Frequently Asked Questions

We can only accept returned liquids if the bottle has a tamper-evident seal that is unbroken. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions. for full details.

Please contact us by email or telephone and we will do our best to trace your order. Information on the services we use can be found on the Delivery Page.

There are some countries that we do not ship to, either because there is already a FlavourArt Distributor there, or there might be problems with customs etc.

We are obliged by law to make honest and accurate declarations on customs forms with regard to content and value. We will not make false declarations for any order.

Eliquid Bases are unflavoured liquids that can contain Glycerol (VG), Propylene Glycol (PG), Water, and Nicotine if required. AVG is Aqueous Vegetable Glycerol which is VG with 20% Distilled water added to make the VG slightly thinner and easier to wick. We offer a choice of eliquid bases, Traditional - 50/50 PG/AVG, Velvet Cloud - All AVG,

These are the diluents, or carriers, used to dilute Nicotine solutions and to suspend the flavourings. VG (Vegetable Glycerol) is quite a viscous liquid and is favoured by those with a PG (Propylene Glycol) allergy, those who want to vape big clouds, and those who like a very smooth vape. It is sometimes necessary to add distilled water to VG to form AVG (Aqueous Vegetable Glycol) which makes it more miscible as it can be too thick for some devices and might not wick efficiently.

Some people are concerned when they see that their eliquid gradually changes colour over time; this is normal and is the Nicotine oxidising. Pure Nicotine, 99.8% (999.8 mg/ml) begins as a fairly clear liquid, but exposure to air (and to some extent light) will turn it to a straw colour and sometimes even darker. Nicotine also has a particular smell, the higher the strength and the stronger the odour. The smell is not overpowering when mixing with flavourings but is usual with good quality Nicotine. I have been working with EP (European Pharmacopoeia) Nicotine since 2008 and can confirm that the colour change and smell is normal. There are some who claim that Nicotine should not have a smell, I know that it does.

FlavourArt concentrated flavourings are formulated to replicate specific flavours. They can be used as individual flavours when adding them to eliquid or can be blended together to create new flavours. We stock over 220 Flavourings, of which, around 60 are blended flavours created by mixing various standard flavours together. The blended flavours are in their own category and include Tobacco, Sweet and Fruit based. FlavourArt flavourings are strong and must be diluted with eliquid (with or without Nicotine) before use. There is a good article explaining the difference between Artificial and Natural flavourings and why Natural isn't always the best.

Below is an article written by FlavourArt's founder, Massimiliano Mancini, an organic chemist with around 30 years experience of creating flavourings from raw ingredient stage.

Natural and artificial flavors are defined for the consumer in the Code of Federal Regulations. A key line from this definition is the following: " a natural flavor is the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional." Synthetic flavors are those that are made from components that do not meet this definition. The question at hand, however, appears to be less a matter of legal definition than the "real" or practical difference between these two types of flavorings. There is little substantive difference in the chemical compositions of natural and artificial flavorings. They are both made in a laboratory by a trained professional, a "flavorist," who blends appropriate chemicals together in the right proportions. The flavorist uses "natural" chemicals to make natural flavorings and "synthetic" chemicals to make synthetic flavorings. The flavorist creating synthetic flavoring must use the same chemicals in his formulation as would be used to make a natural flavoring, however. otherwise, the flavoring will not have the desired flavor. The distinction in flavorings--natural versus artificial--comes from the source of these identical chemicals and may be likened to saying that an apple sold in a gas station is artificial and one sold from a fruit stand is natural. This issue is somewhat confusing to the average consumer in part because of other seeming parallels in the world. One can, for example, make a blue dye out of blueberry extract or synthetic pigments. These dyes are very different in chemical composition yet both yield a blue color. Similarly, consider one shirt made from wool and another from nylon. Both are shirts, but they have very different chemical compositions. This diversity of building blocks is not possible in flavorings--one makes a given flavor only by using specific chemicals. Thus, if a consumer purchases an apple beverage that contains an artificial flavor, she will ingest the same primary chemicals that she would take in if she had chosen a naturally flavored apple beverage and the same chemicals that nature provided during the apple ripening. When making a flavor, the flavorist always begins by going to the scientific literature and researching what chemicals nature uses to make the desired flavor. He then selects from the list of flavor components found in, say, real apples, generally simplifying nature list to eliminate those chemicals that make little contribution to taste or are not permitted owing to toxicity. (Nature has no restrictions on using toxic chemicals, whereas the flavorist does.) The flavorist then either chooses chemicals that are natural (isolated from nature as described above) or synthetic chemicals (made by people) to make the flavor. So is there truly a difference between natural and artificial flavorings? Yes. Artificial flavorings are simpler in composition and potentially safer because only safety-tested components are utilized. Another difference between natural and artificial flavorings is cost. The search for "natural" sources of chemicals often requires that a manufacturer go to great lengths to obtain a given chemical. Natural coconut flavorings, for example, depend on a chemical called massoya lactone. Massoya lactone comes from the bark of the Massoya tree, which grows in Malaysia. Collecting this natural chemical kills the tree because harvesters must remove the bark and extract it to obtain the lactone. Furthermore, the process is costly. This pure natural chemical is identical to the version made in an organic chemists laboratory, yet it is much more expensive than the synthetic alternative. Consumers pay a lot for natural flavorings. But these are in fact no better in quality, nor are they safer, than their cost-effective artificial counterparts.

