Many people have become increasingly conscious about the ingredients they consume, both due to health reasons and ethical considerations. This is true for all kinds of products, from grocery items, to office supplies, fabrics, and beyond. A desire to purchase goods that don’t contain harmful ingredients or animal products has led many to search for vegan, organic CBD vape juice and other naturally sourced CBD vaping products.
Although there are many high-quality CBD retailers out there, there are also several companies that sell CBD vaping products that contain harmful ingredients. These ingredients can not only reduce the quality of the CBD vaping product but can also put your health at risk. Learn more about which ingredients to watch out for in your CBD vaping purchases.
1. Essential Oils
Although some people find essential oils, like lavender, spearmint, or others helpful when applied topically or used in a diffuser, essential oils do not belong in vaping products. Essential oils can be nice to smell or mix into lotions and creams, but they have not been deemed safe in vaping products because of their chemical makeup.
Essential oils are volatile organic compounds, meaning that they can become damaging to our bodies when they are heated over 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Inhaling essential oils that are heated in a vape pen or cartridge can have adverse effects and cause allergic reactions or damage our teeth, lungs, or mouth on contact. Some essential oils are more problematic than others, but all can be irritating when added to vape juice.
If you see a vape juice product that is made with essential oils, steer clear.
2. Vitamin E Acetate
Although vitamin E acetate is safe to eat and is commonly found in foods that we eat every day, such as vegetable oils, meat, fruits, cereals, and vegetables, it is not safe to inhale. Some vaping products contain vitamin E acetate because it can dilute more expensive components or act as a thickening agent.
Some companies that put vitamin E acetate in their vape juice might try to convince you that it’s a helpful ingredient because vitamin E is an antioxidant. Vitamin E is healthy for our bodies when we eat it in foods, but vitamin E acetate is a sticky substance that can stick to lung tissue and wreak havoc. In some cases, researchers believe that vitamin E acetate in vaping products has lead to severe lung damage and respiratory illness.
Vitamin E acetate in vaping products is bad news. Be vigilant about checking vaping juice labels, and make sure you aren’t using vaping juice that contains vitamin E acetate.
3. Pesticides
It is always important to purchase CBD and all vaping products from a trusted retailer because some bad actors sell vape juice that contains traces of dangerous pesticides. Counterfeit vapes often contain high levels of pesticides, including those linked hydrogen cyanide, a highly toxic compound that can cause health issues in very small quantities.
You won’t find pesticides on the label of a vaping product, but you can avoid buying pesticide-containing vape juices buy only purchasing vaping products from a retailer that is third-party tested. Buying vaping products that are organic can also help reduce your risk of consuming pesticides.
4. Artificial Sweeteners or Colors
Artificial sweeteners may belong in diet soda, sugar-free gum, and other candies and foods, but they do not belong in vape juice. Artificial sweeteners are not dangerous when consumed in foods or beverages, but they may be less safe when heated up and inhaled. Some artificial sweeteners can break down and turn into other compounds that can damage our mucous membranes on contact.
The same can be true of artifical colors, which also have no business being in your CBD vaping products. If you see any artificial colors or sweeteners on a CBD vaping product’s label, you are better off setting it aside and finding a vape juice with fewer, more natural ingredients.
The Bottom Line
Vaping CBD products can give you countless benefits, like relief from anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and more. Unfortunately, CBD vaping products that contain some ingredients they shouldn’t can cause more harm than good. Be vigilant about checking labels on CBD vaping products, and stick with those that have a simple and short ingredients list.
