When e-juice turns brown, it can mean a few different things depending on several factors. It could be an indicator that your product is expiring or has seen long exposure to heat or light. You will often see the eJuice in your device turn a darker shade, as it will be exposed to high temperatures, but what else could darker eJuice mean and how can you keep your eJuice fresh for even longer?
A darker brown e-juice typically means the liquid contains more sweeteners than another brand, or certain flavours that are beginning to caramelize. The sweetener can often change the color of the liquid, and you may notice a discoloration of the cotton, coil, or tank, on your on device.
Darker e-juice can also be caused by a higher nicotine concentration as opposed to a lower concentration of nicotine sometimes being lighter. While many people assume darker e-juice is in some way dangerous or more harmful than other, lighter e-juices, this is not the case. In fact, some like to ‘steep’ their liquid (leave their eJuice stored in a cool dark place for long periods of time) to improve the flavour and intensify any sweeteners!
E-juice can become darker in color, depending on how it is stored or whether it has been exposed to air for a longer period of time. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s expired, it is just a sign that it has been exposed to air, heat or direct sunlight. If the liquid is left out for a long time, the nicotine begins to lose its potency, and the flavour of the e-liquid will begin to taste ‘stale’ or ‘dull’.
Some sweeteners contained in e-liquid can also caramelize or burn when exposed to heat. This causes sugars in the fluid to separate from the flavour, resulting in a dark color. This caramelized sugar residue can also build up on the coil which would result in a burnt coil earlier on than with a less sweet liquid. Unfortunately there is no way to combat this happening with much sweeter flavours. It’s a common issue with any super sweet flavor.
Another possible cause for e-juice to turn a darker brown is due to mixing flavors in the same tank or bottle. When you mix different flavors, a darker liquid, mixed with a lighter liquid, will cause it to turn darker instantly. This won’t affect the taste in a negative way, it will just cause e-liquid to turn a little darker.
To prevent e-liquid from turning darker, you should store it in a dark environment in an airtight container and away from heat. While this won’t stop the liquid from getting darker over time, completely, it will slow down the process. The ideal environment is a cool, dark place, such as a drawer or cabinet. You don’t have to store your liquid in refrigerator, it just needs to be in an environment that would see a lot of heat or light.
We hope we’ve helped you understand why your eJuice may be changing colour. Most of the time there is no cause for concern if your e-liquid turns a little darker over time. This is a natural part of the vaping experience and your juice will be perfectly fine to vape! Unless your liquid is a dark black colour, there is no issue. If your liquid is a dark black colour, this would only happen if it was in your pod or tank, the reason for this would be due to a very burnt coil that should be changed as soon as possible.
We do highly recommend storing your eJuice in a dark, cool environment to get the most out of your bottles! Happy vaping and best of luck to you on your journey to become smoke free.