How To Use Terpenes In Vapes

Interested in adding terpenes to your vapes? Learn how to use terpenes in vape products, from flavor and aroma selection to practical steps and safety measures.

First, if you’re wondering whether or not you can even vape terpenes...absolutely! If your next thought is, “Great, I’ll just order some terpenes, mix it all up, and go to town,” you might want to pump the brakes.

Don’t get us wrong, terpenes and vaping are absolutely a match made in heaven. It’s one of the easiest ways to create unique flavors and aromas that can elevate your mood and create one-of-a-kind experiences. Before you get started though, there are a few items you’ll want to consider.

We’re talking about things like whether your consumers want cannabis-forward aromas or high-intensity fruit, candy, and dessert flavors. What kind of sensory effects do you want your consumers to experience? Plus, you’ll want to check and ensure you have all the necessary equipment before getting started.

Read on and learn how to add terpenes to your vape products and how to choose terpenes that will give your consumers the best possible vaping experience.

Why You Should Use Terpenes in Vapes

Let us paint a picture for you. 

Imagine your car is traveling at a humdrum 3 mph. Now turn the steering wheel a modest 2° in either direction. What do you notice? Little to no change in direction. However, if you pump the gas and accelerate the car to 100 mph, that same 2° turn of the wheel now results in a massive change in direction. 

In this scenario, terpenes are the steering wheel, and compounds like THC are the gas that propels you to either 3mph or 100 mph. Without these other compounds, terpenes alone will get you almost nowhere (like steering a parked car). With these compounds, terpenes allow you to have significantly different experiences.

While terpenes will NOT get you high, they do promote sensorial effects like relaxation, energy, or even creativity. That’s why many manufacturers will often add terpene profiles and blends to cannabis products like CannaClear and distillate. On their own, these concentrates are very potent and consumers will experience psychoactive effects, but that’s kind of like taking an elevator up and down. When you add terpenes, however, it’s more like getting in an airplane and traveling to a new destination.

Plus, terpenes add flavor and aroma to vape products. Admittedly, that’s putting it mildly. You can add terpene isolates, which all have unique aromas, or you can add various terpene profiles and blends. From dank cannabis-forward aromas to high-intensity fruit flavors, there’s something for everyone (don’t worry, we’ll give you some specific recommendations later).

How to Use Terpenes in Vapes

Here are the initial steps you’ll want to follow, but don’t worry. We’ll dive into each step to give you all the details.

1. Make sure you have the right vape pen/mod for your needs. 
2. Prepare all the necessary equipment.
3. You can create a terpene infused vape oil by blending your carrier of choice, your terpenes of choice, and/or a cutting agent (we recommend starting with 5% terpene in your solution).

Admittedly, this is a massive oversimplification. So, let’s dive in even deeper.

Find the Right Vape Equipment

There’s no point in vaping if your equipment is sub-par. At best, using the wrong equipment leads to poor consumer experiences (incorrect temperatures, coil issues, leakages, etc.). At worst, it can lead to safety issues. Clearly, this is not what you want, so you’ll want to source vape equipment that fits your specific needs. We hope that was pretty obvious.

Also, if you’re creating your vape oil from scratch you’ll want an assortment of different equipment to make things easier. So make sure you have everything you might require. Not sure what you need? Give our How to Use Terpenes article a quick glance before making your checklist.

Create Your Terpene Infused Vape Oil

This is the part we love! You may already have a completed vape oil that you simply wish to add terpenes to. If, however, you’re starting from scratch, you’ll want to start low and go slow. 

First, you’ll need a carrier liquid, which will make up the majority of your solution. Often people use propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, or MCT, but they can often have pronounced effects and residual flavors, so use with caution.

If you’re simply making a delicious vape oil that’s all about the flavor, you can move on to adding your terpenes (we recommend a 5% terpene solution to start with) and a cutting agent if necessary. Having trouble standardizing the viscosity of your oil? Check out our TEC Temper.

Creating a vape oil infused with nicotine, THC, and/or CBD? Our terpenes don’t contain any nicotine, cannabis, or cannabis products, so if that’s something you want you’ll need to add it. As always, make sure you’re acquiring your materials from trusted sources and that you understand the correct dosing for your product. 

Regardless of what type of vape oil you’re creating, always add your terpenes last. Terpenes are highly concentrated, and you won’t need much to get the desired flavor. Often, when your oil is just 5% terpenes, the aroma is still quite powerful. 

TERPENE MIXING CALCULATOR 

Which Terpenes are Best for Vaping?

Aside from simply making sure you’re using the highest quality terpenes possible, the “best” terpenes for your vape products are going to be the ones that give your consumers their desired flavors, aromas, and experiences.

