E Liquid/nicotine Safety Question

[B80]

I can be a bit neurotic (understatement) about certain things, and I have a habit of researching things to death. While researching e-cigs, I keep coming across warnings that you should wash your skin immediately if any e-liquid gets on it. I personally know people who do not jump up to wash their hands everytime they get e-liquid on them. I certainly don't have time to do that, especially at work. Clearly none of us have keeled over from it. My question is, does anyone have any idea at what point and how much does it take to actually make someone sick or become life-threatening? I'm assuming it would take alot, since I haven't read or heard of anyone dying from spilling e-liquid on themselves. I've read that 60 mg of nicotine can kill an adult, but I have no idea how much 60 mg actually is. I use an 18 mg juice. So anyway, that's my question if anyone has any insight, I'm just curious about it.

[stormchas3r]

I can be a bit neurotic (understatement) about certain things, and I have a habit of researching things to death. While researching e-cigs, I keep coming across warnings that you should wash your skin immediately if any e-liquid gets on it. I personally know people who do not jump up to wash their hands everytime they get e-liquid on them. I certainly don't have time to do that, especially at work. Clearly none of us have keeled over from it. My question is, does anyone have any idea at what point and how much does it take to actually make someone sick or become life-threatening? I'm assuming it would take alot, since I haven't read or heard of anyone dying from spilling e-liquid on themselves. I've read that 60 mg of nicotine can kill an adult, but I have no idea how much 60 mg actually is. I use an 18 mg juice. So anyway, that's my question if anyone has any insight, I'm just curious about it.

First off, welcome to the forums. As far as getting it on your skin, I pretty much daily get it all over my fingers. I have never had any side effects from this. But I did spill 54mg or pure nicotine on my hands, and got light headed for a hour or so, till it wore off. I vape 18mg also, and if I vape HEAVILY throughout the day, I tend to get a buzz feeling. I could care less about cigarettes anymore! My wife thinks that vaping is horrible bad for me, but I don't care. No more ciggies for me.

PS: were from PA are you from?

[B80]

First off, welcome to the forums. As far as getting it on your skin, I pretty much daily get it all over my fingers. I have never had any side effects from this. But I did spill 54mg or pure nicotine on my hands, and got light headed for a hour or so, till it wore off. I vape 18mg also, and if I vape HEAVILY throughout the day, I tend to get a buzz feeling. I could care less about cigarettes anymore! My wife thinks that vaping is horrible bad for me, but I don't care. No more ciggies for me.

PS: were from PA are you from?

I hope it's ok I sent a PM to tell you where in PA I am from. Thank you for the welcome and for the information. I have yet to find anyone saying anything negative about vaping (aside from the FDA which is clearly bias), and I was bound and determined to find something bad when my friend first showed me hers and wanted us to try it. So even if they do turn out to be "bad" for me even in the least, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I know they are healthier than analogs. I am not totally off the analogs yet, but I went from almost a pack a day to 2 or 3 a day, a little more if I'm out drinking with friends, LOL. My husband picked his up a month ago and never looked back. I'll get there and I'll be super knowledgeable too!

[stormchas3r]

I hope it's ok I sent a PM to tell you where in PA I am from. Thank you for the welcome and for the information. I have yet to find anyone saying anything negative about vaping (aside from the FDA which is clearly bias), and I was bound and determined to find something bad when my friend first showed me hers and wanted us to try it. So even if they do turn out to be "bad" for me even in the least, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that I know they are healthier than analogs. I am not totally off the analogs yet, but I went from almost a pack a day to 2 or 3 a day, a little more if I'm out drinking with friends, LOL. My husband picked his up a month ago and never looked back. I'll get there and I'll be super knowledgeable too!

Awesome! We are here for you, and have our total support. The goal is to get rid of the analogs, and have your lungs come back to life.

Good luck saying goodbye to them. It wasn't hard at all for me to leave them behind. I just vaped more when I needed the nicotine crave.

[kitsune]

I firmly believe e-cigs are infinitely better than cigarettes.

technically nicotine is a poison (in concentrated form). as far as I have been able to determine (through much spillage)-standard liquids do not present a problem, however in higher concentrations can cause headaches, dizziness, palpitations, circulatory problems. Nicotine can be absorbed through the skin. I find I just wipe my hands on what ever is handy and move on.

It is good to do research before starting a new hobby. always good to know what the dangers are and make an informed choice.

Anybody that thinks vaping in worse than smoking........

