Making vape juice without PG or VG is possible, but your options are limited and come with important tradeoffs. The most researched alternative is 1,3-propanediol (PDO), a bio-based glycol that performs similarly to both PG and VG in lab testing and produces fewer toxic byproducts when heated. Other approaches, like using pure grain alcohol or distilled water as a base, can work in small ratios but won’t replicate the full vaping experience on their own. And some popular suggestions floating around online, particularly oil-based carriers, are genuinely dangerous to inhale.
Why People Avoid PG and VG
Most commercial e-liquids are more than 75% glycols by weight, split between PG and VG. PG dissolves nicotine and flavorings well and delivers a stronger throat hit. VG is thicker, producing denser visible vapor. Together they make up the backbone of nearly every vape juice on the market.
The reasons people look for alternatives vary. Some have a sensitivity or allergy to PG, which can cause throat irritation, dry mouth, or skin reactions. Others are concerned about the thermal decomposition products that form when PG and VG are heated at high wattages. Under certain conditions, both compounds can break down into formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acrolein, all of which are toxic when inhaled. That risk increases significantly with higher temperatures and dry coil conditions, but it exists at normal operating ranges too.
1,3-Propanediol: The Closest Full Replacement
The strongest candidate for replacing both PG and VG is 1,3-propanediol, sometimes labeled PDO or sold under brand names like Sustol or Zemea. It’s a plant-derived glycol (typically fermented from corn sugar) that’s already approved as a food-grade flavor carrier. A study published in Scientific Reports found that PDO produced fewer thermal decomposition byproducts than either PG or VG when heated, giving it a cleaner safety profile at vaping temperatures.
PDO also performed well in other areas that matter for vape juice. It created aerosol properties similar to a PG/VG blend, meaning vapor production and mouthfeel were comparable. It actually showed better flavor-carrying properties than either PG or VG individually. And it created a more alkaline environment for nicotine, which increases the proportion of freebase nicotine in the liquid. That means you may get a stronger nicotine effect at the same concentration.
A separate inhalation toxicity study exposed rats to PDO vapor and aerosol mixtures for two weeks at concentrations up to 1,800 mg per cubic meter, the highest level researchers could practically generate. No deaths occurred, body weights stayed normal, and blood work and tissue pathology showed no differences from unexposed controls. The researchers concluded that PDO “does not appear to pose a significant hazard via inhalation.” That’s a stronger safety signal than exists for PG or VG in the same context, though long-term human inhalation data is still lacking for all three substances.
How to Use PDO
You can use PDO as a direct 1:1 substitute for your total PG/VG volume. If a recipe calls for 70% VG and 30% PG, you’d simply use 100% PDO instead. Add your nicotine and flavorings as you normally would. PDO’s viscosity falls between PG and VG, so it works in most tanks and coil setups without wicking issues. The main challenge is sourcing it. Look for USP-grade or food-grade 1,3-propanediol from specialty chemical suppliers or vaping-specific vendors. Industrial-grade PDO may contain impurities not safe for inhalation.
Pure Grain Alcohol as a Carrier
High-proof ethanol, typically 190-proof pure grain alcohol (PGA), can carry flavors and nicotine without PG or VG. It evaporates quickly and produces a thin, light vapor with a noticeable throat hit. Some DIY mixers use it at around 2 to 10% of a recipe alongside other bases, but it can technically serve as a primary carrier on its own.
The practical problems are significant. Alcohol evaporates faster than glycols, so you’ll burn through liquid quickly and may get inconsistent flavor delivery. It’s also harsh on the throat at higher concentrations. Most people who use PGA in vape juice treat it as an additive rather than a base, using it to thin out thicker liquids or to help dissolve stubborn flavor concentrates. A 100% alcohol-based vape juice is technically possible but produces very little visible vapor and can be unpleasant to inhale.
Distilled Water: Limited but Functional
Distilled water can thin a vape liquid and technically produce an inhalable mist, but it doesn’t carry flavor or nicotine well on its own. In DIY mixing communities, water is used as a diluent at roughly 5 to 20% of the total recipe. Experienced mixers report that going above 25% water noticeably reduces vapor production and mutes flavors.
For an unflavored liquid, some mixers report that 20% distilled water works acceptably, but this still assumes the remaining 80% is VG or another glycol. A 100% water-based vape juice won’t vaporize properly in a standard coil-and-wick device because water’s boiling point and surface tension behave differently than glycols. It tends to spit, gurgle, and flood the coil rather than producing a smooth aerosol. Ultrasonic atomization devices, which use vibration instead of heat to create a mist, can handle water-based liquids more effectively, but these are niche products with very limited availability.
What to Avoid: Oils and Lipid-Based Carriers
This is the most important safety point in the entire article. Do not use any oil-based substance as a vape juice carrier. This includes MCT oil (fractionated coconut oil), vitamin E acetate, vegetable oils, and essential oils. While some of these are safe to swallow, inhaling heated oil droplets can cause lipoid pneumonia, a serious lung condition where fat deposits accumulate in the air sacs of your lungs and trigger a chronic inflammatory reaction.
Lipoid pneumonia was central to the 2019 EVALI outbreak that hospitalized thousands of people in the United States. Medical case studies confirmed lipid deposits in lung tissue from affected patients. Vitamin E acetate used as a diluent in black-market cannabis cartridges was identified as a primary culprit, but the underlying mechanism applies to any inhaled lipid. The FDA’s “generally recognized as safe” designation for food additives does not extend to inhalation. A substance that passes safely through your digestive system can cause severe damage when it reaches your lungs as a heated aerosol.
Putting a Recipe Together
If your goal is a completely PG-free and VG-free vape juice, your most practical path is a PDO-based recipe. Here’s a basic framework:
- Base: 80 to 90% food-grade 1,3-propanediol
- Nicotine: Nicotine dissolved in PDO or PGA, dosed to your target strength (if using nicotine at all)
- Flavoring: 5 to 15% flavor concentrates (note that many commercial flavor concentrates use PG as a carrier, so check labels if you’re strictly avoiding it)
- Thinner (optional): 2 to 5% distilled water or PGA if the liquid feels too thick for your device
The flavor concentrate issue deserves extra attention. Most concentrated flavorings sold for DIY vape mixing are suspended in PG. If you’re avoiding PG entirely, look for PG-free flavor concentrates or alcohol-based food extracts. Some vendors sell flavors in VG or PDO bases instead, but the selection is smaller.
Standard steeping practices apply. Let your mixed liquid sit in a cool, dark place for a few days to a week, shaking it periodically, so the flavors blend fully into the PDO base. PDO’s flavor-carrying properties are slightly better than PG or VG, so you may find you need less flavoring than a traditional recipe calls for.