What Does Ice Mean in Vapes?

One of the good things about shopping for a new vape is that most of the flavor names are completely self-explanatory. When you see a flavor with a name like “Sour Blue Raspberry,” you have a pretty good idea of what you’re going to get.

There are a few vape manufacturers who like a bit of mystery and are a little more creative when it comes to naming their flavors – but most companies keep their flavor profiles obvious to avoid confusion. When you see a flavor with “Ice” in the name, though, the type of experience you can expect to have isn’t quite so self-explanatory.

So, what does “Ice” mean in vapes? It means that the e-liquid in the vape contains menthol or another cooling agent, so you’ll feel a cold sensation in your mouth and throat when you vape. Many people enjoy the coolness, so Ice flavors have been extremely popular in the vaping world – especially among those who use disposable vapes.

Where does the cooling sensation come from in an Ice vape, though, and why should you care? In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know.

What Does an Ice Vape Feel and Taste Like?

When a vape has “Ice” in the flavor name, you can expect to experience a noticeable cooling sensation in your mouth and throat when you use it. Some Ice vapes are very cold, creating an even stronger cooling sensation than what you’d get when smoking a menthol cigarette. Most, however, aren’t overwhelming because people who want to experience extreme coldness when they vape represent a fairly small niche.

How an Ice vape tastes will depend on the specific agent used to create the cooling sensation. You may detect a note of mint in the flavor profile, or the cooling agent may contribute almost no extra flavor at all. In a moment, we’ll discuss why that’s the case.

It’s also important to understand that cooling agents are extremely common in disposable vapes – even in flavors that don’t actually have “Ice” in their names. That’s partially because disposable vapes are typically very high in nicotine and partially because people who use disposable vapes seem to really enjoy coolants. In some cases, though, the cooling in a vape that doesn’t have “Ice” in the name will be just barely noticeable.

What Produces the Cooling Sensation in an Ice Vape?

When vape manufacturers describe their Ice flavors, they usually only mention menthol. Menthol is just one of the coolants, though, that a vape may contain.

Several decades ago, a shaving company called Wilkinson Sword researched other cooling compounds that could be used in products like aftershave lotions instead of menthol, which can cause eye irritation. They manufactured some of those compounds under trade names beginning with “WS,” such as “WS-3” and “WS-23,” and many of those were in use for so long that they eventually received the “Generally Regarded as Safe” (GRAS) designation.

One of the differences between menthol and the WS cooling agents is that menthol is extracted from mint and contributes a noticeable mint flavor to a vape. You might not want a mint note, though, in every case. A mint note might cover or alter the flavor, for instance, in a vape that’s supposed to taste like vanilla ice cream or a fruity slush. So, the WS cooling agents are often used instead of menthol in these types of flavors.

Menthol can also be used in combination with one or more WS coolants and can produce a very strong cooling sensation in this case.

Can Any Type of Vape Have an Ice Flavor?

All types of vapes can have Ice flavors, so you can enjoy a pleasant cooling sensation with both disposable and refillable vapes. The difference, though, is that a disposable vape may contain an added coolant whether it’s explicitly stated in the flavor name or not. In bottled vape juice, on the other hand, flavors including coolants will almost always have “Ice” or “Menthol” in their names.

If you’re a fan of ice flavors, you might want to consider trying a refillable vape because the experience can be even more enjoyable than it is with disposables. Here’s why.

• Some bottled e-liquids contain much higher levels of menthol and other cooling agents compared to disposable vapes.
• When you use a refillable vape, the cooling sensation can be significantly stronger because you’re inhaling more vapor.
• A strong Ice vape juice can enhance the satisfying throat hit that you feel when you vape. The stronger throat hit may make it possible for you to switch to an e-liquid with a lower nicotine strength without compromising your satisfaction.

Why Do People Enjoy Ice Vapes?

So, why are Ice vapes so popular? If you smoked menthol cigarettes before switching to vaping, you already know the answer to that question – it’s because the cooling sensation in your throat is enjoyable. That’s one reason why menthol cigarettes are thought to be more addictive than regular ones. There are also two other reasons for the popularity of Ice vapes, though, that you might not have thought of before.

• A cooling sensation can make the vapor feel much smoother when you inhale it. This can potentially alleviate throat irritation or coughing that you might otherwise experience when vaping. This is particularly important with disposable vapes, which often have very high nicotine strengths.
• Coolants can also make some flavor profiles taste more realistic in a vape because they can help to recreate the flavors of things you’d ordinarily consume cold. For example, cola-flavored e-liquids have existed for well over a decade at this point. The cola note that’s used in these e-liquids tastes quite realistic, but there’s a certain mental disconnect that occurs without added cooling because you wouldn’t normally drink cola warm. With a coolant, a cola flavor can taste almost like you’re drinking the real thing poured over ice. The same is true of many other types of flavors such as ice cream flavors, slush flavors and more.