As more people adopt vegan lifestyles, questions about everyday products have become more specific—including whether or not vaping is compatible with vegan ethics. At first glance, vapes might seem like a purely synthetic product, but the truth depends on what’s inside the e-liquid, how it’s made, and which brand you’re buying from. Let’s break it down.
What Makes Something Vegan?
To be considered vegan, a product must contain no animal-derived ingredients and must not be tested on animals at any point in its production. This standard applies to everything from food and cosmetics to clothing and personal care products. Vaping products are no different. For a vape to be truly vegan, both the hardware and the e-liquid must meet these criteria.
E-Liquid Ingredients Under the Microscope
Most vape juices are made from a combination of vegetable glycerine (VG), propylene glycol (PG), flavourings, and nicotine. VG is plant-derived, usually from soy or palm, and is generally considered vegan. PG is a synthetic liquid, also considered vegan.
The grey area comes with flavourings. Some flavour compounds, particularly those mimicking creamy or sweet tastes, may contain trace animal products or be developed using ingredients originally derived from animals. For example, certain flavouring agents in vanilla or custard e-liquids might have started out as dairy-based during testing phases. While this is rare, it’s not impossible.
Then there’s nicotine. While synthetic nicotine exists, most is extracted from tobacco leaves. The extraction itself doesn’t involve animals, but depending on the manufacturer, testing practices may not align with vegan standards.
Animal Testing in Vaping
The bigger ethical question lies in animal testing. In the UK and EU, e-liquids and nicotine products are regulated under strict guidelines that do not typically require animal testing for vape products. However, some brands may still outsource their testing or sell in countries where animal testing is mandated by law, such as China. This means a vape product can technically be free from animal ingredients but still not be considered vegan due to the testing involved.
Vape hardware is another consideration. While most devices are made from metal, plastic, and glass, some components—like adhesives, dyes or rubber parts—might have been tested on animals during manufacturing. These cases are harder to verify unless the manufacturer explicitly states otherwise.
How to Know If Your Vape Is Vegan
The only reliable way to determine if a vape is vegan is to check for certification or clear labelling. Some brands now advertise their liquids as “vegan” and “cruelty-free,” but not all companies offer that transparency. Looking for those labels or contacting the manufacturer directly is your best bet.
Independent brands that specialise in clean or organic vaping products are more likely to meet vegan standards, as they often avoid animal testing and use plant-based or synthetic ingredients. These brands usually make a point of communicating that clearly in their marketing or on packaging.
The Rise of Vegan Vape Options
As consumer demand grows, more vape companies are adjusting their formulations and supply chains to meet vegan criteria. The number of e-liquids made without animal derivatives and free from animal testing is increasing, offering more ethical choices to vegan vapers. This is especially true among UK-based e-liquid producers who focus on transparency and compliance with both vegan and environmental values.
Stealth Animal-Derived Ingredients
Some flavour enhancers or additives in e-liquid might sound vegan but can be animal-derived. These include:
- Lactic acid – can be dairy-derived, although synthetic versions exist
- Glycerine – usually plant-based in vaping, but in other industries it’s sometimes sourced from animal fats
- Natural flavourings – a vague label that may include animal derivatives if not specified
- Colourings – some red or pink tones (like carmine) can come from crushed insects
Manufacturers rarely disclose ingredient sourcing in full unless they make a point of being vegan-friendly, which adds a layer of uncertainty.
Ethical Complexity of Synthetic Nicotine
Some e-liquids now use synthetic nicotine, which is lab-made rather than extracted from tobacco. While this avoids traditional tobacco farming and its associated environmental impact, the chemical production of synthetic nicotine often involves complex lab processes that may or may not have been tested on animals at some stage in development. There’s currently no industry standard for certifying synthetic nicotine as vegan.
Vape Testing and International Regulation
Some brands manufacture or distribute products in regions where animal testing is either required or difficult to avoid due to regulatory processes. Even if the final product is sold in the UK, it may have undergone animal testing to enter other markets. Multinational brands are especially prone to this.
This raises an ethical question: does a company that avoids animal testing in the UK but complies with animal testing laws in other countries still count as vegan-friendly? For strict vegans, the answer is usually no.
The Hardware Angle
Even though the e-liquid is the most scrutinised part, vape hardware itself is rarely examined through a vegan lens. Issues include:
- Adhesives – some glues and bonding agents may be animal-based
- Rubber components – certain types of rubber or elastomers are tested on animals during development
- Sourcing – the metals and plastics used in vape devices may be produced by companies that support animal testing in other product lines
While this gets into territory that many vegans may consider beyond reasonable scrutiny, for those following a strict ethical framework, it’s part of the bigger picture.
Future of Vegan Vaping
As awareness grows, there’s a real opportunity for brands to embrace vegan labelling not just as a marketing gimmick but as a standard. A future-proof vape product would likely include:
- Certified vegan ingredients
- Cruelty-free development and production
- Transparent sourcing for both e-liquids and hardware
- Clear labelling and traceability from manufacturing to shelf
Brands that meet these standards could easily stand out in a market where lifestyle and ethics increasingly drive purchasing decisions.
Final Word
Not all vapes are vegan, but many are—or can be—if you know what to look for. The main concerns are hidden animal-derived flavourings and the ethics of animal testing during development or compliance procedures. If sticking to vegan principles is important to you, choose brands that are upfront about their ingredients and testing practices. The good news is that with a bit of research, it’s entirely possible to enjoy vaping without compromising your values.
