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Menthol Freeze
Menthol Freeze
10/10 icon-question
  • Pure icy breathing taste
  • 50/50 Pg/VG or Max VG options availabble
  • Tobacco-free nicotine custom blend

The Menthol Freeze e-juice from NicTech is a straight-up ice fest. It delivers polar-level cold in the form of a refreshing menthol flavo...

Honeydew Melon SYN
Honeydew Melon
  • Available in two strengths, 25 and 50mg
  • Available in a single 30ml bottle
  • Available in a single 50/50 VG/PG ratio
Juice Head Guava Peach
Juice Head Guava Peach
  • Available in a single 25ml bottle
  • Available in two strengths (25 and 50mg)
  • Available in a single 50/50 VG/PG mix

The Best Nic Salt E-Juices Out Right Now


#1 Menthol Freeze

An Icy Blast of Minty Freshness

10/10 icon-question Review score

The Menthol Freeze e-juice from NicTech is a straight-up ice fest. It delivers polar-level cold in the form of a refreshing menthol flavor. Vapers will immediately feel the menthol flavor behind this vape juice from the first inhale. The intensity only grows from there, as the stinging bite of cool menthol permeates the entire vapor cloud and only mellows upon exhale, leaving your mouth clean and refreshed.

Pros:

  • Available in nicotine salts and regular salts formulations
  • Available in many PG/VG ratios
  • Comes in either a 30 or 60ml bottle
  • Authentic menthol flavor

Cons:

  • Menthol flavor may be overpowering for some

#2 Honeydew Melon SYN

The Smooth, Refreshing Taste of Melon

9.5/10 icon-question Review score

The Honeydew Melon e-juice from SYN is a nic-salt-infused e-juice with a simple but delectable taste. The e-juice focuses on one flavor – honeydew – to create its one-of-a-kind flavor. The e-juice starts smooth with the juicy bits of honeydew dancing on the tongue. The Honeydew comes in 30ml bottle in two nicotine levels (25ml, 50ml). The exhale washes away the honeydew for a sweet, sugary finish.

Pros:

  • Authentic flavor
  • Smooth inhale and exhale
  • Good nicotine buzz
  • The new, exotic flavor

Cons:

  • Not suitable for sub-ohm vapes

#3 Juice Head Guava Peach

Tropical Goodness and Salt Nic

9.5/10 icon-question Review score

The Juice Head Guava Peach nic salts e-juice is an exciting blend of tropical fruit flavors with the smooth taste of nic salts. The Guava Peach flavors burst from the first inhale and smother your taste buds with juicy goodness. The refreshing feel of having the cloud explode in your mouth continues until you exhale. It produces a sweet, satisfying aftertaste.

Pros:

  • Refreshing taste
  • Satisfying aroma
  • Good throat hit
  • Good cloud production

Cons:

  • It’s hard to separate the guava from peach

#4 Cool Tobacco Nic Salt

A Cooler Version of Menthol

9/10 icon-question Review score

The Cool Tobacco nic salt juice from Solace Vapor is a traditional one that elevates tobacco and menthol flavors. The Cool Tobacco e-juice starts with the typical tobacco bite. But then releases frozen flavor crystals full of menthol to cool things down. When you exhale this one-of-a-kind tobacco menthol combination, you’ll return for more because of the exhilarating flavor.

Pros:

  • Pleasing, relaxing flavors
  • Good throat hit
  • Good for pod mods
  • Good for former smokers

Cons:

  • No other flavor combinations

#5 Mad Hatter’s Spearmint Gum

A Refreshing Take on Menthol

8.5/10 icon-question Review score

The Mad Hatter is up to it again with a new, mint-based salt e-juice. This e-juice comes from their I Love Salts line. The Spearmint Gum flavor recalls a well-known taste to many, and it delivers its authenticity. The e-juice begins with a pop and does not stop until the exhale. The clouds are refreshing and a bit sour while also cooling down any taste buds set afire by the menthol blast.

