Ok, this thread is going to be for the beginner DIY'er. I remember seeing a thread about this a long time ago and things have changed slightly. I know a lot of people would like to get into DIY juice making and would like to get products quickly to just test it out a little bit. I've come up with a small list of places that sell ingredients so you can test it out before you get too into it. Clearly if you want to really get into this, you will need to get your ingredients online. You can still use the PG and VG you get from local stores but you have a larger selection online.
Vegetable Glycerin-
*Walmart sells a few forms of it in their stores in 6 fl oz and 10 fl oz bottles. I've tried the HUMCO VG in the 6 fl oz bottle and it is fairly tasteless and thick like it should be. The HUMCO VG runs around $3-$4 for 6 fl oz. (or 177ml) HUMCO Vegetable Based Glycerin
*CVS sells it in a clear bottle with a blue circle that says "Pure glycerin" their bottles used to say "Pure glycerin USP" but the only one I can find now does not include the USP marking. I called the CVS HQ who assured me it is still 99.5% pure and is considered USP. The representative I spoke with said they took the USP labeling off after they discontinued carrying cigarettes as they knew customers were buying their VG for vaping. They don't support smoking or vaping anymore which is another reason why its hard to find organic cotton at CVS now as well. For a 6 fl oz bottle of CVS' Pure Glycerin, it runs around $5-$6. CVS Pure Glycerin USP
Propylene Glycol-
*Tractor Supply Co. is one of the only places I could find that sells PG in stores without paying a ton of money. They sell a 1Gal. bottle of USP grade PG for $23. Some non chain pharmacies will order it for you or may already have some (I'm talking family owned Rx) but you have to inform them of the amount you need and that it has to be USP food grade. Tractor Supply Co. Propylene Glycol 1Gal.
*WalMart sells PG by the bucket, we're talking $100+ which would only be good for someone who is already into DIY mixing and is possibly selling what they make. Durvet Propylene Glycol 1Gal. 4-Pack
*You can find PG at most farmer supply stores as its used for farm animal health
Liquid Nicotine-
WARNING
*Nicotine is a highly toxic substance, and you cannot buy it at a store like the 2 previous ingredients, therefore, you are stuck to ordering it online. You should always handle any nicotine solution with the utmost care, at a minimum, wear latex gloves and don't flail your arms about like a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man.
There are a few forms you can buy it in and for fairly cheap prices.
*VG based Nicotine is basically VG which has already had the nicotine added to the specific mg/ml level you vape at. When you buy this you are either mixing juice as MaxVG or you prefer adding your own PG dilutant and flavoring.
*PG based Nicotine is just the opposite, you are going to make a pure PG based juice (not recommended) or you are going to mix the VG in on your own accord.
*50/50 or 70/30 based Nicotine is just a base where the VG/PG ratio is already mixed out with the nicotine and all you need is to add your flavoring. This is probably the easiest to get started with if you are brand new to Juice mixing.
Flavoring-
*Unless you live close to any major flavor manufacturers, LorAnn Oils is going to be your best bet for buying flavoring locally. The stores I've found them include WalMart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and some local bakery supply stores. I have yet to find TFA, CAP, FW, FA, DOW, Hangsen, JF, NF, or P&G flavors at local stores. Tasty Puff can sometimes be found at Tobacco shops and Head Shops. It is sold there as cigar/cigarillo flavor additives but Tasty Puff flavors are also used in E Juice. TP isn't recommended as the flavors are often very strong and don't quite taste very good under high heat but you can always try it.
*As far as flavors go, you really want to avoid flavors with dyes even though you can technically vape them still. Triacetin is up in the air, so far there haven't been any bad reviews on it and its used in a few flavor extracts but its up to you on whether or not you feel safe vaping it. You do want to look for flavors with Propylene Glycol, alcohol, or water base, natural and artificial flavors are fine. Check Here! before you pay for the Lorann flavors you just picked out to make sure they are safe enough. *Making your own flavors isn't very difficult at all and you can find out how Here!
LorAnn at Michaels (you don't want the Emulsion liquids or paste)
Syringes-
*Syringes can be purchased at WalMart and pretty much any pharmacy. You will be using 1ml, 3ml, 5ml, 10ml oral syringes and most of these will require the needles to be purchased separately. Most stores with syringes will just give you one or two for free. 16g, 18g, 20g blunt needles are recommended as it is much more difficult to accidentally stab yourself with them. WalMart is difficult to get needles from so you're probably going to want to get them from a local, family owned pharmacy or your local CVS, Walgreens, or RiteAid pharmacy. Diabetic syringes w/ needles can also be purchased and some pharmacies keep them behind the counter so most likely you will have to ask for them.
