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How To Take Care of Your New Tattoo

Published: 22 January 2019
Written by Kendall Scheufler
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Categories: Blog, Tattoos
Whether your new tattoo is a part of your spontaneous personality or was meticulously planned out over a long period of time, proper care is crucial. If you want to make sure your tattoo retains its initial quality and look, follow our guide for proper aftercare. Learn more about Tattoos from The Smoking Buddha

Aftercare Overview

By following a few recommended steps, you can help ensure your tattoo will be a showpiece for the long haul. In general, the aftercare process involves simple care until the art piece has healed.
  • Cleaning after bandage removal
  • Moisturizing with ointment after cleaning
  • Moisturizing with lotion
  • Avoiding a few things that will hinder healing

Bandage Removal and Cleaning

After your new tattoo has been completed, leave the bandage in place for an hour or two. Make sure you remove the bandage in a clean environment to prevent unnecessary germ exposure. Using a gentle antibacterial soap that doesn’t include any scrubbing elements or moisture beads, carefully wash the tattoo and surrounding area. For best cleaning results, make a lather with the soap and water in your hand first before washing the tattoo area. Using a circular motion, apply the soap and gently clean off any ointment left during the initial bandaging process. After rinsing the soap, allow the tattoo to air dry. If necessary, a hair dryer with a cool setting could be used to assist the drying. At this point, you don’t want to rub with a towel or anything that can be too rough on the freshly exposed tattoo. Your tattoo will need to be carefully cleaned in this way twice a day for the first couple of days.

Moisturizing Your Tattoo With Ointment

Each time your tattoo is washed and air-dried it will need to be moisturized afterward. Moisturizing will help with the healing process and prevent excess scabbing of the area. The ointment needs to be thick enough to cover the area lightly but not leave excess. Aquaphor or vitamin E oil are both good options. You will need to rub the oil or ointment carefully into the clean tattooed skin. Any excess can be removed with a paper towel by dabbing gently. If you see any weeping, light oozing or excess ink leaking away this can be typical and isn’t cause for alarm. Simply dab away with a paper towel and continue to use the ointment. You only need a small amount each time, reapplying every four to six hours. This step typically lasts three or four days. The ointment can be discontinued once the tattooed area begins to experience light flaking.

Switch to Lotion For Moisturizing

Several days after your tattoo has been completed, you will be able to discontinue use of Aquaphor or other ointments. As a sign you are ready to move to the next step in the tattoo aftercare process, your tattooed skin will begin flaking. Flaking is a normal part of the tattoo healing process. After flaking begins, an unscented, plain lotion can be used to keep the skin moisturized. It’s important to make sure the lotion is fragrance-free and hypoallergenic in order to avoid irritation. Lubriderm or Eucerin are both good choices for providing moisture without irritation. Application of lotion can be repeated as the tattoo takes time to finish drying out, but overuse of lotion can also cause irritation. If you notice the area is starting to break out, ease up on the number of times per day you apply the lotion or switch to a different brand.

What To Avoid During Tattoo Aftercare

In addition to keeping your tattoo clean and properly moisturized during the healing process, a few more tips can make the experience easier.
  • Avoid wearing tight-fitting or non-breathable fabrics over your tattoo for at least the first several days.
  • Breathable cotton fabrics are best for healing and to prevent damage to your clothing.
  • Avoid anything that might cause excessive itching or irritation, such as wool, a tight bra strap or a tight waistband on your pants.
One of the main roadblocks to proper tattoo healing is the urge to scratch the tattoo once it becomes itchy or pick at any scabbing or flaking that occurs. During the first few days, fully submerging in water should be avoided as well as exposing your new tattoo to the sun. Most tattoos heal fully and without issue within a couple of weeks, but if you notice any excessive redness, swelling or discharge or if you begin to run a fever that can’t be attributed to another cause, you should contact your doctor for direction.

Self-Expression Through Tattooing

If you are looking for a beautiful or exciting new piece of art for your skin, the Smoking Buddha’s in-house tattoo services can provide you with the customized, artistic tattoo of your dreams. An inspired tattoo artist knows how important self-expression can be to the customer,  contact us today to get started on realizing your vision.

Things to know before you start Vaping

Published: 15 January 2019
Written by Kendall Scheufler
No comments
Categories: Blog, Vaping

New to Vaping? We’ll Help You Get Started!

Are you new to vaping? Even if you’re a seasoned veteran, wading through the pool of different lingo, equipment, and even etiquette can be frustrating without a proper guide setting the best path. As vaping continues to increase in popularity, having a guide such as the one you’re about to read will be an essential tool for feeling comfortable and cool during your transition into vaping. See some of the popular vapes and vape mods we carry here

What Exactly Is Vaping?

