E-liquid expiration dates vary and while some labels indicate an expiration date, others use a “best by” date instead. Unfortunately, expiration and best-by dates printed on labels aren’t precise enough for you to say with absolute certainty that an e-juice is expired or no longer as good as it was just because that date has been reached. Still, they should serve as a good guide for you and let you know when it’s time to seriously consider using a bottle of juice before it truly does expire.
How Long E-Liquid Lasts Before It Expires
When you do your best to store your e-liquid the way it should be stored (in a cool, dark place away from heat and inside of a tightly sealed glass bottle), it can very easily last a couple of years. Some vape juices can last as long as five years before they become stale. It depends on the juice and how it’s stored.
Menthol e-liquids tend to last longer than non-menthol ones so if you like menthol then you probably won’t have to worry much about your e-juice expiring so long as you vape it within a reasonable amount of time.
Signs That E-Liquid Is Expired
Not sure if your juice is still okay to vape? Check it using these methods:
- Smell it. If it smells wrong then it might be bad.
- Look at it. If the ingredients look like they’ve separated and they won’t mix together even with a good shake of the bottle, it might be time to discard it because there’s a chance it’s expired.
How You Should Store Your Juice
Don’t leave your vape liquids out in the open where they can be exposed to sunlight because heat and light will make your juice expire faster. Find somewhere cool and dark where you can store it, like a fridge or freezer. A lot of vapers prefer a fridge because the juice can be used right away but a freezer will make it last longer. The only tricky part with storing it in a freezer is the need to leave it out for a bit before using it because it may become a bit too thick after it’s been sitting in there for a while. If that’s the case, you can just move it to the fridge and let it thaw out a bit before using it.