Vape Concentrates UK: Complete DIY Mixing Guide

Vape concentrates let adult vapers build their own e-liquid instead of buying it ready-made. You choose the flavour, the flavour strength, the nicotine level and the PG/VG ratio, which is why DIY mixing appeals to people who cannot find exactly what they want on the shelf.

One point needs to be clear from the start: a concentrate is not vape juice. It is a highly concentrated flavouring that must be diluted with a base liquid before it goes anywhere near a tank or pod. This guide explains what concentrates are, how to mix them, how nicotine works in a UK DIY mix, and what to check before you buy.

What Are Vape Concentrates?

A vape concentrate is a concentrated flavouring made for mixing into e-liquid. It is normally a blend of food-grade flavour compounds suspended in propylene glycol (PG), and sometimes a small amount of vegetable glycerine (VG) or ethanol.

Concentrates are sold at strengths intended for dilution, typically to somewhere between 5% and 20% of the finished bottle. They contain no nicotine in most cases, and on their own, they have almost none of the VG that produces vapour. They are an ingredient, not a product you use directly.

You will also see them sold as vape flavour concentrates, vape liquid concentrates or vape juice concentrate. These all describe the same type of product.

Can You Vape Concentrates Neat?

No. Do not vape a flavour concentrate neat.

An undiluted concentrate is many times stronger than the flavour level in finished e-liquid. Vaping it neat tastes harsh, puts a very high load of flavour compounds into your lungs in one puff, and can leak through a coil because it is thin and PG-heavy. Some flavour ingredients are considered acceptable at low inhaled concentrations but have not been assessed at full strength.

Dilute it, or do not use it.

Vape Concentrates vs Vape Juice

Online, "concentrate" and "juice" are used loosely and often interchangeably. They are not the same thing.

A vape concentrate:

• Supplies concentrated flavour only

• Is normally nicotine-free

• Requires dilution with a PG/VG base

• Often needs time after mixing for the flavours to settle, known as steeping

A finished vape juice:

• Already contains an appropriate PG/VG base

• May contain nicotine

• Has already been mixed at its intended flavour percentage

• Is sold ready to use, like the bottles in our e-liquids range

Read the label, not the product title. Words such as "juice", "flavour" and "concentrate" are used inconsistently across brands. Check the bottle and product page for the mixing percentage, the PG/VG ratio and the nicotine strength before you use anything.

Types of Vape Flavour Concentrates

DIY concentrates fall into two broad categories.

Single-flavour concentrates are one note: strawberry, custard, aniseed, tobacco. You blend several to build a recipe. This gives the most control and the lowest cost per bottle, but it takes experience and a lot of testing to get a balanced result.

One-shot concentrates are complete recipes already blended by the manufacturer. You add one concentrate to your base at the stated percentage, and you are done. One-shots are the sensible starting point for anyone new to mixing, because the flavour balancing has already been handled.

Basic DIY Vape Liquid Mixing Guide

This is a simple nicotine-free mix. Work by weight with digital scales if you can, as it is faster and more accurate, but millilitres are fine for a first attempt.

Step 1: Decide your batch size and flavour percentage 

Check the concentrate's recommended percentage, usually printed on the label. Start at the lower end of the range.

Step 2: Calculate the concentrate volume.

Concentrate (ml) = Total volume × (flavour % ÷ 100)

For a 100ml batch at 10%: 100 × 0.10 = 10ml of concentrate.

Step 3: Calculate your base.

Base (ml) = Total volume − concentrate

100 − 10 = 90ml of PG/VG base.

Remember, the concentrate itself is mostly PG, so a 10% flavour in a 70VG base gives a finished liquid slightly lower in VG than 70%.

Step 4: Mix and label. 

Add the concentrate to a clean bottle first, then the base. Cap, shake hard for a minute, then write the flavour, percentage, PG/VG, nicotine strength and date on the bottle. Never leave an unlabelled bottle around.