A vaporizer, or another vaping device, consists of a couple of essential components.
  • The tank: where the e-liquid is stored.
  • Cotton wick: the means by which the e-liquid is absorbed.
When you turn on or activate the vaporizer, the tank quickly heats up, turning the juice into a vapor which you can then breathe in.

Key Terms and Vaping Lingo

If your head is already spinning due to terms like “tank” and “cotton wick,” that’s okay. Because the words associated with vaping can be so different from other forms of smoking, it’s necessary to have a solid handle on their meanings.
  • Atomizer: A small tube that is packed with a tight coil, this is perhaps the essential part of any vaporizer, as it is the coil that heats up and converts the juice into vapor.
  • Cartomizer: A disposable atomizer.
  • E-cigarette: A vaporizer that visually resembles a typical cigarette.
  • E-liquid: Another name for the juice you put into your vaporizer.
  • Mods: A customized modified vaporizer with variations on the standard vaporizer design made by its producer. The resulting vape device no longer resembles a mass-produced vaporizer.
  • Propylene glycol: The most common liquidused as a nicotine delivery system.
  • Vapor: The cloud of gas your vaporizer exhales and you inhale..
  • Vegetable glycerin: Another liquid that can serve as a base for a nicotine delivery system. It is made mostly from oils derived from plants and is preferred by those who find propylene glycol-based juices too harsh for their throat.

Get the Right Device

Generally speaking, there are three types of vaporizers you can purchase:
  • Disposable vaporizers: These vaporizers are small, disposable, and closely resemble typical cigarettes. If you’re a cigarette smoker, they make the perfect entry point to the world of vaporizers. Their main downside is you won’t be able to customize the flavor or smoking experience.
  • Mods: Many veteran vapers prefer mods, also known as advanced personal vaporizers, due to the ability to customize the perfect device for themselves. With mods, you can change things like tank size, coil temperature, and battery power. Some even come with electronic displays and adjustable settings.
  • Rechargeable vaporizers: This device is slightly more sophisticated and customizable than a disposable one, yet isn’t nearly as complicated as a mod. These usually come in two to three pieces, including a rechargeable battery, a tank, and an atomizer.

Find Your Preferred Nicotine Concentration Level

As previously mentioned, one of the great things about vaping is that regardless of the device you choose, there will still be a higher level of personalization than what you would find with cigarettes. One aspect of that personalization is nicotine strength. It can be dizzying to figure out the nicotine concentration for your preferred e-liquid. For newcomers, though, it’s always best to start small and work your way up. Starting at too high of a concentration right of the bat, especially if you’re not used to it, can induce coughing and may turn you off from vaping altogether. So, when it comes to nicotine strength, start low and go slow.

Vape Etiquette

As vaping is relatively new, the social rules and etiquette around using a vaping device are constantly shifting. The best practice is to use common sense. Don’t vape in crowded, enclosed spaces like a restaurant, theatre, or bus. Also, make sure to not vape or leave your vaping tools lying around children or pets, as nicotine is a poisonous product to them. However, in your own home or wide-open outdoor spaces, you should feel comfortable enough to vape away. Of course, if you’re renting your house or apartment, check your lease to see if smoking or vaping is allowed. If you’re unsure, reach out to your landlord and explain the difference between smoking cigarettes and vaping so they can have a better understanding of you and other tenants.

Contact Smoking Buddha For All Your Vaping Needs

Smoking Buddha is Colorado’s premier smoke and vape shop. We’re open seven days a week, so whether you want to check out our wide assortment of vaping products or just have a question for our knowledgeable staff, we’re here to provide tons of great information and help you with your vaping needs.

The Anatomy of a Vape Mod

Published: 27 November 2018
Written by Kendall Scheufler
No comments
Categories: Blog, Vaping
If you’re new to vaping or looking to explore and discover the ideal vaping experience for yourself, familiarizing yourself with vaporizers is a crucial first step. The overall selection of vaporizers available may look vast, but for the most part, they all fall under a few particular models. E-cigs are fine for casual use, but most folks that want to get seriously into vaping end up looking to more sophisticated devices – this often means a vape mod. Before you buy one, though, it helps to know what you’re looking at, how it works and what makes it tick; this way, you’ll be able to pick the best mod for you and take good care of it so it continues to deliver.

What is a Vape Mod?

Also called a “box mod”, a vape mod is a souped-up version of the assembly at the heart of a vape pen or e-cig, built with advanced power and customizability in mind. This is exactly why they’re called “mods.” The basic set of components, how they work and what they’re meant to do are all the same as with other vaporizers: • The battery, which stores energy and then supplies the power to the heating mechanism in order to vaporize the e-liquid. • The heating mechanism commonly called the coil, which is designed to convert e-liquid to vapor • The tank that houses both the e-liquid and the heating coil, creating a complete assembly that’s often called an atomizer • The drip tip, a mouthpiece that allows e-liquid to be manually poured directly into the atomizer What makes these different from those found in vape pens and e-cigs is that the parts are assembled in a way that makes them more modular – a pen is a complete package and you generally won’t be fiddling much with the details, but vape mods let you do just that to refine your vaping experience for better taste, stronger throat hits and more.

