How Do I Make My Own Vape Juice? The Complete UK Guide (2026)

You've just paid £4.99 for a 10ml bottle of your favourite flavour, again, and it's gone by Thursday. Somewhere in the back of your mind, a thought surfaces. People make their own, don't they? How hard can it actually be?

Not as hard as you'd think — and also more regulated than you'd expect. Making your own vape juice in the UK splits into two very different paths: one that's simple, cheap and fully within easy reach at any vape shop, and one that's a proper hobby involving scales, syringes and a lot more care.

Here's exactly how both work, which one actually suits you, and how to do either one properly without wasting a bottle or, worse, hurting yourself.

 

Quick‑Reference Table: Making Your Own Vape Juice

 

Can You Actually Make Your Own Vape Juice in the UK?

Yes, and plenty of people already do. But it's worth understanding the legal shape of it first, because the UK's rules on nicotine change what "DIY" realistically looks like here compared with what you might read on American vaping forums.

Under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, enforced by the MHRA, any nicotine‑containing e‑liquid sold in Great Britain is capped at 20mg/ml and sold in refill containers no larger than 10ml. That single rule is why you won't find a big bottle of concentrated nicotine base on general sale here the way you might for flavour concentrates or plain PG and VG. It's also why the most common form of DIY vape juice in the UK isn't really from‑scratch mixing at all — it's shortfills and nicotine shots.

The Easy Way: Shortfills, Nic Shots and Ratios

This is the version of DIY vape juice that most UK vapers actually mean when they talk about making their own. You buy a large bottle of nicotine‑free e‑liquid — called a shortfill because it's deliberately filled short to leave room — and add a nicotine shot to bring it up to the strength you want.

It's not from‑scratch mixing, but it genuinely is you customising your own vape juice — choosing the flavour, the base ratio, and the exact strength. Browsing 100ml e‑liquid or 500ml e‑liquid shortfills alongside nicotine shots covers everything you need for this method.

 

The Full DIY Way: Mixing From Scratch

This is the proper hobbyist version — buying separate bottles of PG, VG, flavour concentrates and nicotine base, then measuring and combining them yourself to a recipe, often using an online mixing calculator to get the ratios right. It gives you complete control over flavour and consistency, but it also comes with real responsibility.

 

How to Mix Your Own Vape Juice, Step by Step

For most people starting out, the shortfill and nic shot method is genuinely the sensible entry point. Here's exactly how it works.

1. Pick a 0mg shortfill in a flavour and base ratio you like.
2. Choose a matching nicotine shot — ideally the same PG/VG ratio as the shortfill.
3. Squeeze the nic shot into the shortfill bottle, using the headroom left for exactly this.
4. Close the cap tightly and shake for a good 30 seconds.
5. Leave it to rest for a few hours, or ideally a few days, before vaping properly.

Myth vs Reality

 

Getting Your Nicotine Strength Right

This is the part that trips people up most — working out what strength you'll actually end up with once the nic shot is added. It's simple maths, but skipping it means guessing, and guessing with nicotine isn't a great habit to get into.

 

Why Steeping Matters

Freshly mixed juice — whether it's a shortfill you've just topped up or a full DIY batch — often tastes sharp, thin or slightly off compared to how it'll taste in a week. Steeping is just resting the liquid so the flavourings and nicotine settle and blend properly.

Base Ratio Breakdown

The PG/VG ratio you choose changes how the juice feels far more than most new mixers expect. It's worth understanding before you pick a shortfill or plan a DIY recipe.

If you're building toward a sub‑ohm setup, the 70‑30 high VG e‑liquids range or, for a more balanced everyday option, 50‑50 e‑liquids both give you a solid, pre‑tested base to top up with your own nicotine shot.

Staying Safe When Mixing

Final Verdict

For nearly everyone, making your own vape juice should mean a shortfill and a nicotine shot — it's simple, cheap, fully within UK regulations, and gives you real control over flavour, ratio and strength without any of the risk that comes with handling concentrated nicotine base. Full from‑scratch DIY mixing is a genuine hobby with its own rewards, but it demands proper care, the right equipment and a healthy respect for what you're working with.

Issue, Fix, and Where to Shop

If you're not sure where to start, the general e‑liquid collection is a good place to browse flavours and bottle sizes before settling on your first mix.

 

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q. Is it legal to make your own vape juice in the UK?

Yes, it's legal — but it's shaped by UK regulation more than people expect. Nicotine‑containing liquid is capped at 20mg/ml and sold in bottles no larger than 10ml, which is why nicotine shots exist in the first place. Mixing a shortfill with a nic shot, or doing full DIY with legally compliant ingredients, is both perfectly legal.

 

Q. What's the cheapest way to make your own vape juice?

A large shortfill topped up with a nicotine shot is almost always the cheapest legitimate route, since you're paying less per ml than small 10ml bottles. Full DIY mixing can work out even cheaper per ml at real volume — but only once you've covered the upfront cost of concentrates, base liquids and equipment, which takes a while to pay back.

 

Q. How long should I steep homemade vape juice?

Most mixes taste noticeably better after three to seven days, with many flavours continuing to improve for two weeks or more. Fruity and menthol flavours tend to need less time, while heavier dessert or tobacco flavours often benefit from steeping longer. Taste it periodically rather than following a fixed rule.

 

Q. Can I use any nicotine shot with any shortfill?

You can, but matching the base ratio gives a more consistent result. A 50/50 nic shot added to a 70/30 shortfill will shift the overall ratio slightly — which usually isn't a big problem, but it's worth knowing rather than being surprised by a change in throat hit or cloud production.

 

Q. Is DIY vape juice as safe as shop‑bought e‑liquid?

Shop‑bought e‑liquid goes through TPD notification and testing before it reaches shelves. Homemade juice — whether it's a shortfill you've topped up or a full DIY mix — depends entirely on using genuine, correctly labelled ingredients and mixing carefully. It's not inherently unsafe, but the responsibility for getting it right sits with you rather than a regulated manufacturer.

 

Q. Do I need special equipment to start mixing my own vape juice?

For the shortfill and nic shot method — no. You just need the bottle and the shot itself. Full DIY mixing benefits from accurate syringes for measuring, gloves for handling nicotine, and ideally digital scales for consistency between batches. Starting with the simple method first is a sensible way to see if you enjoy it before investing in more kit.

 

Q. Can I buy nicotine base higher than 20mg/ml in the UK?

No. Under UK law (Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016), any nicotine‑containing e‑liquid sold in Great Britain is capped at 20mg/ml. If you see higher‑strength nicotine base advertised online, it's either non‑compliant or mislabelled — and it's genuinely dangerous to handle without proper training.

 

Q. What PG/VG ratio should I choose for my first mix?

If you're using a pod kit or MTL tank, go with 50/50. If you're using a sub‑ohm or DTL tank, go with 70/30. If you're using a high‑power sub‑ohm mod (80W+), go with 80/20 or higher. Match the ratio to your device, not the other way around.