PG vs VG – What Is The Difference？

PG vs VG

If you are purchasing e-liquid or considering taking on vaping, then you have been presented with the terms PG and VG. You may be curious as to what these two terms mean and also what they are for. It is simple and easy to explain so stick around while we show you the difference. PG and VG are two of the main ingredients used in manufacturing ejuice.

Propylene Glycol is manufactured using a number of chemical compounds. All of these compounds are safe for human consumption and some are also organic. PG is used across a wide range of products. The food industry uses PG in manufacturing as well as cosmetics and many others.

Vegetable Glycerine is an all organic plant derived liquid. In e-liquid VG is found in a much higher quantity than PG as it is responsible for producing large amounts of vapor.

VG is also used in the cosmetics industry as well as many pharmaceutical applications.

PG (Propylene Glycol)

Propylene Glycol is used in all forms of e-juice manufacturing. Propylene Glycol is used at specific ratios in e-liquid recipes ie:30PG/70VG. PG will thin out the juice allowing it to be more wick friendly.

Companies that manufacture flavor concentrates that e-juice companies buy also suspend their flavoring in Propylene Glycol.

Many years ago when vaping was first introduced to the market PG was dominant. Many of the devices then were small pen-style vaporizers with small coils and low wattage. PG works because it is thin and can be wicked into the coils very easily.

Propylene Glycol provides a great flavor experience because it is known to carry flavor better than VG.

PG also provides the throat hit that most new vapers or season vapers enjoy. This sensation is comparable to smoking and provides a level of satisfaction normally only a cigarette can.

Over time Propylene Glycol has become the less dominant ingredient in e-juice but it still remains an integral part of the process. With low resistance devices taking over and people demanding more clouds, VG has become the dominant ingredient in vaping.

VG (Vegetable Glycerine)

VG is thick, sticky and sweet. The past 3-5 years have seen the rise in demand of high VG based e-juice. There was a time when the term Max VG did not exist but today it is becoming the standard.

Cloud chasers worldwide are among the biggest and boldest cloud producing e-juices on the market. E-juice makers are now offering up 70VG/30PG to Max VG as a regular product. Finding PG dominant flavors are becoming rarer by the day.

Vegetable Glycerine also provides certain effects in an e-juice recipe that Propylene Glycol cannot. Because of the volume of vapor VG can obtain, it also gives a more fully rounded mouth feeling. When e-juice makers are designing recipes they often leverage this to their advantage when they want to obtain a thicker feeling flavor without placing additives.

Vegetable Glycerine is made from natural plant resources. Found in the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics industry, and food industry. It is fully safe for human consumption and ingestion.

PG vs VG – Conclusion

In a nutshell, this is what VG and PG are in respects to the vaping world. Technical explanations of these products can be found by clicking titles above. Due to the benefits both ingredients provide, e-juice makers often design recipes around specific ratios to obtain either better flavor intensity (higher content of PG) or a thicker, fuller more cloud producing recipe (higher VG than PG). Keep in mind, some people do report sensitivity to either of these ingredients so if at any time during vaping you feel off, try finding e-juices with different ratios.

There are a select few vendors that do manufacture either 100 percent PG or VG for this specific reason. There are telltale signs to look for when sensitivity to either of these compounds comes into play.

Ususally users report scratchy throats or an itchy face. If any of these two symptoms appear while vaping than there is a good chance you have a sensitivity to either PG or VG.

John Pietersma

I am John Pietersma, a 30-year-old husband and father of three children who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. Having vaped and built coils for four years, I am very passionate about vaping and writing product reviews for everyone to read.