Can Expired Vape Juice Kill You?

Although most vapers believe that e-juice can expire, some vapers insist that vape juice does not go bad after the expiration date. On the contrary, they are just aged well with safe and proper storage. However, there are expiration dates for most e-liquid. Since e-juice does expire, have you wondered what the expired e-juice looks like? Is expired e-juice dangerous? Can expired vape juice kill you? I will provide my answers to these questions in the following blog.

1. Does Vape Juice Expire?

The short answer is "Yes". Vape juice expires just like other products we buy on a daily basis. The estimated lifespan of a bottle of well-preserved e-juice is about 1 to 2 years. If left exposed to direct sunlight or extreme temperatures, it will expire or even worse, go bad ahead of the estimated date of expiration.

However, much different from food and drinks, some vapers claim that none of the ingredients in the vape juice really go bad or disintegrate.

2. Is Expired Vape Juice Dangerous

First of all, we need to figure out what may happen to the expired e-juice. E-juice is composed of nicotine, PG, VG, and flavoring. PG and VG are commonly stable and they remain the same after expiration.

Nicotine and flavorings are not that stable. They are both significantly affected by the oxidation. Nicotine, on the other hand, is turned into its oxidation products, which share no similar effects. As a result, you may get many fewer hits. The oxidation changes the flavor as well. When you take a puff from a bottle of expired e-liquid, it might taste harsh, off, and even peppery.

The answer is clear: expired vape juice does not kill you but strips you of the fun and joy of vaping, mostly the flavors, just like FDA does.

3. Do Disposable Vapes Expire?

Absolutely. They expire much faster than a bottle of unsealed e-liquid due to their structure. Most disposable kits hold and heat the e-juice with coils stuck in a sponge soaked with e-juice.

Without the plug and silicone seals, they are exposed to oxygen and bacteria all the time. Burnt tastes and weak vapor production should tell you when to buy a new one or just choose a refillable vape.

4. Can Expired Vape Juice Kill You?

Vape juice expiration is not a death sentence anyway. Vaping expired e-juice does not kill people often. However, there are side effects of expired e-liquid.

Expired e-juice might taste off and e-juice of different flavors changes differently. For fruit-flavored e-juice, it tastes dull or muted after expiration. If you want to use out-of-date e-juice of dessert flavors, you should be prepared for an odd or spoiled smell. Despite the differences in flavors, all expired e-juice has something in common: it has harsh throat hits and chemical or peppery tastes because of the oxidized nicotine.

5. How Long Does Vape Juice Last?

How long can my vape juice last when it is stored properly? Well, it might stay flavorful and good to vape for 1 to 2 years if stored properly.

6. How to Store E-liquid/Steep Your E-juice

Remember the concept we mentioned above about the e-juice that is aged well? Proper storage is the first step. Here is a detailed guide on how to store your vape juice. You can also take other steps to not just preserve it but also improve the flavor.

(1) Temperature: Cool (15–25°C / 59–77°F)

(2) Light Exposure: Dark Place

(3) Air Exposure: In a Sealed Bottle

(4) *Bonus: Shake the Bottle Periodically

If you preserve the e-liquid in the right way, this should accelerate the flavor blending and remove the harshness of newly blended e-juice. However, you'd better vape it in a year for the best taste, and do not keep it for more than 2 years, as nicotine eventually oxidizes.

7. Conclusion

Crying over expired e-juice is meaningless. You can keep your e-juice in good condition or even make it age well. Buying flavored e-liquid and vapes is part of our rights, and we should fight for it and enjoy it. That's all for this topic, and I will see you next week.