Is Freebase Juice or Nic Salts Better?

For new vapers, in particular, the right strength of e-liquid is an important factor to not just help you enjoy vaping, but to stay away from cigarettes in the long run. Choosing the right nicotine strength for your e-liquid is vital when you first start vaping, as it may be the difference between a fun and pleasant vape experience and one that is unsustainable and doesn’t fulfil your nicotine cravings sufficiently to stay away from cigarettes.

The way freebase nicotine and nicotine salts affect your body in e-liquids are completely individual, so what works for one person might be different for another, and that’s the beauty of vaping!

To potentially narrow down why you should pick one over the other, we have compiled a list of positives and negatives for both:

Nic Salt Benefits

• Faster absorption into the bloodstream
• Reduced cloud production in comparison to freebase
• A smoother hit, even with more nicotine
• Less harsh on the throat than freebase
• Ideal for mouth to lung vaping
• Perfect for pairing with a device needing minimal setup or technical knowledge of vaping
• High strength resonates with heavy smokers needing a regular rush of nicotine
• Longer expiration date than freebase thanks to a slower oxidation
• You do not need to vape as much liquid

Freebase Nicotine Benefits

• Cheaper than nic salts
• Produce larger clouds, so ideal for Sub-Ohm vaping
• No additives
• Can vape at a slower pace over a sustained period
• Able to switch between MTL & DTL
• Can handle high flavour complexity
• Lower nicotine strengths so better for those further along in cutting down the nicotine journey
• Ideal for new vapers fresh from ‘social smoker’ habits

The Safety of Both Explained

Instead of forming any salt crystals (a common misconception), nicotine salts blend when the freebase nicotine (which is very alkaline) mixes with an acid. While they’re called nicotine salts, these e-liquids don’t contain any salt - this name refers to the chemical structure of the nicotine in nic salt formulas, so you don’t need to be concerned about your sodium intake!

Benzoic acid is the most regularly used, but citric acid or a combination of the two is also pretty common - as both naturally occur in our bodies and are even present in fruits. Through this chemical reaction, the nicotine becomes less alkaline, which reduces that same throat hit sensation but also means that the body can safely absorb nicotine salts far more quickly than freebase nicotine, giving  you that intense nicotine rush. The lower pH of nic salts also means that the temperature needed to vape is much lower than it would be without acid treatment, which means that users can vape nic salts at fairly low temperatures, and vapers with smaller, less powerful devices can still comfortably use these e-liquids. Nevertheless, there is no definitive evidence to suggest nic salt is safer than freebase or vice versa, as both are relatively harmless when vaped.

Interestingly, nicotine salts are the form of nicotine that occurs naturally in the tobacco plant, despite freebase nicotine having been used far more widely for centuries. They are the least modified form of nicotine, making them fantastic for use in a strong, intense vape.

Which Should You Pick?

You’re stranded on an island and have to pick one of the two - which do you opt for between nic salts and freebase? Essentially, it all boils down to what setup you prefer. If you want to vape large clouds of vapour and have a bit of a harsher throat hit, traditional freebase should still be your go-to option.

However, more recently, we have seen the emergence of nic salts as a popular choice with vapers. If you want to give up smoking, use a low-powered device, vape minimal cloud but still get the desired throat hit and enough nicotine at a higher strength, nic salts may be for you.