Step 5: Steep. 

Fruits are usually ready quickly; custards, creams and tobaccos often improve over one to two weeks in a cool, dark cupboard.

Step 6: Test Small 

Test your new recipe in a fresh or inexpensive coil before mixing larger batches, as small adjustments are often needed after the first test. 

DIY Vape Liquid With Nicotine

Adding nicotine is where DIY stops being a casual hobby.

UK rules. Under UK regulations, nicotine-containing e-liquid sold to consumers is capped at 20mg/ml, and nicotine-containing bottles are limited to 10ml. That is why nicotine shots are sold as 10ml bottles, usually at 18mg/ml. High-strength nicotine base is not legally available to UK consumers, and you should not try to source it.

The calculation 

Nicotine shot volume (ml) = (Target strength × Total volume) ÷ Shot strength

To make 100ml at 3mg/ml using 18mg/ml shots: (3 × 100) ÷ 18 = 16.7ml, so roughly two 10ml shots get you close to 3.6mg/ml, which is why most 100ml shortfills are filled to 80ml and take two shots.

Your base volume then drops accordingly: total volume − concentrate − nicotine.

A standard freebase nicotine shot suits the low strengths used in higher-power, high-VG mixes. If you prefer a stronger hit in a small, low-power device, DIY is usually the wrong route, and a ready-made nic salt e-liquid will be smoother at 10mg or 20mg than anything you can safely blend at home.

Safety. Nicotine is a toxic substance. Store all nicotine-containing liquids in child-resistant bottles, well out of reach of children and pets, and away from food. Wear nitrile gloves when handling nicotine shots, wipe up spills immediately, and never mix in a kitchen where food is being prepared. If nicotine liquid is swallowed, contact 111 or your local emergency service straight away. Keep every bottle labelled, including test batches.

Common DIY Mixing Mistakes

• Overflavouring. More concentration does not mean more taste. Past a certain point, flavours turn muddy or chemical, and heavy concentrates kill coils fast.

• Ignoring the recommended percentage. Some concentrates are used at 3%, others at 20%. There is no universal number.

• Mixing large batches first. Make 30ml before you make 500ml.

• Not labelling. Guessing at nicotine strength later is a genuine hazard.

• Judging a mix too early. A flat custard on day one may be excellent after ten days.

• Sloppy measuring. Eyeballing volumes with nicotine in the mix is how people end up vaping far more than they intended.

• Reusing dirty bottles. Residue taints the new flavour.

Do Vape Concentrates Contain Nicotine?

Usually no. The large majority of vape flavour concentrates sold in the UK are nicotine-free, because nicotine is added separately at the mixing stage.

There are exceptions, so always check the label and product description. If a bottle contains nicotine, it must be labelled and packaged accordingly.

What Is a DIY Vape Liquid Kit?

A DIY vape liquid kit bundles the components needed to start mixing. Contents vary, but a kit may include:

• Vape flavour concentrate, often a one-shot

• PG/VG base liquid at a set ratio

• Nicotine shots, if the kit is sold with nicotine

• Empty mixing bottles, usually with child-resistant caps

• Measuring equipment such as syringes, pipettes or scales

• Nitrile gloves

• Blank labels

• Mixing instructions

Kits are convenient, but check what is actually included before buying. Some are concentrated and bottled only. Note that a DIY liquid kit is not the same as a device: it contains no hardware, so you will still need one of our vape kits to actually vape what you mix.

Vape Flavour Concentrate 100ml: Is a Larger Bottle Better?

A 100ml bottle of flavour concentrate is not 100ml of vapeable e-liquid. It is 100ml of undiluted flavouring.

At a 10% mixing rate, that 100ml bottle makes roughly one litre of finished e-liquid. That is excellent value if you already know you like the flavour and you mix regularly. It is a waste if you do not, because concentrates do not last forever, and flavours can fade or change over time.

Buy small first. Move to 100ml once a recipe has earned its place.