Flavour enhancers are used to balance and blend your flavoured eliquid. For example, if you have a blend that is nice but not quite there, you could add a little Vape Wizard, Bitter Wizard, Candy Jammy Wizard, Sour Wizard, Magic Mask, or Vanillin Crystals, and allow it to steep for a few days and then try it again and hopefully be satisfied with how the flavours come together. MTS vape wizard contributes toward softening any acidic/sour perception, it assists in making vapour thicker, and it delivers both body and depth to any e-liquid.
Bitter Wizard is designed to reduce or eliminate the sweet basic taste given by PG or VG. Adding the BW at 1%, vapers can get a pleasant bitter aftertaste, which can be enhanced further increasing the dosage. BW blends well with dark and tobacco flavors.
Candy Jammy Wizard imparts a sweetness and does have its own Candy flavour, but without artificial sweeteners such as sucralose.
Sour Wizard does what it says and brings a nice but tart sourness, Apple Sourz is easily created using 90% to 95% Apple Fuji with 5% to 10% Sour Wizard,
Magic Mask acts at the tongue receptors level, temporarily reducing the acid perception, thus improving the overall mouth feel. Its action last 5-8 seconds and involve only the acid receptors.
Vanillin Crystals can be used to impart sweetness into your eliquid or as a booster for any sweet flavour. It can be dissolved at up to 10% in Propylene Glycol. Mix 1gm with 9ml of PG and shake until dissolved; the concentrate can then be added to your mixes in small percentages, 2% should be plenty.

This is one of the most asked questions, but there is more than one answer. There are a number of variables that will influence the amount of flavouring you add to your eliquid. Everyone's taste varies with some liking subtle flavours and others preferring very strong, intense flavours. The eliquid base can make a difference as a higher PG content tends to allow more flavour to come through, whereas a high VG content can mute the flavour somewhat. The type of equipment being used can make a big difference, from small cartomisers at low power to Dripper atomisers running at much higher wattages. Different brands of flavouring might require different percentages for the same intensity of flavour. The best and most cost-effective method I have found in order to establish the preferred percentage is as follows: Make up a small sample of 2 or 3mls eliquid with 5% flavouring added, then give it a shake to mix the liquid together. Make sure the device you use is clean and charged, then add the mixed eliquid and vape it for 30 to 60 minutes to get an appreciation of the flavour, this is your benchmark to work from and if you make notes of exactly how much of each ingredient you use, you will be able to recreate the winning recipe. You might want to add more flavouring, that's fine, but repeat the sampling process with a higher flavour percentage and make notes. Most of the flavours I vape are added at between 4% and 10%, but taste is subjective and I have heard of some using 20% and higher; that is not something we recommend as too much flavouring can spoil a liquid.

I was going to include this in the question above, but it might have gone unnoticed, so here it is. Adding too much flavouring causes over-saturation and the result can taste like perfume, talcum powder, or aftershave when vaped. It is the quickest way to ruin an eliquid and can take some time for your tastebuds to forgive you! You might previously have used some flavourings that require a comparitively high percentage, but FlavourArt flavourings are strong, so follow the guide in the question above and you should be fine.

