The truth about the expiration dates of an e-liquid

Many of you are wondering about the expiration date or optimal use date of an e-liquid. Is it dangerous if the date has passed? This advice article will help you understand everything and know everything about the validity of your e-liquid. What are the differences between a use-by date (DLC) and a best before date (DLUO), which is gradually being replaced by the minimum durability date (DDM). What is the shelf life of the components of my e-liquid?An electronic cigarette refill is mainly composed of Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavoring.

• VG and PG have a shelf life of about 2 years.
• Nicotine, 5 years
• Flavors have an estimated shelf life between 1 year and 1 and a half years.

It is therefore the flavor that determines the expiration date of an e-liquid.

What does the law say?

It should be noted that use-by dates (DLC) and best before dates (DDM) are defined in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 concerning the provision of food information to consumers.

However, liquid refills are not considered foodstuffs, which would result in exempting them from compliance with the regulations on hazardous mixtures,because the liquids are not ingested but are inhaled after heating and vaporization.

It is therefore by analogy with food products that some manufacturers of refills for electronic cigarettes use these concepts to define an expiration date beyond which they consider that their products may lose their organoleptic qualities or that the physico-chemical stability of the liquids may be affected.

So what are the differences between best-before date and use-by date?

You can find for free download an official note from the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) regarding the DLUO and DLC. The DLC (day, month, and year) mainly applies to 'very' perishable foodstuffs, likely to pose a health risk.

Some manufacturers choose to specify a DLC on their bottle. We contacted the consumer services of the brands we offer as well as the DGCCRF for confirmation.These two brands indicate a best before date (month + year) and confirm that their e-liquids are completely consumable up to 1 year after this date, if they are stored according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. They can also be kept on sale for an additional 3 to 18 months. However, Smoking.fr chooses not to market e-liquids whose best before dates have passed. Some e-liquids, particularly fruit flavors without additives or preservatives, have a shorter consumption period, between 3 and 4 months before a loss of flavor.

Some tips on storage

Manufacturers thus offer some tips to prolong the lifespan and optimal preservation of flavors. It is strongly recommended to avoid temperature fluctuations, to keep e-liquids away from UV rays. Store your e-liquids away from light, heat, and cold, so avoid storing them in the refrigerator.

Advice: The manufacturer highlights a tip that is often not recommended, which is to shake the bottle before each use to prevent the flavor from settling at the bottom.

To conclude, the e-liquidsSmoking.fr sold in the shop display a DLUO (Use-By Date), which means that after this date, the e-liquids do not become harmful but they may lose flavor quality after 6 months or even 1 year. The date indicated on these e-liquids is therefore a limit for optimal use and they will not be “expired” after this date. So be sure to store your e-liquids properly to extend their shelf life.