How Long Does Vape Juice Last?

Taken advantage of one of VAPO's great sales and stocked up on vape juice? Wondering how to store your e-liquid? We've got the answers for you. 

Unlike other products (such as food), vape juice has a long shelf life, sometimes known as "shelf stable". However, this doesn't mean there is no expiry date; instead, it takes a long time before it reaches a stage where you should no longer use it. 

While entirely different with very different uses, vape juice shares a similarity with cosmetic products - both can contain ingredients that are pretty volatile and change over time when exposed to the environment. Over time, they are no longer suitable for use, especially as the effectiveness has worn off, and the product's look will have changed. In short, e-liquid does degrade over time. 

Generally speaking, you'll be able to tell from sight and taste whether your vape juice is still good to use. The experience of using an old bottle of vape juice compared to a newer one will be immediately noticeable. 

Follow our guide as we take you through everything you want to know about how vape juice changes over time and the best practices for storing your e-liquid. 

How Long Does Vape Juice Last?

You'll be able to use e-liquid for around 12-24 months without noticing a difference in quality. As a rough rule, generally, vape juice is best when used within one year from the date of manufacture. Outside of that, how long vape juice lasts depends on your device's strength and how often you are vaping. 

Does vape juice expire? Yes, vape juice will eventually expire. Some bottles will have 'best by' or expiration dates listed on them, while others will not. If you purchase one without a date, it's a good idea to write the purchase date on the bottle. This way, you'll easily track how much time you've left before you'd want to discard your e-liquid.

Why Do You Need to Know How Long Vape Juice Lasts?

It's good to know how long vape juice lasts, as it ensures you'll always have a satisfying vaping experience. Using fresh e-juice is always preferable to an older bottle. 

Maybe you've seen one of VAPO's sales (such as Juicy June) and decided to buy e-liquid in bulk with enough juice to see you through every season. With the knowledge you've gained from this article, you can make informed decisions about how to handle your vape juice, such as when its time to get rid of old e-liquid (make sure you choose e-liquid that can be recycled) or the correct way to store your vape juice. 

How Long Does E-liquid Last Once Open? Does Vape Juice Go Bad? 

Vape juice will eventually reach a point where you will no longer want to use it when vaping. This is because it gradually degrades and won't be comparable to when it was fresh from the store. 

Part of why vape juice has a shelf life of 12-24 months is due to this degradation and no longer meeting the manufacturer's quality standards. There will be a noticeable difference in flavour with e-liquid that has been stored for months. You might not even be able to initially tell if your vape juice has aged, as it's not as though the vape juice will have a drastic difference.  

Once the e-liquid bottle has been opened, the vape juice degrades as its chemical compounds interact with light and air. Nicotine begins to oxidize and turn darker due to its exposure to oxygen. 

Vape juice that has been stored for a long time, or is quite old, will have three distinguishable changes:

• COLOUR - As mentioned above, the e-liquid will change to a darker colour, possibly yellow or brown. This depends on the ingredients, nicotine content, and how it has been stored. 
• STRENGTH - Much like PG and VG, nicotine is volatile and degrades over time. This means the potency of the nicotine will decrease. 
• FLAVOUR - E-liquid that has been stored for an extended period will lose its distinctive flavour. You'll still be able to detect a particular sweetness or fruitiness; however, the specific flavour notes will be lost. 

Some vapers like to practice steeping their vape juice. Steeping involves letting e-liquid sit idle in storage for a while to allow the flavour mature. However, vaper be warned, you can also oversteep your e-liquid to the point it becomes either too weak or too strong, resulting in a less than desirable flavour when vaping. 

How to Store Vape Juice

The main things that affect e-liquid and can cause them to go bad are exposure to light, heat, and, most importantly, air. When you combine all three, this can exhilarate the e-liquid's ingredients to oxidize. To prolong a bottle of vape juice's quality, you'll need to reduce its exposure to these. 

Here are some handy tips to help get the most out of your vape juice:

• Airtight is right! Leave your bottle of e-liquid closed tight until it's time to vape. Ensuring your bottle is sealed, any oxidation will be minor as the only exposure to oxygen will be from when the e-liquid was bottled.
• Cool climate! You'll want to store your vape juice bottle away from light and heat. Ideally, somewhere climate-controlled to prevent exposure and to provide a stable environment. 

It's important to remember that even if you follow this guide, older vape juice will not compare to a fresh bottle, even if stored well. Regardless of storage, after around 12 months, there will be a difference, as we've covered above. 

With all the delicious flavours available at VAPO, we don't think you'll need to worry about storage, though - you'll be working your way through them in no time!

In Conclusion, Does Vape Juice Expire?

As our guide has advised, vape juice does expire. It's recommended you use up your e-liquid within a year to ensure you get the best quality out of your vape juice when vaping. 

You should always follow any directions or instructions listed on an e-juice bottle, such as expiry or best-before date. 

As time passes, vape juice will degrade in quality and will no longer provide a satisfactory vaping experience. Provided you've stored your vape juice correctly, you'll get a delicious flavour for up to a year, occasionally longer, depending on the manufacturer and storage conditions. The best way to get the most out of your vape juice is to store it away from direct sunlight and heat. Keeping it somewhere with a stable temperature and away from the air will help its shelf life. 

Remember you can recycle VAPO vape juice bottles with VapeCycle for FREE!