Pros:

  • Smooth, refreshing mint flavor
  • Not too overpowering

Cons:

  • Only one flavor profile
  • Tastes too much like gum

#6 Air Factory Custard

A Delicious, Creamy Nic Salt

8.5/10 icon-question Review score

The Air Factory Custard nic salt juice is a classic flavor combination made from that savory of treats, a custard pie. The e-juice begins with the crisp flakiness of a freshly-made custard pie cut with the sweet softness of whipped cream. This delicious e-juice melds these flavors in the cloud. So the exhale bursts with custard crumbs and leaves you wanting more.

Pros:

  • Consistent flavor profile
  • Always hits hard
  • Smooth inhale and exhale
  • Good all-day-vape

Cons:

  • Flavors are off sometimes

#7 Keep It 100 Synth OG Blue Iced

The Nic Salt Version of a Summertime Treat

8.5/10 icon-question Review score

The Keep It 100 Synth OG Blue Iced e-juice is a blend of delicious flavors that remind you of a convenience store classic. The e-juice fuses blueberry and raspberry slushie flavors with a menthol kick. It gives you an exhilarating feeling when you exhale. The inhale is full of flavor and intensity. But the exhale is also mind-blowing, thanks to the menthol freeze.

Pros:

  • The rich, true-to-life taste
  • The right balance of sweetness
  • The blueberry/raspberry combination
  • Good throat hit

Cons:

  • Poor flavor consistency

#8 Red No.1 Nic Salt

A Fruit Medley Like No Other

8/10 icon-question Review score

The Red No.1 nic salt juice bursts with the familiar flavors of watermelon, lemons, and sugar to satisfy any palate. The e-juice starts with a slow drip of lemon juice mixed with sweet bits of cubed sugar. Later, watermelon droplets tingle the tongue as they bounce around with the other flavors. The exhale flows strong with the flavor of both and finishes with a refreshing aftertaste.

Pros:

  • Interesting flavor combinations
  • Good cloud size
  • Great all-day-vape
  • Good throat hit

Cons:

  • Poor flavor consistency

#9 Lemon Citrus Fusion

A Fruity Citrus Smooth E-juice

7.5/10 icon-question Review score

Lemon is about as citrus as it gets, and the blenders at Epuffer know this. They sought only the most authentic, refreshing lemon sorbent flavors to create this salt-derived e-juice. Like all master blenders, they blended something new with something old.

Vapers will recognize the gentle sour profile of this fruit-based juice on the first inhale. There are also some bright fruity-based flavors thrown in for good measure.

Pros:

  • A nice blend of familiar and exotic flavors
  • Not too overwhelming

Cons:

  • Only one VG/PG ratio (50/50)
  • Only one bottle size available (30 ml)

#10 Beard Vape Co Salts No. 32 Cinnamon Funnel Cake

A Luscious, Dessert-Based Nic Salt

7/10 icon-question Review score

The Beard Vape Co Salts No. 32 Cinnamon Funnel Cake says it all in the title and leaves no mystery about its flavor profile. If you love tearing through an amusement park funnel cake with reckless abandon or chugging down a cinnamon-topped whipped cream latte, then this e-juice is for you. The vape has a cinnamon beginning but then introduces the warm, crispy waffles at the base of any excellent funnel cake.

Pros:

  • Perfect vape for after dinner
  • Good flavor consistency
  • Not too sugary
  • Good throat hit

Cons:

  • Flavors are too rich sometimes

What is Nic Salts?

Nicotine Salts vapingdaily

Nic salts, or nicotine salts, combine salts from nicotine and acid to create a version of it. It is potent in small doses and smoother to inhale. Regular, freebase nicotine has no acids, which means it is bitter and harsh when inhaled, but not so in small amounts. The acid added to a salt nic base lessens the harshness of inhaling nicotine. Nic salts are easier on the throat and are potent even in small quantities. They deliver nicotine faster than regular nicotine, almost similar to the way traditional cigarettes deliver nicotine. Many popular nic salt products – like Juul pods – use benzoic acid to form their nicotine salt, which is also the most popular type.

Nicotine Salts vs. Regular Freebase Nicotine

The difference between salt nic and regular nicotine is that they have different bases. Regular nicotine has no base, but salts nic bond with an acid to create a more palatable version of nicotine. And it is easier to inhale and in smaller quantities. Freebase nicotine is found in regular cigarettes and most e-juices because taking out the acid from natural nicotine also makes it easier to inhale.