[Brian]

FYI - Nic is measured in mg per ml. So your 18mg juice has 18mg of nic per one ml of juice. Higher nic is availalbe and is used for DIY. I use 48mg nic to make 24mg juice. Until someone proves to me that vaping is worse than smoking, I'll be vaping.

I don't think you'll find anyone who won't agree that nic juice can be dangerous and should be handled with care, kept away from children, pets, etc.

[B80]

FYI - Nic is measured in mg per ml. So your 18mg juice has 18mg of nic per one ml of juice. Higher nic is availalbe and is used for DIY. I use 48mg nic to make 24mg juice. Until someone proves to me that vaping is worse than smoking, I'll be vaping.

I don't think you'll find anyone who won't agree that nic juice can be dangerous and should be handled with care, kept away from children, pets, etc.

Thanks Brian. I'm basically just trying to find out how much I can get on my skin before I get sick. I noticed that my vps have started to leak out so every time I pull one out of the case, the juice is everywhere. I know that it absorbs in your skin but I don't know how quickly or how much. I feel like I should explain that I have panic disorder. Suddenly for no apparent reason I can feel like I've been poisoned and sometimes I actually believe it. This can happen while drinking a soda or just putting lotion on my hands (it used to be bad, not so much now), but since I'm playing with poison for real, the more knowledgable I become, the less likely I am to have a panic attack if it gets on my skin. Unfortunately the symptoms for a panic attack and the symptoms for nicotine poisoning are similar, so I wouldn't be able to differentiate between the two.

[FTJoe]

I'm not sure anyone here is qualified to answer. Health section had a bunch of posts in regards to nic. Maybe do a search on skin absorption?

My advice is to buy a 100 pack of disposable latex gloves. Or do what I do and go through the drawers of the doctor's examination room while you wait, they have tons. Yeah - I'm a jerk.

Edited July 9, 2010 by FTJoe

[B80]

I'm not sure anyone here is qualified to answer. Health section had a bunch of posts in regards to nic. Maybe do a search on skin absorption?

My advice is to buy a 100 pack of disposable latex gloves. Or do what I do and go through the drawers of the doctor's examination room while you wait, they have tons. Yeah - I'm a jerk.

That's awesome, ha! I am trying not to go to that extreme and work through my fear of it instead, and I haven't been doing bad with it, yesterday I got it on me every time I picked up my pv, since they were leaking, and I'm still here so I guess that much is safe. I don't have any plans to rub a bunch of it into my skin to find out, but I think my fears are being alleviated just talking about it.

[Brian]

That's awesome, ha! I am trying not to go to that extreme and work through my fear of it instead, and I haven't been doing bad with it, yesterday I got it on me every time I picked up my pv, since they were leaking, and I'm still here so I guess that much is safe. I don't have any plans to rub a bunch of it into my skin to find out, but I think my fears are being alleviated just talking about it.

It shouldn't be leaking that much... what model are you using? Leaking will happen, but as you gain experience it will become less of an occurrence. I have to agree with FTJoe - not sure anyone is qualified to answer. I've had 24mg all over my hands before and haven't had any problem except for when I forget and rub my eyes and then the only issue is that it burns. I do try to rinse my hands when I get any on me, but sometimes I don't.

[B80]

It shouldn't be leaking that much... what model are you using? Leaking will happen, but as you gain experience it will become less of an occurrence. I have to agree with FTJoe - not sure anyone is qualified to answer. I've had 24mg all over my hands before and haven't had any problem except for when I forget and rub my eyes and then the only issue is that it burns. I do try to rinse my hands when I get any on me, but sometimes I don't.

I have a 510, I have no idea what brand it just says oksmokey.com on it. That's where my friend ordered them for us. They only leaked alot yesterday for some reason, I'm not sure why but it was 2 out of the 3 in the case. Today they seem fine. And I'm not really looking for a qualified person to answer, just those of you who can share from experience. You telling me about the 24mg all over your hands pretty much answers my question. Thanks to all. This is quickly becoming my favorite site to frequent.

[FTJoe]

And I'm not really looking for a qualified person to answer, just those of you who can share from experience.

Ahhh - thought you wanted a quantitative answer...how much is too much? How much is absorbed, etc.

I was 24 and a mess when first starting up. Always had it all over me. I think washing hands not a bad idea only because of the eye contact, leaving it on a surface for someone else to get, etc. When I used to get messed I just kind of rubbed it in. IMO - I think if you were to get serious amounts on you (portions of a bottle that could be an issue). We're talking amounts that are measured in drops even when talking about the big spills.

[Brian]

oksmokey? From the UK (am I looking at the right site)?

[B80]

oksmokey? From the UK (am I looking at the right site)?

