There are countless reasons that we love vaping. But that doesn’t mean that everything about vaping is self-explanatory.
Far to the contrary, many first-timevapers find their first time using a vape pen to be a confusing experience that ultimately can leave them with more anxiety and worry than enjoyment. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.
The truth is that anyone can understand the vaping world, all the way down to the tiny details that the guy who owns your local smoke shop likes to consider.
All you need is the right place to look for helpful information — and now that you’ve found California Honey Vapes, you’re in the right place! Here is a look at everything you need to know to use a vape pen and enjoy your first experience.
What Is a Vape Pen?
Before we can get into the nitty-gritty of how vape pens work and what you need to do to use one properly, we should first cover the basics. Vape pens are a smoking alternative that doesn’t involve the combustion of a smokeable.
That’s essentially a fancy way of saying that vape pens can provide you an inhalable gas without the need for fire.
This means that the gas, or vapor, produced by vape pens is not smoke but a warm gas composed of different compounds, giving you exposure to fewer chemicals that you find in cigarettes. Vape pen cartridges are also typically flavored, giving you options in various fruity and dessert flavors.
What Are the Parts of a Vape?
Vape pens are all unique and depend on the manufacturer and the modifications made to your device, so there may be different or additional parts to the ones we describe. That said, most vape pens have a very similar build and are composed of similar parts. The most critical components of your typical vape pen are these four elements:
1. Mouthpiece
The mouthpiece is the portion of the vape pen you put your mouth on when you hit the pen. Mouthpieces are typically shaped somewhat like the mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument, with different sizes and shapes depending on the brand. In most disposable pens, the mouthpiece is the only hole into and out of the pen.
You should do your best to keep the mouthpiece of your vape clean, as you do have to put it in your mouth to use the pen. This means being careful where you put your vape pen and wiping the mouthpiece with disinfectant wipes when appropriate.
2. Cartridge
Next up is the cartridge, which is the piece of the pen that contains your vaping liquid. Vaping liquids can use several different liquids and flavorings combined with a concentrate of nicotine, CBD oil, THC oil, or another drug element.
Some pens feature refillable or replaceable vape cartridges that can be used multiple times, while other prefilledvape pens are disposable, and you cannot access the pens cartridge.
3. Battery
The vape pen battery is what brings power to the entire operation. Most vape pens use some form of a lithium-ion battery, although each pen and brand are different. The biggest difference separating vape pens is whether the battery is rechargeable or not, with non-rechargeable batteries belonging to disposable vape pens.
If your vape pen is rechargeable, it probably comes with a USB charger. Whether rechargeable or disposable, the battery supplies electrical energy to the atomizer, the final piece of the vaping puzzle.
4. Atomizer or Heating Element
Finally, there is your vape pen's atomizer or heating element. The atomizer is the heart of your vape pen, where the electrical current from your battery is directed to your vape coils.
Your vape coils are coils of metal that, when exposed to electrical current, get incredibly hot. This heats a cotton wick in the heating chamber, connected to the cartridge, and soaked in vape juice, producing the vapor you inhale.
Some vape pens have multiple heat settings, which can have different effects on the liquid in your cartridge.
You’ve got a functional vaping device with just these four simple components. These devices' simplicity has led to their compact designs, flavorful and powerful flavorings, and ease of use.
How To Use a Vape Pen: A Step By Step Guide
Now that you have a thorough understanding of the main components of a vape pen, you’re ready to use your pen. Here is an easy-to-understand, step-by-step guide to help you use your vape pen like a pro in no time.
1. Press the Button (if You Have One)
First, look at the body of your vape pen and see if you can identify a power button. If your pen has no buttons, don’t worry about it, but if you do, you’ve got an extra special step.
You’ll need to push the button to activate your pen (which is why they’re called push-button vape pens) and may need to hold the button while you hit the pen to produce vapor.
If you don’t have a button on your vape pen, you have a draw-activatedvape pen that activates the battery when it senses you are pulling from it. This helps to conserve battery life.
Furthermore, if you are hitting your pen for the first time and nothing is happening, be sure you haven’t missed the button and look for it again. There is also usually an indicator light at the bottom of the pen that turns on when active, so you should be able to see if the pen is activating.