Nic salts are also easier to absorb in the bloodstream because their chemical structure bonds more easily with the body’s nicotine receptors. Freebase radicals take longer to find the same receptors because they have different structures that strip them of tobacco-leaf-based nicotine’s natural protons and ions.

Types of Nic Salts

The Juul gives smokers the same amount of nicotine contained in one pack of cigarettes in a tiny 0.7ml pod. They have simple, one-note flavors like mango, creme brulee, and mint. Juul is not the only way to use this different nicotine style.

Many makers of vaping products and e-juices have already started catering to this new trend. Pod vapes, both pre-filled and refillable, are about as popular as box mods and vape pens were when they were popular. They have increased in popularity because of salt nic.

Since nicotine salts are formed by bonding to a specific acid, the acid used in the process creates a different product type. The most popular bonding agent now is benzoic acid.

When benzoic acid bonds to a nicotine base, it acts as a neutralizing agent. This neutral type of nicotine makes the end product more palatable and easier to inhale. Benzoic acid is not the only additive that can be used with nicotine.

Bonding nicotine to lactic, citrus, or any other type of acid results in a different kind of salts than what would come from using benzoic acid. Right now, the only differences between salt nic e-liquids are their concentration. These different content levels, though, are standard. And the only way they differ is through the products used or the flavors with which they are combined.

Pros and Cons of Salt Nic

One reasonable concern that people have about nic salt e-liquid is that they would addict more people to nicotine, and faster, because of their high concentrations.

They are not wrong to be worried. Cigarette companies have an awful history of blending nicotine with other chemicals to make their products more addictive. They realized that adding an alkali, like ammonia, “transforms nicotine from a bound state to a free one, where it can be more rapidly absorbed by the smoker.”

These new e-juices, through a higher concentration of nicotine, can have benefits:

  • A higher nicotine concentration means smokers would use less e-juice than more, as with standard formulations
  • Users can lower their nicotine consumption gradually but still feel satisfied with their intake
  • Nic salt products take the emphasis off of the tech, so users can go straight to vaping without changing coils, finding the right setting, or buying replacement parts
  • Since they are more stable, the nicotine in salt e-juices lasts longer and does not go bad as quickly as other forms of e-liquid

Despite these benefits, there are some downsides to nicotine salt:

  • They may be too intense for people who have already gone nicotine-free
  • People who have never smoked should not try them, as they may become habit-forming.
  • They do cost more than standard nicotine solution e-liquids

The Science and Origin of Nic Salts

First off, there is no actual salt in these types of e-liquids. A “salt” can be any compound that combines an acid with a base. For example, table or edible salt results from sodium bonding to chloride, which creates sodium chloride.

The same applies to nicotine: an acid or alkali bonds to it to create something new, which is salt nicotine. In standard e-juices, manufacturers use “freebase” nicotine, responsible for the unmistakable “throat hit” that vapers want.

In standard nicotine solutions: the chemical is not chemically bonded to anything.

It is isolated and, literally, free from its base. There is no combining of acids or other additives to reduce the chemical’s acidity. The nicotine solution in regular e-juice is the purest version possible. It is also not natural.

In tobacco plants, nicotine interacts with many different compounds. It is only through extraction and chemical manipulation that manufacturers create “pure” nicotine. Adding benzoic acid is one way to return the chemical to its natural state, wherein it combines with other molecules and results in salt e-liquid.

If the nicotine in standard e-juices is the purest form possible, why change it?

The answer has to do with the invention of the Juul e-cigarette. Juul began the trend of nic salt e-juice vaping. The proof of the popularity of salts is in the number of imitators and Juul alternatives that have arisen in recent years.

The innovation that Juul pioneered is not only the device itself but the liquid inside the pods, “wherein an acid is used to formulate said nicotine salt,” as the patent states. It would be incorrect to say that Pax Labs “invented” nicotine salts since they occur naturally. But they were the first company to do so in the age of electronic cigarettes.

The goal of nic salts was to package a satisfying amount of nicotine into a tiny vessel. Most vapes with nic salt pods use a small voltage to create less vapor with a higher nicotine concentration.