All Flavourart flavourings are PG based with PG constituting around 65% to 90% of the concentrate.

Maybe this should be called MIY, Mix It Yourself. More and more vapers are making the journey into the world of mixing their own eliquid for a number of reasons; it can be substantially cheaper than buying ready to vape eliquid, it enables vapers to be more flexible and creative in tailoring their eliquid to their personal preferences, it can give you a really nice sense of achievment when you mix flavourings together to create your own blend and hit on a winner! You can read more about mixing here, Mixing Guide.

This is the process of allowing the liquid and flavourings to blend together and is one of the most discussed topics; there are so many different methods that people use, from milk frothers to microwaves, from ultrasonic cleaners to Granny's tights, all I can say is, each to their own and if it makes you happy that's fine. If you want to know how we steep, read on. This is my method based on eleven years developing and working with eliquids and flavourings, and a bit of science for good measure. The most important factor in steeping liquids is patience; just as the best wines are left to mature, the same theory applies to liquids. I always work with the flavour concentrates first and I do not introduce eliquid into the equation until I am completely satisfied with the blended flavours; even then, it might only be for testing. If you are mixing a flavoured eliquid and just using one flavour, you should be able to mix, shake, and vape without having to leave the liquid to steep. Fruit and sweet flavour blends tend to need less time steeping, 3 to 10 days, before they are ready to make a small test sample; I give Tobacco and more complex blends 10 to 15 days before sampling; they are left in the bottle with the lid on and out of sunlight. It usually takes me three to six months to take a blended flavour from the idea stage to the market-ready stage; many recipes will have been used, tested, and adjusted repeatedly until I am totally satisfied, then a litre of the blended flavour will be left to steep for another four to six weeks to ensure stability.

CUSTARD FLAVOURS do require steeping once mixed with your eliquid, four weeks will bring the full flavour out. Initially the Custard will probably have a Citrus-like smell and taste, but when steeped, that will diminish and be replaced with the full Custard flavour.

We are often asked if our flavourings contain various chemicals so the text below should hopefully answer them. The condition that can be caused by inhalation of Diacetyl and/or related Diketones is commonly referred to as 'Popcorn lung' (bronchiolitis obliterans) and was first highlighted in the US in facilities where Popcorn was being mass-produced. It is not lung cancer but it is a very painful and debilitating condition. Even though the amounts inhaled when vaping (miniscule) are unlikely to cause any such problems, many manufacturers have now removed Diacetyl from the products that contained them. FlavourArt Italy were the first manufacturer to respond to the Diacetyl issue and began removal of Diacetyl and all related Diketones in November 2010. There are a few flavours they produce that still contain such ingredients as they are necessary for the flavours which are specifically for food use. They are in a separate 'Kitchen' section on the FlavourArt Italy website and carry appropriate warnings regarding their use. None of the flavours offered on the FA UK website contain Diacetyl or related Diketones, including Acetoin** and Acetyl Propionyl. FlavourArt flavours do not contain alcohol, sugars, protein, genetically modified ingredients, animal ingredients of any kind, preservatives, caffeine, sweeteners or colours. They are all gluten and peanut free, suitable for diabetics, vegetarian and vegans. The residual issue is that some people insist on 'natural', 'organic', or whatever other terms might be used to define flavours derived directly from the original product, rather than those 'artificial' flavours recreated by a flavorist. Removing Diacetyl from a 'natural' flavour is difficult and prohibitively expensive; removing it from an 'artificial' flavour is relatively simple, you just don't add it when creating the flavour. Can you use the concentrates with nut allergies? We are not aware of any contra evidence in respect of our nut flavours; the cause of allergic reactions is believed by scientists to be in the nut protein, which is not used in flavour manufacture.

**The reformulated Yoghurt flavour does contain a small percentage of Acetoin in order to retain its flavour profile; Acetoin is not currently considered potentially harmful according to research conducted by Dr. K. Farsalinos, but we advise against using it at extreme temperatures.

Common sense is the key ingredient to safer vaping.

