September 8, 2026

What Do VG and PG Mean in E-Liquid?

VG and PG are the two base ingredients that make up most of every e-liquid bottle. The ratio between them determines how your vape feels, how much vapour it produces, how strong the flavour tastes and which devices it works in. This guide explains both clearly.

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Quick answer: PG stands for propylene glycol. VG stands for vegetable glycerine. Both are food-safe, odourless liquids that form the base of every e-liquid. PG is thinner, carries flavour and produces a noticeable throat hit. VG is thicker, produces bigger vapour clouds and gives a smoother inhale. The ratio between them printed on the bottle (such as 50:50 or 70:30 VG) tells you how the liquid will vape and which devices it suits.

What Is PG (Propylene Glycol)?

Propylene glycol is a thin, clear, almost odourless liquid. It is listed on the UK Food Standards Agency approved additives list as E1520 and is used widely in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. You will find PG in asthma inhalers, ice cream, soft drinks and many other common products. In e-liquid it performs two primary functions: it carries flavour and it creates throat hit.

The thinness of PG means it soaks into wicking cotton quickly and moves easily through the narrow channels in high-resistance coils used by MTL pod kits. It produces relatively low vapour volume per puff compared to VG. The throat hit it produces at higher concentrations replicates the scratch at the back of the throat that many ex-smokers associate with a satisfying vape. Most 50:50 e-liquids and nic salts have a significant PG content precisely for this reason.

PG: Propylene Glycol Thin consistency. Carries flavour. Produces throat hit. Low vapour. Fast wicking. Suits MTL pod kits and high-resistance coils. Found in 50:50 e-liquids and nic salts.

VG: Vegetable Glycerine Thick consistency. Slightly sweet. Big vapour clouds. Smooth inhale. Slow wicking. Suits sub-ohm devices and low-resistance coils. Found in high-VG shortfills.

What Is VG (Vegetable Glycerine)?

Vegetable glycerine is a thick, clear liquid derived from vegetable fats such as coconut or palm oil. It is non-toxic, hypoallergenic and widely used in food production, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. In e-liquid it performs two primary roles: it produces vapour and it smooths the inhale.

Because VG is significantly thicker than PG it requires more heat and power to vaporise. This is why high-VG e-liquids are designed for sub-ohm devices that operate at higher wattages. The dense vapour clouds produced by high-VG liquid at 60W to 100W are a direct result of the large volume of VG being vaporised per puff. VG has a very subtle natural sweetness that contributes to the smooth character of high-VG e-liquids. Its thick consistency means it wicks more slowly than PG, which is why it can clog the narrow coils in low-wattage MTL pod kits if used in too high a proportion.

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Welsh-made e-liquids in 50:50 nic salt and freebase formats for MTL pod kits, fully TPD compliant.

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Common VG:PG Ratios and What Each Means

The VG:PG ratio is always listed on the e-liquid label. The first number is the VG percentage and the second is the PG percentage. The ratio determines the entire character of the liquid and which device type it suits.

Ratio	Consistency	Throat Hit	Vapour	Device Type	Typical Format
50:50	Medium	Moderate	Moderate	MTL pod kits	Nic salts, 10ml freebase
60:40 VG	Medium-thick	Mild	Moderate-high	MTL or low-power pod kits	Some 50ml shortfills
70:30 VG	Thick	Low	High	Sub-ohm devices	Most 50ml/100ml shortfills
80:20 VG	Very thick	Very low	Very high	High-power sub-ohm	Premium shortfills, cloud-chasing
Max VG	Extremely thick	Almost none	Maximum	High-wattage sub-ohm only	Specialist DIY and cloud-chasing

Why the Ratio Matters for Your Device

Using the wrong VG:PG ratio for your device is one of the most common causes of poor vaping experience. The problem is usually in one of two directions: high-VG liquid in a low-power MTL pod or high-PG liquid in a sub-ohm device.

Problem	Cause	Fix
Dry hits or burnt taste in MTL pod	High-VG liquid too thick to wick through small coil ports	Switch to 50:50 liquid that wicks faster at low wattage
Leaking tank in sub-ohm device	High-PG liquid too thin for large sub-ohm coils, floods the chamber	Switch to 70:30 or 80:20 VG shortfill
Weak vapour from pod kit	Device is designed for 50:50 liquid; high-VG is underperforming at low wattage	Normal for pod kits; MTL vaping produces less vapour by design
Harsh throat hit at low strength	High-PG ratio in an MTL device at a strength not balanced by VG	Try a higher VG ratio at the same strength or switch to nic salt

Celtic Vapours nic salts and freebase 10ml e-liquids use a 50:50 PG:VG ratio, making them compatible with any MTL pod kit. For sub-ohm shortfill use, match the VG:PG of your nic shot to your shortfill. The Celtic Vapours Shortfill Guide covers ratio matching in detail. You can also browse the full Celtic Vapours range on the Celtic Vapours E-Liquid page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are PG and VG safe to inhale? Both PG and VG are classified as generally recognised as safe by food and pharmaceutical regulatory bodies. PG is listed as food additive E1520 by the UK Food Standards Agency. VG is used in food, cosmetics and medicines. Both are present in e-liquid at concentrations assessed as safe for inhalation by the MHRA under UK TRPR regulations. A small minority of vapers experience PG sensitivity, typically mild throat dryness or irritation, which resolves when switching to a higher-VG liquid.

Does a higher VG ratio mean more flavour? Not necessarily. PG carries flavour more efficiently than VG. High-PG e-liquids at 50:50 often deliver sharper, more intense flavour than high-VG liquids. However, high-VG sub-ohm devices produce a much larger volume of vapour per puff, which means the absolute amount of flavour delivered per draw can be comparable or greater despite the lower flavour-carrying efficiency of VG. The two effects roughly balance out. Flavour quality is primarily determined by the concentration and quality of the flavour concentrate used by the manufacturer.

What ratio do Celtic Vapours nic salts use? Celtic Vapours nic salts use a 50:50 PG:VG ratio. This makes them compatible with all MTL pod kits and suitable for any vaper switching from cigarettes or disposables. The 50:50 ratio wicks efficiently through high-resistance MTL coils and delivers the throat hit and flavour balance that suits the lower-wattage pod kit experience.

Can I use a 70:30 VG shortfill in an MTL pod kit? Not in most cases. The thick consistency of 70:30 VG liquid does not wick efficiently through the small coil ports in typical MTL pod kits. The result is dry hits, a burnt taste and premature coil burnout. Some high-powered pod kits with sub-ohm coil options can handle 70:30 in DTL mode. Check your device specifications before trying. For most MTL pod kit users, 50:50 is the correct format.

What does Max VG mean on an e-liquid bottle? Max VG means the liquid contains the maximum proportion of vegetable glycerine possible while still maintaining a vaping-ready consistency. In practice this is typically around 80 to 90 percent VG. These liquids are designed for high-wattage cloud-chasing sub-ohm devices with large rebuildable coils. They are not suitable for MTL pod kits or standard sub-ohm tanks with small coil ports.