How to open a nic salt bottle (including Elux Legend nic salts)

To open Elux nic salts, or any nic salt bottle, press the cap down firmly and turn it anticlockwise while keeping the pressure on. If it is new, the tamper-evident ring will snap free as you turn. The cap only grips the thread while it is pushed down, which is what makes it child-resistant. If you twist without pressing, it just clicks round. Every 10ml nicotine e-liquid sold in the UK has a cap like this by law.

Why nic salt bottles are hard to open

The caps are hard to open on purpose. UK rules require refill containers for nicotine e-liquid to be child-resistant and tamper-evident, and protected against breakage and leakage. That comes from regulation 36 of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. So every brand, including Elux Legend, Elfliq and Bar Juice 5000, uses a cap that needs a push and a turn, plus a seal that shows whether the bottle has been opened.

How to open a nic salt bottle, step by step

1. Hold the bottle upright on a flat surface, or firmly in one hand.
2. Put the palm of your other hand flat on top of the cap.
3. Press down hard. You should feel the cap drop slightly as it engages.
4. Keeping the pressure on, turn anticlockwise. On a new bottle you will feel the tamper ring give way.
5. Keep pressing and turning until the cap lifts off.

If the cap just clicks and spins, you are not pressing hard enough. Push down more firmly before you turn. Using your palm rather than your fingertips gives you more pressure for less effort.

If the cap still will not open

• Dry your hands and the cap. E-liquid on your fingers makes the cap slippery.
• Press on a table rather than in mid-air, so you can lean your weight on it.
• Check you are turning anticlockwise. Turning clockwise just tightens it.
• Look at the tamper ring. If it is already broken on a bottle you have not opened, do not use it; return it to the store you bought it from.

Avoid pliers or knives. Squeezing a bottle hard enough to crack the cap can split the plastic and spill nicotine liquid on your hands. If a cap is faulty, take it back.

Opening Elux Legend and other Elux liquid bottles

Elux Legend nic salts use the same press-and-turn child-resistant cap as other 10ml nic salt e-liquids, so the steps above work. The bottle is small, which makes it harder to get a grip, so the palm-on-top method helps most here. No bottle opener or tool is needed; if you find yourself reaching for one, press harder rather than twisting harder.

Shortfill bottles open the same way

Larger shortfill bottles of 0mg vape liquid also use child-resistant bottle caps, and they open with the same push and turn. The difference is the bottle size: a shortfill holds 50ml or 100ml and often has a removable nozzle so you can add a nicotine shot. Nic salts stay in 10ml bottles because UK rules cap nicotine-containing liquid at 10ml. Our nicotine-free vape juice guide explains how shortfills work.

What you will find under the cap

Most 10ml nic salt bottles have a long, thin nozzle under the cap, made to fit into the small fill port on a pod. On some bottles the nozzle tip is sealed shut until the first time you open it; on others it is open straight away. Either way, the narrow tip lets you fill a pod one drop at a time without spilling.

Filling your pod without spills

Once the bottle is open, the rest is about filling slowly and not overfilling. Aim the nozzle at the side wall of the pod rather than straight down the middle, where the chimney is, and stop at the fill line. Our full guide to refilling a vape pod covers every step, and if it is a new pod or coil, give it a few minutes to soak first, as explained in how to prime a coil.

Check the label before you vape

Once the bottle is open, take a second to check the label matches what you meant to buy. The nicotine strength is printed on the front, as 5mg, 10mg or 20mg. Using a stronger nic salt than you are used to will give a much harsher throat hit than expected. The flavour name and the range are on the label too, which helps if you keep a mixed e-liquid collection. If you are unsure which strength suits you, the strength guide explains how to choose.

Tips if you have a weak grip

Child-resistant caps can make it hard to open e-liquid bottles if you have arthritis or a weak grip. A rubber grip pad, the kind sold for jar lids, gives you far more purchase on a small vape juice bottle without any risk of cracking it. Pressing down with the heel of your hand and turning with the bottle braced against a table also takes most of the strain out of it. If it still will not unscrew, ask someone else to open it once; the cap is just as secure afterwards, because it locks again every time it is closed.

Closing the bottle again

Screw the cap back on clockwise until it stops. It does not need pressing to close. Then check it has locked by trying to open it without pressing: it should just click. Store bottles upright, capped, away from heat and out of reach of children and pets.

Storing your vape juice bottles

• Keep bottles out of direct sunlight and away from radiators; heat can change the flavour.
• Stand them upright on a flat surface so the nozzle does not leak.
• Keep the cap locked and the bottles out of reach of children and pets.
• Take only the bottle you need when you go out; carrying several loose bottles is how caps get knocked open.

Which nic salts this applies to

Every nic salt we cover uses a child-resistant cap, so these steps work for all of them. Browse Elux Legend nic salts, including favourites like Elux Legend Mr Blue, or see every nic salt across the three ranges.