Difference Between Nic Salt and Freebase Nicotine?

There is an important difference between the freebase nicotine we use in our e-liquids and the newer Nic salts.

Without going into the technical details, freebase is the purest form of nicotine and the standard for many manufacturers of e-liquids. The freebase nicotine is simply added to the substance VG (Vegetable Glycerin) and PG (Propylene Glycol) and you have a nicotine-containing e-liquid. Freebase nicotine is also used in other known alternatives to analog smoking. Think of nicotine gum, for example.

Nicosalts essentially consist of a natural form of nicotine found on the inside of tobacco leaves. If you were to add this form of nicotine to an e-liquid, as is done with free-based nicotine, we would have to vaporize that e-liquid at a very high temperature. Otherwise, the nicotine in nicosalts will not be quickly absorbed into the body.

But there is a solution for this: benzoic acid.

Benzoic acid is found in high concentrations in cranberries and berries. This natural substance is also used in other foods.

Benzoic acid lowers the pH of nicotine in the Nic Salt. This also means the acid capacity will be reduced and the vapor you experience will be much softer. This allows you to vaporize higher nicotine levels without bothering you, as with the Freebase nicotine. The Nic salt is also absorbed faster in the body.

This makes a Nic Salt e-liquid with 20mg nicotine, no longer comparable with a Freebase e-liquid with 20mg nicotine.

Which e-cigarettes can you use with Nic salt?

Since nicotine is absorbed faster by the body with nic salt, it is not recommended to use sub-ohm coils. It's best to use Nic Salts in a POD system or with an e-cigarette that uses coils with higher ohms.

Would you like to learn more about Nic Salt?
Have not all your questions about Nic Salt been answered yet? Do not hesitate to direct all your questions to our customer service. We are glad to help you!

Better nicotine intake vs. higher search potential

But the opinions regarding its potential benefits and the possible dangers seem divided in this country and in some cases are currently very polarizing. While the supporters of nicotine salts give them a better potential to actually bind smokers to the e-cigarette (and thus permanently free them from the old vice), their critics are above all concerned about the supposedly higher addiction potential.

The starting point for the controversial considerations is the fact that nicotine absorption in e-cigarettes differs significantly from conventional tobacco cigarettes. Evaporated nicotine therefore needs significantly more time to cross the blood-brain barrier and thus trigger a pharmacological “feeling of satisfaction” in the consumer. This delayed physical intake and the corresponding lack of immediate nicotine saturation seem to have been a reason for many e-cigarette users to relapse in the past.

Nicotine salts have a significantly lower pH value and are suspected of being able to be processed better and, above all, faster by the human organism (clear scientific studies are still pending). The nicotine intoxication sets in faster and the satisfaction of the addiction comes to an abrupt end.
Lots of nicotine with no scratchy taste

In addition, the so-called flash of nicotine salts is changing so that nicotine salts with significantly higher nicotine concentrations can be consumed without affecting the taste as intensely.

While some of the aroma is lost with free nicotine in higher concentrations and the liquid quickly tends to become unpleasantly scratchy, there is no such loss of taste with nicotine salts with comparable nicotine concentrations. Nicotine salts can also be vaporized in lower temperature ranges.

The possibility of a higher nicotine concentration potentially leads, among other things, to the fact that less liquid is used and the desired nicotine high can be achieved with just a few puffs.

The downside of the "nicotine salt medal", however, is inadvertently absorbing too much nicotine too quickly. Corresponding physical symptoms would be nausea, headache, and dizziness. Especially with very powerful sub-ohm devices, this risk seems to be significantly increased when vaping with highly concentrated nicotine salts.

In addition, many former smokers want to slowly reduce the nicotine content, but without giving up the flash. Nicotine salts therefore often show corresponding disadvantages, especially in the baking steam area.

The current lack of scientific comparative studies between free nicotine and nicotine salts in e-cigarette liquids and the lack of binding statements on their specific properties and qualities currently leave only one possibility open:
"Testing is above studying"

Thanks to the binding tobacco guideline TPD2, which currently regulates nicotine concentrations in liquids on the European market to a maximum of 20 mg / ml, the risk of overdosing is fortunately significantly lower in this country compared to the USA.

Nevertheless, you should always proceed with due caution and with due attention to the existing knowledge in order to develop the best personal strategy for dealing with nicotine in e-cigarettes.

If you need more information about nicotine, then take a look at our blog post: Nicotine - how much should I choose over. Alternatively, you can of course contact us by phone or email if you have any further questions or suggestions.