’s okay to be cautious about new products in the vaping market. With so many innovations, you have to wonder what is safe and what is not.

Nicotine salts are as safe as freebase nicotine if we don’t count its addictive properties. If you like to have your vape juice with a little nicotine in it, there’s no concern whatsoever going for a variety that packs nicotine salts instead of freebase nicotine.

Why not also read: How Much Nicotine In a Vape?

While nicotine salts are safe, you should be aware that they can be potentially addictive compared to nicotine-free vape juice, vape juice containing these salts can be more addictive by virtue of the higher concentrations. They have a higher nicotine blood level and trigger neurochemical reactions faster. It’s best to start with the lowest concentrations possible.  

Who Should Consider Using Nicotine Salts?

Up to this point, it’s certain that nicotine salts are not everyone’s cup of tea. Initially, they were introduced by the JUUL group and targeted towards vapers looking to quit smoking cigarettes. That said, the decision to try nicotine salts should be well informed.

Why not also read: Does Vape Juice Expire or Go Bad?

You can consider using nicotine salts if:

• You are a transitioning smoker, you want the strongest e-liquid and regular vape juices are not getting the job done.
• You are a seasoned vaper looking for a smoother experience especially if you’re using a sub-ohm tank. If this is the case, use low concentrations.
• You’re looking to get more value for your money by getting stronger hits while using less vape juice
• You’re a stealth vaper and like keeping everything discreet even your hits.

Are There any Downsides to Using Nicotine Salts?

It would be false to say there are no downsides to using nicotine salts. There are a few but, not anything you should be concerned about.

• They are hard to find – they haven’t hit the mainstream of vaping yet so they can be a little bit hard to find compared to regular vape juices. You will discover that selections are limited and the flavours are not as robust as those of regular vape juices. If you really want a nicotine salt based vape juice, you might have to simplify your taste.
• Work best with selected devices – regular vape juices work with virtually every device. But, nicotine salts are more obscure and may not work with cheap vaping equipment. They also work better with low-power vaping hardware.
• Not for cloud chasers – Cloud chasers might have to sit this one out. It is harder to produce intense clouds of vapour with nicotine salt vape juices and if you try, it might leave your throat feeling less than its best. Stick to traditional vape juices if you love blowing away the competition.

Are Nicotine Salts Here to Stay?

The vaping market is unpredictable. A lot of innovations have shown promise only to lose traction after a few months. The only certain thing is that nicotine salts are covering a market gap at the moment.

They have made vaping more attractive to beginner vapers who are running away from smoking cigarettes.

However, it’s not likely that they will completely replace regular vape juices. Cloud chasing is still a big part of vaping and nicotine salts are short-handed in this area. They might end up grabbing some market share and keeping a sizeable click of loyalists. Given the uptake, more manufacturers will definitely start offering them in more flavours.