Vaper’s Blacklist: What Vapers Need to Avoid
Most of what goes into a good bottle of vape juice is simple: propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), flavorings and, usually, nicotine. The trouble tends to come from the extras, the shortcuts and the gear that was never meant for vaping.
This is our short list of things worth avoiding, why each one made the list, and how to check a bottle or a build before it ends up in your device.
Short version: Skip e-liquids made with the butter-flavor chemicals diacetyl, acetoin and acetyl propionyl. Build coils only with wire sold for vaping, never hardware-store wire. Don’t add anything to your juice, and buy from sources that can tell you who made the product.
Butter-flavor chemicals
Creamy, buttery and custard flavors are some of the most popular in vaping. A few of the chemicals once used to create those notes are the reason this list exists.
Diacetyl
Diacetyl gives butter, butterscotch and microwave popcorn their buttery taste, and it’s permitted as a food flavoring. Eating it and breathing it in are different things, though.
Workers at microwave popcorn plants who breathed in diacetyl vapors developed bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and serious lung disease that picked up the nickname “popcorn lung.” The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigated those cases and later recommended strict workplace exposure limits for diacetyl.
Nobody has settled how much risk diacetyl in e-liquid carries for people who vape. A 2015 Harvard study found it in many of the flavored e-cigarette products it tested, and many makers now say they leave it out. Given the history, it’s an easy one to avoid.
Acetoin
Acetoin is another butter-flavor compound, and it has been used in place of diacetyl. The two are close chemical relatives, and acetoin can be converted into diacetyl by oxidation, which is why it’s worth avoiding along with diacetyl.
Acetyl propionyl (2,3-pentanedione)
Acetyl propionyl became a popular diacetyl replacement because it produces a similar buttery, creamy note. It’s chemically similar to diacetyl, and NIOSH’s workplace recommendations cover it alongside diacetyl. Treat it the same way.
How to check what’s in your bottle
You can’t taste your way to an answer, so do a little homework instead:
- Read the label and the brand’s website. Many makers publish ingredient information or state that their flavors are made without diacetyl and acetyl propionyl.
- Ask the brand. If you can’t find an answer, email the manufacturer. A reputable maker should be able to tell you what’s in its juice.
- Don’t judge by flavor. A custard or cream juice isn’t automatically made with these chemicals, and a fruit juice isn’t automatically free of them.
- Know who made it. A bottle with no brand name, no contact details and no batch number is one to pass on.
If you’d simply rather skip buttery, custard-style flavors, Zamplebox Club members can rate those flavor notes low or mark a bottle “never send” so it stays out of future boxes.
Coil wire and hardware
If you build your own coils for a rebuildable dripping atomizer (RDA) or a rebuildable tank, the wire matters as much as the juice. Coils run hot, and anything on or in the wire can end up in the vapor.
- Use wire sold specifically for vaping. Kanthal, nichrome, stainless steel and nickel are the common types, each sold on spools made for coil building.
- Never use hardware-store wire. Galvanized wire is coated in zinc, and heating it releases fumes you should never inhale.
- Match the wire to the mode. Nickel is meant for temperature control mode only, not plain wattage mode. Stainless steel works in both.
- Replace worn coils. Swap out any coil that looks damaged or keeps tasting burnt.
Researchers have also found metals such as nickel, chromium and lead in some e-cigarette aerosols, with the heating coil a likely source. That’s one more reason to use quality hardware and replace coils when they’re worn. If you’re new to building, start with our guide on how to build a basic coil.
Other things to keep out of your vape
- Add-ins. Don’t mix anything into your e-liquid that wasn’t made for vaping. Flavor concentrates made for baking or candy are designed to be eaten, not heated and inhaled, and oils don’t belong in an e-liquid tank.
- Products from informal sources. In 2019, the CDC linked an outbreak of serious lung injuries, known as EVALI, mainly to THC vaping products containing vitamin E acetate, many of them bought from informal sources. Buy from established, age-verified retailers.
- Damaged batteries. A torn wrap or a dented cell can short and overheat. Rewrap or replace it before you use it again, and read up on battery safety if your mod takes removable cells.
- Burnt hits. Overheating e-liquid creates byproducts you don’t want. If a puff tastes burnt, stop and find the cause before you keep going.
For a wider look at the trade-offs of vaping, read Risks of Vaping: What Vapers Need to Be Thinking About. For current public health guidance, check the CDC and the FDA.
Common questions
What is popcorn lung?
It’s the common name for bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and serious lung disease. It was found in workers at microwave popcorn plants who breathed in diacetyl vapors, which is why diacetyl tops this list.
Do all custard and butter flavors contain diacetyl?
No. Creamy flavors can be made with other ingredients. The only way to know is to check the brand’s ingredient information or ask the maker.
Can I use any wire to build a coil?
No. Use wire sold for vaping coils, match it to your device’s mode, and never use galvanized or hardware-store wire.
Is it OK to add food flavoring to my e-liquid?
It’s not a good idea. Food flavorings are made to be eaten, and some contain ingredients that were never meant to be heated and inhaled. Stick to e-liquids made for vaping.
WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. For adults 21+ only.