Hi,
I'm back and forth between smoking and vaping and recently been trying DIY topical/patches.
To be honest I don't see myself %100 quitting smoking or vaping but who knows, I said that about going vegan and stayed vegan for over 11 years now. I stay physically active with work, exercise, can jog for miles and miles, etc - a cigarette/cigar every few weeks isn't going to hurt you as long as you don't get back into the routine - things like local air quality or just driving through tunnels, hair spray, cleaners, what chemicals are used to sanitize your local water source (chloramine etc is bad) ends up basically creating a gas chamber when you shower, etc etc, are much worse over time than a smoke every few weeks which lots of people enjoy and can have some benefits. I mean, even from the shut-down covid caused in China less people ended up dying overall because they stopped a lot of manufacturing etc which causes so much air pollution related problems.
I started vaping with the help of these forums around 2012 and was down from around 11 cigarettes daily to only 1 about every 2-3 weeks but I also vaped about 2.5ml of flavored 8mg daily. A lot of people back in 2013 vaped 36mg which seems crazy considering a lot of the pods etc nowadays are only like 2mg despite salt nic in most/all Pods supposedly delivers more efficiently.
When I got into DIY e-juice around 2014 I vaped around 2.5ml of 15mg Flavorless VG daily.
Years before the flavor bans etc or I always thought flavors were the sketchiest part of vaping, these flavors were originally basically made for making artificial candies etc, not inhaling, even eating them seems sketchy, and it just felt wrong vaping them especially when you vaped things like Root Beer and funny stuff like that, I was never into diacetyl (before the ban) cream/dairy/cake flavors, I was mostly into banana/fruit flavors.
I ended up smoking now half a pack a day again, my MODs kept giving me trouble, I was fed up with sticky juice leaking even though I used juice flow control tanks, my DNA mods were bricking on me from USB charging them, I didn't like using escribe for power curves etc ramp up times and didn't want to try non-kanthal TC coils or menu dive etc, sending MODs in for warranty etc because I hated the idea of using external chargers but DNA claims can safely charge them which yes they do safely balance charge multi cells but the charging fuse blows on them often hence there's many fuses being sold on eBay etc to re-solder repair. I also sort of fell into wanting to cloud chase although I never did mechanical mod stuff but I had 200-250W double/triple 18650 big mods and big RTAs that just became a hassle for me to carry around. Was also a hassle every year or so when I'd shop to see what new tanks and mods were available but there really hasn't been much break-through technology but I'm the type when I shop online I fall into a rabbit hole and basically have to narrow everything down through process of elimination to see what I want and this could take days and days sometimes - I was happiest with just a small pocket size 1,300 mAh eGO spinner with a Kanger protank on it vaping fruit flavors/flavorless, or a simple single coil RDA because it never leaked and was easy to rebuild. I used a car charger while out and about since battery didn't last too long.
Recently I got a nice, light pocket size single 18650 Vaporesso GEN 80 with a small Millennium MTL RTA flavorless which seems to be perfect for me but I'm still smoking. I do sort of want to now and then make some big clouds too so I might get a MOD just for that, I have a ginormous RDA waiting but nothing to power it with but that's besides the point and maybe later I'll try that just for fun - because when we started vaping in 2012 there wasn't much vapor then it became about dual coils, quad coils, dangerous unprotected mechanical MODs etc and I always had the itch to make big clouds but I'm sure it'd be a passing phase and I'd be back to just my small MTL tank.
I like simplicity - I remember reading here something which stuck with me was like "yea there's so many nuances with vaping whereas smoking is just 1) put cigarette in mouth 2) light it 3) smoke it".
So anyways, from dealing with 100mg nic concentrate DIY mixing, I knew it was sketchy just to handle or breath in because it can absorb through the skin. Now I'm realizing though, if I want to reduce smoking and vaping, why not just DIY patches/topical cream? NOT 100mg cream before you jump to conclusions. The nic we vape is the cleanest form that people inhale so it's got to be as-safe if not safer than nicotine patches which are pricey. I've recently been taking about 1ml of 10mg flavorless %100VG and rubbing it into my arm or thigh in the morning but I'm still smoking. I definitely don't want to overdo it with the topical, I don't know how long it lasts or if I should do it mostly in the morning or spread out - I don't want a rush of nicotine all at once at work, I'd rather a slow steady affect so I can basically forget about smoking or vaping. 1ml of 10mg topical is almost nothing compared to actually inhaling that much juice still isn't that much to vape. I read patches can take up to 8 hours and can last 24 hours and most people sleep with them on - I don't really want to be constantly on nicotine though lol that just seems weird. Patches range from 7mg,14mg, and 21mg. But I don't know the 'recipe' If I mix flavorless VG at 14mg how many ml would it take to actually have an affect and how much would be too much. I think a lot of it is also placebo affect but for now I'm afraid to apply too much and am thinking what I am applying is way too little and am smoking and vaping also, but again, placebo affect is also there either in my favor that even just a small amount topical is good enough but also that IDK if I'm feeling the actual nicotine and should apply more concentrated.
EDIT, it turns out patches aren't really that pricey, for $40 you can get 56 patches are supposed to last about a month which are a mix of 7, 14 and 21 mg, but some other brands or lozengers can get pricey and a hassle to find if run out vs I always have some nic concentrate in the freezer or can just run to the nearby store and buy a pack of cigarettes, but the temptation to just rub some DIY flavorless into the skin and just be done with it is also there.