*Syringes and needles are very cheap if not free most places. They will be around $1 a piece or $10 for a 100pk
If I missed anything, you can add it in the comments. Thanks and have fun!
> *Raw Nicotine is for the advanced mixer. You can get it in many mg strengths up to 300%. 100% is one of the most widely used raw nicotine strengths.
You can get up to 500mg/ml (50%) here and they used to offer 99xmg/ml (99.x%). I've never seen 100% nic and 300% is impossible. Pure nic would be 100%.
100mg/(1000)ml (10%) and under is common for mixers.
Why are you showing people where to buy dangerously high levels of nic, in a thread obviously meant for beginners as it says in the first sentence of OPs post?
- It was a reply to a portion of OPs post and
- the information is available through a simple Google search.
Instead of hiding it, bring it out in the open and talk about it. Beginners are exactly who should know this is available but also why it is dangerous, so they don't wind up on the news.
See the last line I wrote? I wrote that under the assumption we are all adults here with at least a little common sense. That was my version of "See this children? It's Bleach. Don't drink it."
Bring it out in the open and talk about it.
You said nothing of the dangers of using such high levels of nic. OP literally only said to wear thick gloves... that's not discussing anything. You added that last line after i posted, nice try.
edit: and even if you didn't add that last line (cuz honestly I'm drunk and maybe it was there), that last line doesn't discuss anything saying it's uncommon is just saying it's uncommon. There is a reason that almost all of the places you can get nic from don't go over 100mg/ml.
Great info , thanks .
I wouldn't settle for LorAnn oils if you don't have to , buying online is simple and the way to go for most flavorings .
Regarding "Tasty Puff" they got some gems like "Rasta Rootbeer" , incredible stuff .
When it comes to Tasty Puff, they are pretty much hit or miss although I do find myself going through it rather slow seeing as you can normally use very low percentages per mix. When it comes to LorAnn, I have to say I actually like their Apple flavor and could legitimately mix a simple apple juice and vape it all day but their other flavors are kind of lacking and should be used as a small part of a larger recipe, I agree.
Thanks for this! I've been looking around a bit just to see what's available, and had a little fun checking out at Walmart looking like the squarest drug dealer ever.
I went to Michaels and they had a lot of useful things, but the prices were high. I think it was $8 for 5 disposable 3ml pipettes. Still, good to know what's close, They also had VG (I think but it was simply labeled "glycerin") in their baking section ... but all the Lorann I found were oil based (might just be here).
From what I've seen, a few Michaels have the oil based LorAnn extracts but most of the ones I've been to have PG based extracts. I'll look into their VG though.
Edit: If you're talking about seeing the Wilton Glycerin the label doesn't say if it's derived from vegetable or animal fats and it doesn't say if it's USP food grade but it is found in the bakery section and people on Amazon say they've used it for baking purposes. If anyone can confirm this to be good for vaping, that would be awesome!
Not trying to be a jerk, but it seems this entire post should be summed up as "Most of this is a hassle and some of it is impossible with local shops. Use the Internet."
That is true but you and I both know there are a lot of impatient people who just want to attempt it, that or they need to prepare for a cloud comp and just need a quick way to get some vg, plus if you're cool with a local shop, they will probably nic up whatever juices you've made for free.
How well does PG based nic flow in a diabetic (look to be around 30 gauge) needle?
> > *Raw Nicotine is for the advanced mixer. You can get it in many mg strengths up to 500mg/ml (50%). 100mg/ml (10%) is one of the most widely used raw nicotine strengths as it is easier to calculate into your mixes. Raw Nicotine does not contain any PG or VG and it is highly recommended you handle it with care and always wear thick gloves to keep it off your skin while handling.
How is it "Raw Nicotine" 50% or 10% is not raw nicotine. Raw/Pure nicotine is 99.5% - 100%. I also think it is irresponsible of you to even mention anything over 100mg/ml (10%) nicotine. This is obviously a post directed towards people that don't know very much about DIY ejuice and you are talking about this?
I made the thread after a long day at work (while still at work) last night, I removed the whole portion as I realized it didn't make much sense. I mentioned it because it exists. Just like diketones in liquids, they exist and aren't recommended, why wouldn't you mention them to people?
This is great, thanks for posting common places to find these products, could help in a pinch or maybe be a go to supply!
as far as PG and VG it could be a good source of regular purchasing but as far as the flavoring, I'd stick to online. Some Bakery supply stores do sell some of the good LorAnn extracts like Apple and Banana Cream though which could help with recipes if you're only short on that flavor.