If someone dies because they didn't wear a seat belt, we do not ban all vehicles, we remind people to wear seat belts.
If someone has an allergic reaction attributed to peanuts, we do not ban peanuts, we advise them to not eat any products containing peanuts.
Accordingly, in the US we have seen a sudden spike in respiratory illnesses, unfortunately with some fatalities, amongst people who vaped. As evidence emerges, it seems there are specific links, namely the illicit use of THC oil, or synthetic cannabinoids, in order to experience their psychoactive properties and, even further, an ingredient known as Clear Cut, or Honey Cut, being used as a diluent in many of these illicit THC liquids. It is made from Vitamin E oil (tocopheryl-acetate) and has been found to be the common denominator in the many cases in New York state.

Vitamin E oil (tocopheryl-acetate) is not used in any FlavourArt product and never would be because of its potential for harm. It would not pass scrutiny under any of the UK/EU regulations governing eliquids and their ingredients.

The sudden appearance of patients displaying these symptoms is not indicative of a gradual, long term progression, but more of a unique and sudden change in what they have inhaled, in these cases it points to THC products diluted in Vitamin E oil.

The media hysteria is not unusual, 'never let the truth get in the way of a good story' has long been the mantra of some lower level outlets. We must apply a common sense perspective to the situation if we are to continue the harm reduction that has been achieved over the past 11+ years.

Buy from reputable sellers, and if in doubt, ask questions about the ingredients in their liquid.
Don't vape products that offer a THC high, or those that do not disclose their origin and ingredients. 'Buyer beware'.
Look at research and advice from credible sources, Public Health England, NHS, even from Westminster, on 31.10.2019 - Seventh Report of the Science and Technology Committee, Session 2017-19, E-cigarettes, HC 505, and the Government Response - https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-10-31/debates/51F44D0A-88CC-450C-9465-E0DF3E49F013/E-Cigarettes

There has been a significant and continuing increase in awareness throughout the vaping industry with regard to all ingredients, particularly to the individual chemicals contained within, in order to reduce any potential contra effects. FlavourArt has invested intensively into researching both the toxicology, and more pertinently the cytotoxicity, of their products, since 2015 in conjunction with TRUSTiCERT, a Bio-tech research facility born out of Milan University. The ClearStream Protocol has, for over six years, advanced the testing of vapours created using their flavourings to an extremely high standard; testing on living cell cultures to determine the cytotoxicity in comparison to traditional cigarettes has seen very positive results and contributed to the improvement, refinement, and where appropriate, the reformulation of flavourings so that only the safest possible products are offered to consumers. https://www.clearstreamonward.com/en/

For an overview of FlavourArt, please have a read of our Vaping Science booklet. https://www.flavourart.co.uk/vaping_science.html

220 smokers die EVERY DAY in the uk because they chose to smoke. The Government makes huge profits from smokers' tax contributions, far more than the cost of treating those with smoking related diseases, so smokers are helping to prop up the NHS. Why do we not see headlines proclaiming '220 smokers die every day'? Yet one reported case of an allergic reaction to a vaping product is sensationalised all over the media. Up to 80,000 deaths every year and yet there is no ban on a non-essential product that has been proven beyond all doubt to cause death and disease to UK citizens whose health and welfare is a direct responsibility of the government. A study of more than 200,000 people, published this week in BMC medicine, found about 67 percent of smokers perished from smoking-related illness. That rate is higher than doctors previously estimated.

The budget for day-to-day running costs for NHS England was £114.6bn for 2018-19.
The Office for Budget Responsibility expects tobacco duties to raise £9.1 billion in 2019-20
Estimated costs to the NHS of treating smoking-related diseases is said to be £3Billion per year.
That means smokers are contributing £6Billion in taxes, over 5% of the NHS total budget.
If only that £6Billion was injected directly into the NHS!