I'm back and forth between smoking and vaping and recently been trying DIY topical/patches.
To be honest I don't see myself %100 quitting smoking or vaping but who knows, I said that about going vegan and stayed vegan for over 11 years now. I stay physically active with work, exercise, can jog for miles and miles, etc - a cigarette/cigar every few weeks isn't going to hurt you as long as you don't get back into the routine - things like local air quality or just driving through tunnels, hair spray, cleaners, what chemicals are used to sanitize your local water source (chloramine etc is bad) ends up basically creating a gas chamber when you shower, etc etc, are much worse over time than a smoke every few weeks which lots of people enjoy and can have some benefits. I mean, even from the shut-down covid caused in China less people ended up dying overall because they stopped a lot of manufacturing etc which causes so much air pollution related problems.
I started vaping with the help of these forums around 2012 and was down from around 11 cigarettes daily to only 1 about every 2-3 weeks but I also vaped about 2.5ml of flavored 8mg daily. A lot of people back in 2013 vaped 36mg which seems crazy considering a lot of the pods etc nowadays are only like 2mg despite salt nic in most/all Pods supposedly delivers more efficiently.
When I got into DIY e-juice around 2014 I vaped around 2.5ml of 15mg Flavorless VG daily.
Years before the flavor bans etc or I always thought flavors were the sketchiest part of vaping, these flavors were originally basically made for making artificial candies etc, not inhaling, even eating them seems sketchy, and it just felt wrong vaping them especially when you vaped things like Root Beer and funny stuff like that, I was never into diacetyl (before the ban) cream/dairy/cake flavors, I was mostly into banana/fruit flavors.
I ended up smoking now half a pack a day again, my MODs kept giving me trouble, I was fed up with sticky juice leaking even though I used juice flow control tanks, my DNA mods were bricking on me from USB charging them, I didn't like using escribe for power curves etc ramp up times and didn't want to try non-kanthal TC coils or menu dive etc, sending MODs in for warranty etc because I hated the idea of using external chargers but DNA claims can safely charge them which yes they do safely balance charge multi cells but the charging fuse blows on them often hence there's many fuses being sold on eBay etc to re-solder repair. I also sort of fell into wanting to cloud chase although I never did mechanical mod stuff but I had 200-250W double/triple 18650 big mods and big RTAs that just became a hassle for me to carry around. Was also a hassle every year or so when I'd shop to see what new tanks and mods were available but there really hasn't been much break-through technology but I'm the type when I shop online I fall into a rabbit hole and basically have to narrow everything down through process of elimination to see what I want and this could take days and days sometimes - I was happiest with just a small pocket size 1,300 mAh eGO spinner with a Kanger protank on it vaping fruit flavors/flavorless, or a simple single coil RDA because it never leaked and was easy to rebuild. I used a car charger while out and about since battery didn't last too long.
Recently I got a nice, light pocket size single 18650 Vaporesso GEN 80 with a small Millennium MTL RTA flavorless which seems to be perfect for me but I'm still smoking. I do sort of want to now and then make some big clouds too so I might get a MOD just for that, I have a ginormous RDA waiting but nothing to power it with but that's besides the point and maybe later I'll try that just for fun - because when we started vaping in 2012 there wasn't much vapor then it became about dual coils, quad coils, dangerous unprotected mechanical MODs etc and I always had the itch to make big clouds but I'm sure it'd be a passing phase and I'd be back to just my small MTL tank.
I like simplicity - I remember reading here something which stuck with me was like "yea there's so many nuances with vaping whereas smoking is just 1) put cigarette in mouth 2) light it 3) smoke it".
So anyways, from dealing with 100mg nic concentrate DIY mixing, I knew it was sketchy just to handle or breath in because it can absorb through the skin. Now I'm realizing though, if I want to reduce smoking and vaping, why not just DIY patches/topical cream? NOT 100mg cream before you jump to conclusions. The nic we vape is the cleanest form that people inhale so it's got to be as-safe if not safer than nicotine patches which are pricey. I've recently been taking about 1ml of 10mg flavorless %100VG and rubbing it into my arm or thigh in the morning but I'm still smoking. I definitely don't want to overdo it with the topical, I don't know how long it lasts or if I should do it mostly in the morning or spread out - I don't want a rush of nicotine all at once at work, I'd rather a slow steady affect so I can basically forget about smoking or vaping. 1ml of 10mg topical is almost nothing compared to actually inhaling that much juice still isn't that much to vape. I read patches can take up to 8 hours and can last 24 hours and most people sleep with them on - I don't really want to be constantly on nicotine though lol that just seems weird. Patches range from 7mg,14mg, and 21mg. But I don't know the 'recipe' If I mix flavorless VG at 14mg how many ml would it take to actually have an affect and how much would be too much. I think a lot of it is also placebo affect but for now I'm afraid to apply too much and am thinking what I am applying is way too little and am smoking and vaping also, but again, placebo affect is also there either in my favor that even just a small amount topical is good enough but also that IDK if I'm feeling the actual nicotine and should apply more concentrated.
EDIT, it turns out patches aren't really that pricey, for $40 you can get 56 patches are supposed to last about a month which are a mix of 7, 14 and 21 mg, but some other brands or lozengers can get pricey and a hassle to find if run out vs I always have some nic concentrate in the freezer or can just run to the nearby store and buy a pack of cigarettes, but the temptation to just rub some DIY flavorless into the skin and just be done with it is also there.
