If you’re a DIY e-Liquid newbie, then we know that concocting your first blend can seem like an intimidating task. However, there’s no reason it has to be – and you’ll be glad to know that you don’t need a degree in Chemistry to master making your own vape juice at home.  

Whilst most vapers start with retail bought e-Liquid, a large majority of the community eventually make their way over to DIY methods – and with good reason. Using the same ingredients as what you will find in retail bought e-Liquids, you can customise and manipulate your juice to create a bespoke vape product that suits your unique tastes and requirements at a fraction of the cost.

But, where do you start? What do you need? And, perhaps most importantly, how do you do it?

Fear not. Here at Zombie Vapes, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to DIY e-Liquid, taking out the guesswork to get you well on your way to confidently creating your own vape juice in the comfort of your home. Whether you’re looking to cut down on the retail cost of vaping or you’re a keen mixologist in the making, our ultimate guide to DIY e-Liquid will tell you all you need to know about how to make your own vape juice.

Table of Contents

1. Equipment
2. Ingredients
3. Measurements
4. Add Flavour to your Base
5. Bottle it up and Steep

Equipment

Whilst you certainly don’t require a laboratory to make your own vape juice, there are a few things that you will need before you can get started.

• Bottles 

Bottles come in various sizes, ranging from 5ml up to 120ml. The smaller bottles are great for mixing and measuring new flavours in the experimental stage. However, once you’ve cracked your unique vape formula, the larger sized bottles are what you should go for. 

Here at Zombie Vapes, we stock a handy selection of storage bottles, perfect for holding your delicious, unique concoctions. 

• Pipettes

Without a pipette, you won’t get very far. Pipettes are crucial to the process of making your own vape juice as they allow you to exact and dispense the correct dose of each liquid into your DIY blend. What’s more, they make transferring liquids to your storage bottle easy, reducing the risk of unnecessary spillages.

• Gloves

Gloves are an invaluable part of the DIY process as they protect your hands from spillages. They are also useful for preventing any cross-contamination that could affect the overall quality of your final vape blend. 

• A Cloth

Whilst we never plan for accidents, it’s essential to be prepared for the unexpected. Having a cloth on hand will be handy not only for those unexpected spillages but also for cleaning as you go. Hygiene is key!

Ingredients

Surprisingly, you don’t need that many ingredients to make your own vape juice. Read on for the essentials. 

• Nic shots

If you started vaping as an alternative to smoking, these shots are a great way to get your nicotine hit. A nic shot is a concentrated bottle of unflavoured nicotine designed to be added to larger bottles of e-liquids. However, it’s important to note that these shots are not intended to be vaped alone – and you should be careful when measuring and dispensing nicotine products into your DIY mix. 

NIC UP18mg Nicotine Shots 50VG/50PG

Nic shots are available in various intensities, so be sure to research your options before diving in. Check out our guide on how to mix nic shots for advice on safely making the most out of these products when making your own vape juice.

• PG and VG Liquids

When researching how to make your own vape juice, you will undoubtedly have come across PG and VG liquids. But what are they? PG and VG liquids form the base of any vape juice blend, and they each have their own purpose.

Propylene Glycol (PG) is a thin substance that, when added to e-Liquid, creates a throaty sensation similar to that produced when smoking. It is a preferred option for those looking to create a discrete vaping experience, as it does not make the clouds of ‘smoke’ that vaping is renowned for.  

In contrast to PG, Vegetable Glycerine (VG) is used to thicken the consistency of e-Liquid, which in turn creates the thick vapour clouds that a lot of users enjoy. 

Whilst some users opt for either one or the other, you can experiment with both liquids at once to create a unique fusion that caters to your personal taste and vape style. We’d recommend a half and half measurement as an ideal starting point. 

• Flavour Concentrates

This is where the fun starts. 

Selecting your flavour concentrates will ultimately determine what your DIY vape juice will taste like – And the variety of recipes you can create is thus endless. Experiment with different flavours and mix and match your favourite concentrates to make countless unique vape juice blends. 

Here at Zombie Vapes, we stock an impressive variety of flavour concentrates, ranging from tangy fruit flavoured options to desert and menthol flavours.

When starting out, you can also buy one-shots. Check out our range of shot flavours, which includes everything from jam on toast to sour apple flavours.

 Jam on Toast Concentrate

Measure, measure, measure!

Of course, before you start mixing, you will need to figure out the exact measurements of the products needed – and there are various factors to consider when doing so. For instance, how strong do you want the flavour of your DIY vape juice to be? Do you want to infuse nicotine? If so, how much? And what kind of vaping experience do you want to create?

There are various DIY vape juice calculators available online that you can use to calculate the correct measurements. We’ve also covered how to correctly calculate and mix nic shots with e-Liquids in our recent blog. Be sure to check this out before you start, as a little bit of knowledge before you dive in can help you avoid wasted batches and flavourless hits. 

Once you’ve got your measurements, use your pipettes to extract and dispense the appropriate amount of each liquid into your beaker. Now, you’ve got your base!

Vape Mixology 101: Adding Flavour Concentrates to your Base

You’ve measured your liquids and created your base. Now what? Your DIY blend is certainly vapeable – But, ultimately, tasteless. 

Flavours are fun, but it’s essential to take your time when you get to this stage of making your own vape juice, and you need to consider how intense you want the flavour to be. Generally, making up your DIY e-Liquid with 5% of your chosen flavour concentrate will result in a very muted taste, whereas 20% will be much more intense.

The best way to find the right balance for you? Trial and error. To prevent wasted batches, we’d recommend creating small examples of your mixes in small 10ml bottles. Once you’ve got it right, then you can upgrade to a larger bottle and pre-mix your DIY vape juice!

This is also the stage where you will need to add your nic shots. Be careful when you do this, as nicotine is a very powerful substance that should be handled with care. However, our blog on how to mix nic shots will tell you everything you need to know!

Bottle it up and Steep!

Whilst you may be eager to shake up your mixture and go, it is vital that you do not skip the next step: Steeping.

To put it simply, steeping is the process of allowing your mixture to diffuse and develop over time. By steeping your DIY e-Liquid, you allow the products you have used to correctly combine, thus resulting in a finer flavour and a smoother, more enjoyable vaping experience.

So, with that being said, once you’ve mixed your e-Liquids together you will need to securely seal the bottle, give it a shake, and then store it in a dark room.

Whilst you technically could vape your DIY e-Liquid straight away, we wouldn’t recommend it. Vape juice needs time to develop so that the flavourings can intensify across your mixture, and skipping this all-important step can make the difference between a new favourite flavour and a bland concoction.

The steeping process can take anywhere from 3 to 14 days, depending on the products used. Be sure to check out recommended process times of the products you use to ensure that you get the most out of your DIY e-Liquid.

And that’s it! After the steeping process is complete, your vape juice is ready to go.

Happy Mixing!

Learning to make your own vape juice is fun, affordable and, with the help of our guide, easy! Create endless concoctions, explore new flavours and find your own perfect mix.

Looking to make your own vape juice, but not sure where to start? Here at Zombie Vapes, we offer everything you need. Shop our high-quality selection of vape kits today, which offers all-in-one starter packs in various styles and sizes, perfect for beginners and advanced vapers alike.

Related Articles

Zombie Vape’s Best Selling e-Liquids 

How do you mix CBD oil with e-Liquid?

How to store e-Liquids