That is the correct site. It's the 510 Travel Kit.

[B80]

Ahhh - thought you wanted a quantitative answer...how much is too much? How much is absorbed, etc.

I was 24 and a mess when first starting up. Always had it all over me. I think washing hands not a bad idea only because of the eye contact, leaving it on a surface for someone else to get, etc. When I used to get messed I just kind of rubbed it in. IMO - I think if you were to get serious amounts on you (portions of a bottle that could be an issue). We're talking amounts that are measured in drops even when talking about the big spills.

Nah, I'm not smart enough for that! Layman's terms work best for me.

[Lily]

Hi B80, good suggestions from the unqualified re nic poisoning. The only time I've had e-liquid running all over is if I've overfilled a cartridge or cartomizer on my 510 (and it ran out the atty end, though it shouldn't, because you don't want to overfill a cartomizer). I primarily fill a cartridge or direct dip when I'm sitting at the computer. I'll use a cartomizer when I'm out and about which is pretty hassle-free. Often, if not always, condensation forms on the mouthpiece that possibly contains trace amounts of nic. Yet, I've had nic juice on my fingers, on my lips, never in the eye yet as some have reported, with no repercussions. So, I guess what I'm contributing here is to err on the side of caution, as one would with any substance that has a warning label. I always have a paper towel by my side to wipe up excess e-liquid, I carry tissues with me now everywhere I go, and learned to wash my hands before I pet the dog. So much is trial and error and discovering what works best. Good luck with all of this.

[B80]

Hi B80, good suggestions from the unqualified re nic poisoning. The only time I've had e-liquid running all over is if I've overfilled a cartridge or cartomizer on my 510 (and it ran out the atty end, though it shouldn't, because you don't want to overfill a cartomizer). I primarily fill a cartridge or direct dip when I'm sitting at the computer. I'll use a cartomizer when I'm out and about which is pretty hassle-free. Often, if not always, condensation forms on the mouthpiece that possibly contains trace amounts of nic. Yet, I've had nic juice on my fingers, on my lips, never in the eye yet as some have reported, with no repercussions. So, I guess what I'm contributing here is to err on the side of caution, as one would with any substance that has a warning label. I always have a paper towel by my side to wipe up excess e-liquid, I carry tissues with me now everywhere I go, and learned to wash my hands before I pet the dog. So much is trial and error and discovering what works best. Good luck with all of this.

Thank you Lily, I also wondered about petting my pets too, I have a ton of them and would not want them to get poisoned.

[kitsune]

as a semi-qualified person--Nicotine is actually absorbed fairly quickly through the skin. However, since we are generally only talking about a few drops, you are safe( so long as you are not dealing with concentrated nicotine). Our bodies are already used to nicotine, so our bodies do not react as strongly to small spills on our skin.

for example--at 18mg/ml, 1ml of liquid is about the equivalent to a pack of cigarettes(lights)--not enough to give us much more than a headache.( a ml is a decent size spill). 1-2 drops is < .1 ml. If you spill more than a few drops, recommend you just wash your hands or if no water is handy just wipe off any excess liquid. No worries.

my daughter is prone to unusual panic attacks and you are doing exactly what I tell her--walk through it........

as for pets--if you have had liquid on your hands, not a bad idea to wash them. animals can be more sensitive, a drop or two won't hurt them--but best to not take chances. I have a house full of animals too, and after a year of vaping and spilling--everybody is still ok.

Happy vaping

Edited July 11, 2010 by kitsune

[benio]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post and I created this account to help with all things e-cig.

Back to the topic...

I've been vaping for about 5ish years now, not exactly sure how long really but lets just say long enough.

Regarding the e-liq safety and the topic question, my reply would be that I have had it on me thousands of times by now and never had a problem. I even used to suck up liquid into my mouth when I first started vaping and didn't really know much about it. Noobie mistakes :p

My understanding is that the only dangerous substance in the e-liq is the nicotine. I guess at some point I am going to have to try to get off the nicotine and start buying 0ml e-liq but I still like the nicotine buzz so... well maybe not just yet.

The only time I ever felt anything from a spillage was when I spilled some on an open cut on my hand. Nothing painful just a little bit of a sting.

Anyway happy vaping!

[mse12]

Welcome to VT!

[BHam]

I've gotten e-liquid on my hands, never any pure nicotine liquid. I have also swallowed plenty of e-liquid and never have I had long term (more than 20min) affects from it. I only wash my hands if I've spilled a bottle. Otherwise, I haven't a worry in the world (mainly because of my liquid is premade and I do zero DIY).