The Battery

Batteries are a familiar part of our daily lives, but it’s good to know the role a battery plays in vaping. Whether rechargeable or replaceable, the battery is what allows the atomizer’s coil to heat up and produce vapor by supplying a current through the coil. The jump to a more potent battery is what often drives switching to a box mod. Batteries in e-cigs often don’t provide enough power for a good hit, or they don’t hold a charge long enough for extensive use. Box mods boast batteries with longer life (rated in milliamp-hours, or mAh) and a higher current output (given as an amperage rating, which can range anywhere from 10A to 35A for higher-end models). Keep these statistics in mind when choosing a battery, especially the latter – the amperage needs to be compatible with the rest of the assembly.

The Coil and Tank

The heating mechanism takes the form of a coil of resistance wire with one end making contact with the battery, while the other is allowed contact with the e-liquid via wrapped cotton or a wicking element. This coil heats up as electricity is passed through it, with the heat generated proportional to the coil’s resistance (measured in ohms), in order to vaporize the e-liquid. Replacing the coil and its cotton or wick every so often prevents a burnt taste from creeping in. These elements, together with the e-liquid, are housed in a glass or plastic tank – the whole thing together is called an atomizer. E-cigs don’t usually allow temperature control, so the coil heats up to a specific temperature – often one too high for a good draw! Box mods allow you to adjust the coil temperature to prolong the life of the component and produce better flavor and hits. Additionally, some atomizers allow what’s called sub-ohm vaping – the resistance of the coil is set to less than one ohm, to increase power output on devices with a fixed voltage. This can put extra strain on the electrical components, but it also produces significantly more vapor for exceptionally strong lung hits.

Drip Tips

Dripping is a practice among more dedicated vapers that makes use of a hollow mouthpiece called a drip tip. Instead of storing e-liquid in a cartridge, the liquid is poured through the drip tip and directly into the atomizer. This allows finer control over your hits, and many report a cleaner, more consistent vapor. Learning to properly drip can be a bit advanced for new vapers, as proper timing and amount are needed to prevent a harsh, burnt draw or an overflowing atomizer. Perfecting it can give users a richer flavor and higher vapor production, and some like to use it to try out multiple different flavors.

Load Up at the Smoking Buddha

Whether you’re picking up your first vape mod or looking to customize with new parts, the Smoking Buddha has everything you need in one spot. Check out our premier inventory, or contact us with any questions you may have regarding our products.

Our Vape Shop Staff’s Top 10 Favorite eJuice Flavors

Published: 15 October 2018
Written by Kendall Scheufler
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Categories: Blog, eJuice
While you may have one or two go-to vape juice flavors, it’s good to switch things up now and then. When there are so many different offerings from a variety of brands, it’s fun to experiment. You’ll never know when you’ll find your next favorite e-juice! Here at The Smoking Buddha, we make a point to carry the best quality juices on the market at fair prices so you can always try something new. Due to the wide variety of options, we know it can be difficult to narrow down your choices. That’s why we did all the work for you! Here are ten of our most favorite juices that we sell.

1. Naked 100 Brain Freeze

No matter how long you’ve been vaping, you know that Naked 100 is a tried-and-true brand. Brain Freeze is one of their most renowned flavors. We love it for its mixture of tart kiwi, sweet strawberry, and lush pomegranate notes. It reminds us of snow-cones!

2. Candy King Strawberry Watermelon Bubblegum

If you’re into fruity e-juices, this is a gold mine. This legendary juice packs a serious punch of bubblegum tastiness. When you inhale, you experience the sugary strawberry notes. Then, it slowly fades into a watermelon flavor.

3. Ritual Marea

Ritual is a staple here at The Smoking Buddha. We’ve carried it ever since we opened up shop and it’s still one of our all-time favorite brands. Their Marea flavor is one of the most amazing e-juices you can get. It’s a timeless concoction of blueberry and raspberry that you’ll be grabbing time and time again.

4. Glas Basix Fizzy Lemonade

The Basix Series by Glas Vapors offers succulent e-juices that provide a bold and flavorful vaping experience. Their Fizzy Lemonade e-juice serves up a punch of fizzy-goodness accompanied by layers of pineapple nectar and freshly squeezed lemons. Fizzy Lemonade is perfect for vapers who appreciate refreshingly sweet sparkling lemonade.