Prof Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, said:

“E-cigarettes have been on the market for a decade in the USA, UK and some other countries. Millions of people are using them, in some cases over several years. These reported deaths in the USA from serious respiratory conditions are the first of their kind linked to vaping.
“It seems highly unlikely that widely available nicotine containing vaping products, particularly of the type regulated in Europe, are causing these cases. Although some American authorities remain equivocal, suggesting any vaping may cause this, others are now providing more information and all the evidence to date suggests that illicit marijuana vaping products (THC oils) are the cause. In particular, a compound called tocopherol acetate may be the culprit. “Authorities who are reacting to these cases by advising no one to vape are by default sending the message to people who have quit smoking through vaping that they should return to tobacco. This is misleading, and potentially irresponsible. Authorities in the USA should be prioritising confirming the causes and addressing this illicit market, not pushing people back to smoking which we know carries multiple risks to health.”

E-cigs 'twice as effective' than nicotine patches, gum or sprays for quitting.
https://www.nhs.uk/news/heart-and-lungs/e-cigs-twice-effective-nicotine-patches-gum-or-sprays-quitting/

What the NHS and the UK vape regulator had to say about e-cigarettes after US deaths.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/what-nhs-uk-vape-regulator-16994092

Our flavourings are PG based so using them in eliquid will add a PG content; using 10% flavouring would result in up to 8% PG in the final eliquid if that eliquid is all VG (Vegetable Glycol). Some people prefer VG for the thicker, smoother vape, whilst a few others have found that they are allergic, or sensitive to, higher PG levels. We do supply an all VG eliquid, Velvet Cloud, but it would be a personal choice as to whether you add flavouring.

The best before dates are a conservative advisory estimate and most vapers would use them within that period. My personal experience is that they do not suddenly 'go off' and I have tested flavourings and eliquid up to four years post-manufacture that have shown no discernible deterioration. However, it is a personal choice as to whether you use them beyond the recommended best before date.

Many vapers miss the throat hit they experienced from cigarettes, especially when vaping lower Nicotine strengths. The throat hit is an intrinsic part of the process and we have found that using Flash Enhancer (formerly BiteXtra) is quite popular with those using low strength or zero Nicotine liquids. More detail can be found on the Liquido Zero and Flash Hit Enhancer pages Enhancers

There are many calculators available online, as downloads, and as apps for Smart phones. For beginners we recommend Tod Muller's http://www.todmuller.com/ejuice/ejuice.php as it is very simple to use when you first start mixing your own eliquid. For more complex mixes and advanced users, one we have found popular is ejuicemeup http://ejuice.breaktru.com/ . Googling 'eliquid calculator' will bring a wealth of results, it's then a matter of trying them to see which you prefer. Most recipe websites use an inferior method to create new flavoured liquids, a bold ststement but one that is true. Please have a read of our mixing guides if you wish to save money and have total control over your liquids. Mixing Better Forever - Total Control

RBA - Rebuildable Atomiser that can be reused by replacing the coil/wick yourself. Some use Silica or Cotton wicking material, while the Genesis type atomisers use a stainless mesh wick. There are so many devices on sale now that it would be an endless task to describe them all, but most follow a basic pattern, remove old coil and wick and replace with a new one, either ready made or coiled and wicked by your good self. It is really quite simple to build a new coil and install the wick; I showed someone the other day and he was gobsmacked at how easy and quick it was. An excellent source of information, advice, techniques, and for asking questions, is the UK Vapers Forum which has a Rebuildable Atomiser section http://ukvapers.org/Forum-Rebuildable-Atomisers devoted to this topic. RDA - Rebuildable Dripping Atomiser operates on the same principle as any other, introduce liquid to a heated coil to create vapour. The difference with 'Drippers' is that they do not have a reservoir tank to supply a continuous flow of liquid; instead, a few drops at a time are dripped down through the mouthpiece directly onto the wicked atomiser so that when the device is activated it vaporises that liquid. For some it is a tedious task to keep having to drip, but others enoy it as the flavour and vapour can be substantially greater. RTA - Rebuildable Tank Atomiser has a tank, or reservoir, of eliquid that feeds the atomiser, so it does not need topping up every few drags. Tanks range from around 2ml (official size limit) to as much as 10ml (widely available), which makes for convenience and less refilling.

We supply to a wide range of trade customers, from small businesses to large manufacturers. To start the ball rolling, please submit a Trade Enquiry form, https://www.flavourart.co.uk/tradereg.html. We supply FlavourArt products to around 300 UK Trade Customers for direct resale and in bulk for manufacturing.