How To Choose Nicotine Salt Strength

Nicotine salt strengths are measured differently than regular, freebase nicotine strengths. Regular, freebase nicotine strengths are measured by the percentage or weight of nicotine in the liquid. Freebase nicotine strengths range from 0 to 24 mg per milliliter of fluid. But nicotine salt strengths are often measured in mass (mg) or percentage.

Nicotine salt strengths can range from 6mg, or 6%, nicotine to 50 mg per milliliter. The higher-strength varieties are not for use with sub-ohm or large vapor devices since the amount of nicotine is too much for most people. The vapor clouds would be too harsh and cause discomfort above anything else.

If you are new to vaping and nic salts, you can start with a low-vapor device like a pod mod or AIO, which offers smoother, palatable vapor. If you want, you can transition to larger products that push out bigger, more voluminous clouds. But you should only use freebase nicotine for dual or triple-battery vapes.

FAQ

Is nicotine salt safe?

Yes, salt nic is safe. It is not more potent or harmful than regular, freebase nicotine. But overconsumption can still lead to nicotine side effects and addiction.

Is nicotine salt more addictive?

Nicotine, in any form, is addictive, and nic salts are no more addictive than regular freebase nicotine or cigarettes.

What is the best resistance for salt nic?

Salt nic vape juices are best vaped with a high resistance coil measuring anywhere from 1.0 ohms or higher.

What is the best wattage for salt nic?

The best wattage range for nic salts is between 10 and 50W since that is the typical range for low-wattage, above-ohm devices.

Do nic salts have diacetyl?

Salts do not contain diacetyl. Diacetyl is the chemical responsible for “popcorn lung” when heated and inhaled. There were fears that vapers were using e-juice that included diacetyl, but the industry has moved away from its use. Nic salts are no different. Diacetyl is an organic substance, but it, like VG or PG, needs to be added to the juice. It does not occur naturally, and e-juice makers have replaced it with other, safer ingredients or have stopped using it altogether.

Can I use salts nic in my vape?

Depends on what a person means by “vape.” Salt-e-juices are especially useful when they work with low-power pod vapes. It is how most all-in-one devices intended them to be used when they came up with the formula. Sub-ohm tanks and mods can vape nic salts only if the content is lower than average.

A 3-5mg nic salt juice would be suitable for a sub-ohm device. Any higher would result in an unpleasant nicotine high, as the amount of vapor produced by a high-wattage unit would deliver too much of the stimulant.

Where to get salt nic vape juice?

Nic salts are everywhere now. Vapers can buy them online, or they can buy them in stores, where an expert can choose an ideal strength.

Every major e-juice maker has either a dedicated salt line or has added new nic formulations to their existing products. Some brands sell only nic salt e-juices, like Beard Salts. Vape companies have also flooded the market with salt-friendly devices that match Juul’s precision and small size factor.

Can I make salt nic vape juice?

Although risks are involved, it is possible to make salt e-juice at home. It will be difficult to replicate a formula that tastes and feels like something Juul offers. Pre-mixed nic salt liquids can mix with flavorings, PG, and VG.

Making a nicotine salt formula from scratch will be difficult unless someone has the right tools and background in chemistry.

Conclusion: Salt Nic, Here to Stay?

Although new to vapers, salts nic stay true to how nicotine occurs in nature. They also remain in the spirit of innovation that pioneered e-cigarettes in the first place. If e-cigarettes were the solution to the smoking problem, salts would be the solution to finding a more effective way to consume nicotine.

The new composition allows for a stronger, smoother intake while using less liquid. The devices for these new liquids are also easier-to-use and handle. People have not given up on regular e-juice, though.

Like every new vaping advance, people have absorbed nic salts into the larger culture. The industry has adjusted by making more salt-friendly devices and new e-juices. Vapers have also embraced nic salts and do not seem likely to let go anytime soon.

Published: January 22, 2019 Updated: January 13, 2023


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One comment on “Salt Nic: How To Spot The Best Vape Juice

  • Philly D

    March 17, 2019 at 9:43 am

    Thanks you for breaking down the difference between nic salts and free base nicotine. Finally an answer that was easy for me to understand. And made me feel a bit easier when deciding which to consume. Great job!!