How to Choose the Best Flavour Concentrates for Vaping

• Check if it is made for inhalation. Food flavourings are not automatically suitable for vaping. Avoid anything containing oils or sugars.

• Look for a stated mixing percentage and steep time. Brands that publish this are easier to work with.

• Start with one-shots if you are new.

• Avoid heavily sweetened concentrates at first, as sucralose-heavy mixes gunk up coils quickly.

• Buy small sizes while testing, and check reviews for the specific flavour rather than the brand alone.

Vape Concentrates UK: What Should Buyers Check?

• A clear ingredients list and allergen statement

• Batch number and best-before date

• Recommended mixing percentage and PG/VG content

• Child-resistant cap

• A UK-based supplier with contact details and clear returns information

• Whether the product is nicotine-free

• Age verification at checkout, as these are strictly 18+ products

How Will The UK Vape Tax Affect Vape Concentrates and DIY Mixing?

From 1 October 2026, Vaping Products Duty applies at a flat rate of £2.20 per 10ml to all vaping liquids, including nicotine-free products, and vaping products released onto the UK market from that date must carry a duty stamp. The duty does not apply to devices, coils, tanks or accessories.

For DIY mixers, the practical effects are:

• Base liquids and nicotine shots will cost more, as these are vaping liquids.

• The treatment of flavour concentrates is the detail to watch. Duty attaches to liquid intended for vaping, and how individual concentrate products are classified affects whether they carry duty and a stamp. Check current HMRC guidance and your retailer's product information rather than assuming.

• Only businesses with the right HMRC approval can produce or store duty-suspended vaping products. This is aimed at manufacturers, not at adults mixing for their own use.

Rules and rates can change, so confirm the current position on GOV.UK before making buying decisions.

Are Vape Concentrates Suitable for Beginners?

Not really, at least not straight away.

DIY mixing involves handling nicotine, doing calculations correctly every time, and accepting that some batches will be undrinkable and wasted. If you have just switched from smoking, your priority should be finding a device and a liquid that keeps you off cigarettes. Ready-made e-liquid does that with no maths and no nicotine handling, and a prefilled pod vape kit removes even the filling step, since you click in a fresh pod and vape.

The balanced view: if you have vaped for a while, know what strength and ratio suit you, and want more control or lower long-term costs, DIY is a reasonable next step. Start with a one-shot, a pre-mixed base and nicotine shots rather than raw ingredients, and keep batches small. You will also need a device you can fill yourself, so a refillable pod vape kit or a tank setup is the natural pairing for anything you mix at home.

Vape concentrates are flavourings, not finished e-liquid. They cannot be vaped neat; they must be diluted into a PG/VG base at the stated percentage, and nicotine is added separately using 18mg/ml shots within UK limits. Get the percentages right, label everything, store nicotine safely and test small before mixing large. Done carefully, DIY gives you control over flavour, strength and ratio. Done carelessly, it wastes money and creates a real safety risk at home.

Frequently Asked Questions about Vape Concentrates

Can you vape concentrate directly? 

No. Vape concentrates must be diluted before use.

How much flavour concentrate should I use? 

Follow the label. Most sit between 5% and 20%, with one-shots often around 10% to 15%. Start low and increase if needed.

Do vape concentrates contain nicotine? 

Usually not. Nicotine is added separately. Always check the label.

How long do I need to steep DIY vape liquid? 

Fruits are often ready within a day or two. Creams, custards and tobaccos usually benefit from one to two weeks.

What is the difference between a one-shot and a single-flavour concentrate? 

A one-shot is a finished recipe you add in one go. A single flavour is one component you blend with others.

Is DIY mixing cheaper? 

Per millilitre, usually yes, especially in larger batches. The savings come with the time, equipment and risk of wasted batches.

Vaping products are for adult smokers and vapers aged 18 and over. Nicotine is an addictive substance. If you do not currently smoke or vape, do not start.