Our Native Series collection has all the true-to-type dank cannabis flavors and aromas you and your customers are just itching to get your hands on. From iconic Blue Dream and gassy King Louie XIII to heady Super Lemon Haze and savory GMO. Plus, with our latest research into exotic cannabis aromas, we can utilize cannabis flavorants to craft terpene profiles with an entirely new level of authenticity. 

For consumers who don’t necessarily want vapes with cannabis aromas, our Cloudburst Series is engineered to provide maximum high-intensity flavor. Our chemists faithfully recreated the sweetest, most in-demand fruit and dessert flavors, and then they turned up the intensity. We’ve got something for everyone with seasonal Caramel Apple, chilly Glacial Guava Ice, luscious Sundrenched Moscato, and so much more. 

That’s just the start! We’ve got hemp-derived terpene profiles that serve up rumbling notes of earthy bass, terpene blends specifically designed to enhance mood, and much more. Plus, you can mix terpene blends and profiles to create something entirely different OR you can have a custom blend created. When it comes to creating unique experiences with terpenes, the sky is the limit.

Craft the Best Terpene-Infused Vape Products with Abstrax Tech

At Abstrax Tech, we conduct industry-leading, peer-reviewed research on cannabis to push the industry forward with better education and collaboration. We’re passionate about the industry and will continue promoting excellence in research and innovation. 

Have questions about incorporating terpenes into your vape formulations? Want expert assistance developing the right aroma, flavor, and effects for your products? We’re here to help.

If you’re a manufacturer and are interested in partnering with us, contact us today and let’s design a custom terpene formulation! 

Oswald, I., Paryani, T., Sosa, M., Ojeda, M., Altenbernd, M., Grandy, J., Shafer, N., Ngo, K., Peat, J., Melshenker, B. G., Skelly, I., Koby, K., Page, M., & Martin, T. (2023, October 12). Minor, Nonterpenoid Volatile Compounds Drive the Aroma Differences of Exotic Cannabis. ACS Publications.

Make the BEST Vape Products with Terpene Profiles and Blends

SHOP Blue Dream

After years of searching, we’ve discovered the best version of this cultivar and modeled it from a particularly juicy sauce. This invigorating blend of sweet blueberries captures the sexiest, most iconic version of Blue Dream.

 

SHOP King Louie XIII

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Indeed, this monarch carries the traditional OG impact concentrated in a pleasantly cranial direction. This profile is just straight gas. If you want to get loud, look no further. The king is here.

SHOP Super Lemon Haze

Super Lemon Haze has a zesty lemon aroma that’s candy-like without overpowering the senses. The subtlest hint of pine sets off the flavor and makes it a heady solution for daytime errands, hikes, or afternoon lulls.

SHOP GMO

As the first to benefit from our breakthrough discovery, GMO is kicking off the next era of botanical aromatics. Flavorants Skatole and Indole multiply its notoriously savory and funky notes for a loud, gassy, and undeniably pungent finish.

SHOP Caramel Apple

Caramel Apple is the perfect way to welcome the autumn season. The crispness of tart juicy apples combines with milky ribbons of warm buttery caramel for a sticky sweet treat best enjoyed while the leaves change colors.

SHOP Glacial Guava Ice

Arctic temperatures are coming to the tropics with Glacial Guava Ice. The unexpected combo of floral pink guava and brisk ice creates a high-intensity flavor that’s fruity, sweet, and exhilarating.

SHOP Sundrenched Moscato

Stroll through the endless grapevines of the Italian countryside with Sundrenched Moscato. Soft floral notes elevate the extraordinary burst of sweet berries for a flavor that’s exotic, velvety, and oh-so-very palatable.

SHOP TEC Temper

A proprietary blend of triethyl-citrate and terpenes that helps to standardize the viscosity of your products. Works for D9, D8, D10, HHC, and CBD. Helps to prevent the crystallization of CBD.

What does TEC Temper do?

Say you’re making a vape cart and you want to have the best flavor, but the cannabinoid extract won’t flow through the cart without adding more and more terpenes. TEC Temper thins your oil without adding flavor/aroma so that it’s flowable while also helping to prevent crystallization and crashing out.

For all extracts. For all applications.

TEC Temper is suitable for D9 THC, D8 THC, D10 THC, HHC, and CBD. Yes, that’s right. It works for both THC and CBD.

Stop crashing out. Stop crystallization.

Some cannabinoids (particularly D8/D10/HHC) are way more viscous than D9 and they can solidify or clog up hardware. CBD is prone to crystallization and offers its own unique challenges. TEC Temper can help to alleviate all of those issues.