2. Pull on the Pen
Now that you have activated the button or determined that you do not need a button to activate your pen, you can pull on the mouthpiece. This does not mean you grab onto the mouthpiece and tug, but you put it in your mouth and suck on it to create airflow to draw in vapor.
If this is your first time vaping, then be sure not to take too large of a hit right away. This can result in coughing, pain in your throat, and difficulty catching your breath for a little while. If you’re a beginner, you only need to pull for one or two seconds.
3. Breather Into Your Lungs and Hold
You should also be sure that you are inhaling the vapor into your lungs, not just in your mouth. While you can taste the flavor of your vape juice in your mouth, your body won’t absorb the nicotine, THC, CBD, or whatever else is in your vape pen.
Also, be sure that you are holding the vapor in your lungs for long enough to let your body absorb the components of the vapor. A good general rule is to aim for a two to four-second hold on your vapor.
4. Breathe Out
Last but not least, you can breathe the smoke out of your lungs and mouth. There are tons of super cool vape tricks you can do with the smoke while you blow it out, but these are unnecessary to enjoy yourself. Try not to blow your smoke directly at someone else — it’s important to be respectful.
And that’s all there is to it. If you can follow these steps reliably, you will be hitting your pen like a pro in no time. If you find it hard to take a larger hit, don’t worry — it’s a skill that comes with time. In a few weeks or months, you’ll find it much easier.
How To Use a Vape Pen: Choosing Your Concentrate
As we mentioned earlier, vape juice, also called e-liquid, comes in many forms and flavors, with various concentrates available. From nicotine-free to THC, as well as plenty of other options, choosing the right concentrate for your experience is crucial.
Here is a brief look at a few kinds of concentrates you can use with a vape pen or dab pen.
1. Nicotine-Free
The first kind of concentrate you can choose is no concentrate at all. Nicotine-free e-liquidssimply don’t have any nicotine concentrate added.
Instead, the e-liquid comprises a combination of vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol (food additives that are liquid and flavorless) with flavor extracts. These liquids taste delicious, produce full, thick, and dense clouds of vapor, and are an excellent option to have on hand.
2. 5% Nicotine
The most popular type of vaping liquid is a vaping liquid that contains five percent nicotine. These liquids use vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol.
These liquids are popular because they produce a thick and satisfying vapor when heated and are good carriers of flavor extracts, nicotine, and other drug components. Vape liquid comes in different nicotine strengths, so you can read the labels and purchase only the amount you want.
3. THC
While it is more common to find THCvape pens with thicker concentrate like wax or oil cartridges, cannabis oilvape pens are out there. THC is the cannabinoid in marijuana that is responsible for the psychoactive effects of the substance.
Vaping THC is a discreet on-the-go option since it doesn’t produce the same pungent aroma that smoking marijuana is known to produce.
4. CBD
CBD is another cannabinoid that is derived from the marijuana plant, but CBD is not a chemical that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, CBD commonly soothes feelings of stress, eases discomfort, and relaxes the mood.
CBD vapes can be purchased legally in most states (unlike marijuana, which you must legally purchase at a dispensary). They won’t put you afoul of any drug possession laws.
5. Delta-8
Finally, there is delta-8, which is a derivative of THC. Delta-9 THC is the type of THC that can have psychoactive effects, while delta-8 is a type that does not cause the same effects and, as such, is not as restricted as THC.
Delta-8 can give users feelings of euphoria and a mild headrush and help calm jittery nerves.
How To Use a Vape Pen: Graduation Day
That’s all there is to it. You may feel like you’ve just learned a lot of new information, but you’ll have mastered it in no time. The vaping world doesn’t have to be confusing and difficult to learn.
If you’re looking for some of the best vape products, you should check out our offerings here at California Honey Vapes.
From nicotine-free vapes and five percent nicotine, rechargeable batteries, and tons of gear, we have everything you might need for the ultimate vaping experience. On top of that, we have dozens of delicious flavors like Red Bull and Tropical Gummy, sure to have your mouth watering with every hit.
Sources:
Delta-8-THC: Delta-9-THC’s nicer younger sibling? | Journal of Cannabis Research
What are the benefits and side effects of vegetable glycerin? | Medical News Today
