How to Make Vape Juice: DIY E-Liquid Ratios and Math

Making your own vape juice comes down to four ingredients and some simple arithmetic. Once you can work out the nicotine, the flavor and the PG/VG ratio, you can mix a batch of any size and get the same result every time. This guide covers what to buy, the formulas we use, two worked recipes, how to mix by weight, and the safety habits that matter most.

What goes into vape juice

Every e-liquid, homemade or bottled, is built from the same parts:

• Propylene glycol (PG): a thin base that carries flavor well and gives more throat hit.
• Vegetable glycerin (VG): a thicker base that feels smoother and makes more vapor.
• Flavor concentrate: food-grade flavoring made for e-liquid. Use only concentrates made for vaping. Oil-based flavorings and essential oils do not belong in vape juice.
• Nicotine base (optional): concentrated nicotine in PG or VG that you dilute down to the strength you want. Leave it out for a 0mg juice.

What to buy

Everything below is in our DIY e-liquid supplies section.

• PG and VG. Our PG & VG is USA-made, USP kosher and food grade, sold separately in sizes from 17ml to 1000ml. Half-gallon and gallon sizes are available if you mix often.
• Flavor concentrates. Our flavor concentrates menu lists nearly 300 flavors, including names from our own e-liquid line such as RY4, Vanilla Custard v2 and Extreme Chill. They come in 32ml to 260ml bottles.
• Nicotine base. Flavorless Mix is nicotine base at 100mg/ml in your choice of PG or VG, from 17ml to 1000ml. A salt version, Salt Flavorless Mix, comes in PG.
• Tools. Syringes for measuring (we carry 1ml, 3ml, 5ml, 10ml and 20ml; a 10ml Luer-lock syringe covers most jobs), bottles with childproof caps, labels, and nitrile gloves.

The shortcut: a premixed base

If you would rather not handle concentrated nicotine, our PG/VG/Base (Flavorless Base) arrives already mixed at the strength (0mg to 30mg) and PG/VG ratio you choose. You add flavor and you are done. A salt version comes in 6mg to 35mg, in 100% PG, 75% PG / 25% VG or 50/50.

The DIY e-liquid formulas

These four lines are all the math you need. Strengths are in mg per ml.

• Nicotine base (ml) = target strength x batch size / base strength
• Flavor (ml) = batch size x flavor %
• PG to add (ml) = batch size x PG % – PG already in the nicotine and flavor
• VG to add (ml) = batch size x VG % – VG already in the nicotine

Flavor concentrates are usually carried in PG, so count them on the PG side unless the label says otherwise. If your nicotine base is made with VG, subtract it from the VG side instead.

Recipe 1: 100ml at 3mg, 50/50, 10% flavor

Using 100mg/ml nicotine base in PG:

• Nicotine base: 3 x 100 / 100 = 3ml (counts as PG)
• Flavor concentrate: 100 x 10% = 10ml (counts as PG)
• PG to add: 50 – 3 – 10 = 37ml
• VG to add: 50ml

Total: 3 + 10 + 37 + 50 = 100ml at 3mg and 50/50.

Recipe 2: 60ml at 6mg, 25% PG / 75% VG, 8% flavor

This time the nicotine base is in VG, which suits a VG-heavy mix:

• Nicotine base: 6 x 60 / 100 = 3.6ml (counts as VG)
• Flavor concentrate: 60 x 8% = 4.8ml (counts as PG)
• PG to add: 15 – 4.8 = 10.2ml
• VG to add: 45 – 3.6 = 41.4ml

8% is the starting point we suggest for our concentrates. Mix a small test batch first, then adjust up or down on the next one.

Mixing by weight instead of volume

VG is thick and clings to the inside of a syringe, so many mixers use a small digital scale. Multiply each ml amount by its density: PG is about 1.036 g/ml and VG about 1.261 g/ml. Nicotine base and flavor weigh close to whatever they are carried in. Recipe 2 by weight looks like this:

• Nicotine base in VG: 3.6ml, about 4.5g
• Flavor: 4.8ml, about 5.0g
• PG: 10.2ml, about 10.6g
• VG: 41.4ml, about 52.2g

Tare the scale with the empty bottle on it, then add each ingredient and tare again in between.

Step by step

1. Set up. Clean, flat surface, paper towels, gloves on, and a label ready for the bottle.
2. Add the nicotine base first with its own syringe, then cap the nicotine bottle right away. Handling it first and only once keeps mistakes down.
3. Add the flavor concentrate.
4. Add the PG, then the VG. VG goes last because it is the slowest to measure.
5. Cap and shake for a minute or two until the streaks disappear.
6. Label it with the flavor, strength, PG/VG ratio and the date.
7. Let it rest. Fruit and menthol blends often taste right within a day. Custards, bakery and tobacco flavors usually get better over one to two weeks. Store the bottle in a cool, dark place and shake it now and then.

Safety habits that matter

• Treat nicotine base with respect. 100mg/ml is concentrated and is never vaped undiluted. Wear nitrile gloves, and if any gets on your skin, wash it off with soap and water right away.
• Keep away from children and pets. Store nicotine base and finished juice in bottles with childproof caps, up high or locked away.
• Label everything, including half-used bottles of base.
• Use dedicated tools. Keep your syringes and bottles for e-liquid only, never kitchen utensils.
• Store it cool and dark. Heat and sunlight fade flavor and darken nicotine.

Mix it yourself or let us mix it?

DIY gives you full control, and it is the best way to make big batches. If you just want a specific blend without the measuring, Custom E-Juice lets you pick up to five of our flavors, a strength from 0mg to 30mg and a PG/VG mix, and we fill it fresh when you order.

DIY vape juice FAQ

How much flavor concentrate should I add?

Start at about 8% of the bottle’s total volume with our concentrates, then adjust. Bold flavors such as menthol or cinnamon often need less. Light flavors such as cream or some fruits may need more. Write down what you used so you can repeat the batches you like.

Can I make vape juice without nicotine?

Yes. Leave out the nicotine base and split the rest between flavor, PG and VG. For 100ml at 50/50 with 10% flavor, that is 10ml flavor, 40ml PG and 50ml VG.

Can I make my own nic salt e-liquid?

Yes. Use Salt Flavorless Mix (100mg/ml in PG) with the same formulas, or start from the premixed salt base. Salt e-liquid is meant for low-power pod devices, not sub-ohm tanks. We do not recommend it for coils under 0.5 ohm.

How long does homemade vape juice need to steep?

It depends on the flavor. Simple fruit and menthol mixes can be ready in a day or two. Creamy, custard, bakery and tobacco recipes usually taste fuller after one to two weeks in a cool, dark spot with an occasional shake.

What PG/VG ratio should I mix?

50/50 is a good all-round choice for pod systems and pen-style devices. VG-heavy mixes such as 25% PG / 75% VG suit sub-ohm tanks that can wick thicker liquid. Our guide Understanding PG and VG in Vape Juice goes deeper.

For adults 21+. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.