Natural vs. Artificial E-Liquid Flavourings: Your #1 Guide

A myth-busting breakdown of natural vs. artificial E-Liquid flavourings.

So, you might’ve seen that Frugi’s two ranges differ in one respect: one has only natural flavourings, while the other has both natural and artificial flavourings.

What gives? Why not make them all natural?

Well, if you’re a fan of custard flavours—like our Strawberry Custard shortfill, for instance—or if you like to vape mango flavours, picture a world without them. 

Yikes.

When considering natural versus artificial flavourings, it’s easy to assume that natural is better overall. Here, we’ll take a closer look at the difference between these flavour extraction methods, and you can decide for yourself.

What is natural E-Liquid flavouring?

According to UK regulation, natural flavouring is defined as:

“a flavouring substance obtained […] from material of vegetable, animal or microbiological origin either in the raw state or after processing for human consumption. […] Natural flavouring substances correspond to substances that are naturally present and have been identified in nature.”

Essentially, natural flavourings are ones that are derived from, yes, nature. 

Are natural flavourings any more or less bad for you than artificial ones?

Consider this: all flavourings, be they natural or synthetic (lab-made), are chemicals. They’re all chemicals with long, scary-sounding scientific names and molecular structures. The main difference is where these chemicals are derived from. 

There are some flavourings which can be replicated in a lab to be identical to their naturally-derived counterparts, blurring the line between natural and synthetic flavourings even further.

For instance, you can find both lab-made and naturally sourced lavender E-Liquids, both of which will contain the same chemical: linalool. The natural and lab-made linalool would appear identical at a chemical level if examined side-by-side, as shown below.

Beyond their perceived “safety,” many vapers prefer natural E-Liquid flavourings for their more authentic taste compared to their artificial counterparts. 

The reason why most E-Liquids contain a mixture of both natural and artificial flavourings is down to the quality of the flavours.

What is artificial E-Liquid flavouring?

Artificial or synthetic E-Liquid flavourings are produced in a lab and are designed to mimic popular flavours like custard, marshmallow, and others, many of which cannot be extracted naturally.

These flavourings aren’t derived from plants or animals the way that natural ones are, but the upside to these flavourings is that there is much more choice. Lab-made flavourings allow for a plethora of options which would be limited by only natural extraction methods; marshmallows, for instance, don’t grow on trees (last time we checked).

Artificial flavourings have the benefit of being punchier, sweeter, and sometimes stronger, which can really amplify the taste in a given E-Liquid (of course, if that’s what you’re looking for).

A natural strawberry flavouring, for example, tastes very authentic, albeit somewhat muted. Artificial strawberry flavouring, on the other hand, is much sweeter and has a more concentrated strawberry taste. So, if you were hoping to vape a super sweet strawberry flavour (with emphasis on the strawberry), you may find that you actually prefer the artificial E-Liquid flavouring.

Many vapers prefer the smooth, authentic taste of natural flavourings, while others love the ultra-sweet and highly concentrated qualities of artificial flavourings. As with all things taste-related, this definitely comes down to personal preference. 

Where does PG & VG come in?

A quick Google search for DIY vape flavour concentrates will return a whole lot of results, a very select few of which are PG-free.

Given that most flavour concentrate manufacturers use PG-based formulas, vapers who need entirely PG-free flavourings have very limited options—and for those who want their flavourings to be both PG-free and all-natural, you’re limited even further.

This is one of several reasons why it’s difficult to find 100% VG E-Liquids. 

Thankfully, we’ve done the work for you. Frugi has curated the very best of the best when it comes to PG-free flavourings.

We’ve scoured the market and carefully selected the best available flavourings for both of our ranges, with close consideration to the quality of the ingredients. Our juices are all brewed with the utmost care and purity.

Which is safer: natural or artificial flavouring?

If you’ve read this far, it should come as no surprise that no matter the extraction method, be it natural or synthetic, both types of flavouring are considered equally safe.

In the UK, all flavourings (and E-Liquids as a whole) go through a rigorous testing process to ensure their overall safety. All E-Liquid flavourings, regardless of their origin, have been certified as food-grade or pharmaceutical-grade and are considered safe for human consumption.

Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to decide which is better for them.

Many smokers switch to vaping to ditch the thousands of carcinogenic chemicals in cigarettes, so it’s understandable if you’re looking to go the all-natural route. But if you’re looking for a blissful PG-free experience and don’t mind a select few artificial ingredients to really make the flavours shine, you’ll love our PG Free range.

Why does Frugi use artificial flavourings?

Simply put, our E-Liquids are formulated especially for those with a Propylene Glycol allergy, intolerance, or sensitivity—estimated to affect between 1% and 4% of vapers worldwide. And because there’s so little choice out there for these vapers, particularly in the UK and Europe, we wanted to give them the luxury of options. 

That’s why we have two separate ranges: the all-natural range for those who want to stay away from synthetic ingredients, as well as a range with both natural and artificial flavourings to ensure that the PG-intolerant have a wide variety of flavours to choose from.

If you only want to go the natural route, no worries—the All-Natural range is definitely for you. But if you’re PG-allergic and you’re gasping for a great, PG-Free Strawberry Kiwi E-Liquid, Frugi’s got you covered (when no one else really does)!

Summary: Natural vs. Artificial E-Liquid Flavourings

In the end, the debate between natural vs. artificial E-Liquid flavourings teaches us one simple truth. Both extraction methods lead to the same result: a chemical.

Whether that chemical is derived from natural sources or is made in a lab is ultimately the defining factor, but this says nothing about the safety of the flavouring—especially when there are natural and artificial flavourings which, when examined side-by-side, appear to be identical.