5. Mr Salt-E Blood Orange Lemonade

One of our favorite salt juices is the Blood Orange Lemonade from Salt-E. Along with blood orange, this juice is blended with pineapple, tangerine, and lemonade flavors. Whether you primarily use nicotine salts or you’ve never tried them, this is an excellent juice to try.

6. Naked 100 Hawaiian POG

There’s a reason there are various juices from Naked 100 on our list–they’re simply amazing. When you take a hit of the Hawaiian POG vape juice, you’ll swear you’re on the coast of Hawaii under palm trees. This topical juice tastes like exotic guava, tangy orange juice, and passion fruit.

7. Tropical 100 Mango Mania

When it comes to salt juices, Tropical 100 makes some of the best. This juice mixes two of the sweetest fruits in the world–mango and nectarine. The taste is vibrant and will transport you to a perfect summer day even if it’s snowing. It’s pure-tasting and flavorful–you can’t ask for more than that.

8. Naked 100 Berry Lush

We can’t stay away from Naked 100. They make so many good flavors that you essentially have to try them all. While there are so many incredible ones to choose from, Berry Lush stands out, and that’s why it needs to be on our list. This juice is a luscious blend of sweet strawberry, fresh pineapple, and rich cream. We love it because it’s smooth and sweet!

9. Ritual Vivo

Here’s another excellent offering from Ritual. This juice contains a mixture of lemon-lime, strawberry, and mixed fruit flavors. The flavors are ever-changing, and you’ll never get bored of it. Once you try Vivo, you’ll be hooked.

10. Old Loco Mambo Mango

Old Loco never ceases to amaze when it comes to creating deliciously flavored e-juice. Mambo Mango is no exception. Crafted with care, Mambo Mango combines the taste of ripe mango with the sweet lychee fruit to create a tropical explosion. Perfect for the fruit-flavor lover, Mambo Mango is guaranteed to become a favorite in your e-juice arsenal.

Stop By For Premium Vape Juice & Service at The Smoking Buddha

Well, there you have it! Admittedly, it was difficult to condense our favorites down to ten. Here at The Smoking Buddha, we offer over 300 flavors. New brands and flavors are always coming into the shop so you’ll always have something new to try. Who knows–your favorite may not even be on this list! You’ll have to come down to the shop and try something for yourself. Our e juices are always affordable–they’re all under $20. Along with all our flavors, we sell a variety of vapes to go with them. Whether you love concentrates, oil, wax, shatter, or flower, we’ve got the vapes you need. We carry Pulsar, Swan, Evolve, and PAX. Head over to our shop to try out new juices and vapes!

Our 5 Favorite Places to Vape Around Parker, CO

Published: 4 October 2018
Written by Kendall Scheufler
No comments
Categories: Blog, Vaping
Vaping is a fun activity on its own, but doing it in your bedroom or your friend’s place can get boring after a while. If your vaping routine is getting monotonous, you may be looking for new places to enjoy your favorite e-juice. After all, vaping is a great social activity. It’s a perfect thing to do with friends, and it can be a conduit for meeting new people. However, it can be challenging to find new places on your own, especially if you don’t know if they’re vape-friendly. Here at Smoking Buddha, we know the Parker community like the backs of our hands. As vape enthusiasts ourselves, we’re always on the lookout for the best locations to vape at in and around Parker. Here are our top five favorite places to vape in the area.

1. Downtown Parker Wine Walks

No matter how many times you’ve been to downtown Parker, there’s always something to do and new people to meet. One of the best ways to enjoy the downtown area in a new light is attending one of the Wine Walks put on by the Parker Chamber of Commerce. All you have to do to attend is buy a ticket, and you’ll get to enjoy wine from various local businesses. Tickets are available at the Parker Visitor Center on Mainstreet. What better way to enjoy your vape while trying new wines and meeting new people? We recommend trying the Strawberry Belts juice from Candy King or the Blue Razz from Ritual with wine.

2. Elk Mountain Brewing

Few things are better than pairing your favorite vape juice with your favorite beer. If you’re looking for a fun place to meet new people and enjoy friendly service, you should check out Barnett & Son Brewing Company – one of Parker’s best hometown breweries.

3. Parker Farmers Market

Attending the farmers market on Sundays is another cool way to enjoy downtown Parker. You get to discover new food, arts, and activities. From fresh produce to farm-raised beef and everything in between, you’ll never run out of things to experience at the farmers market. Go ahead and enjoy a Sunday stroll with your vape! It’s an easy activity to make a routine with your buddies.

4. Parker Days Festival

There’s hardly anything more fun to do in Parker than attend the Parker Days Festival. While you’ll have to wait until summer rolls back around, this festival is something you’ll want to be sure to attend. Here are some of the things you can enjoy at the festival: ● Concerts ● Carnival Rides ● Parades ● Entertaining shows ● Delicious food There are plenty of exhilarating rides, exciting bands, and scrumptious food options to keep you coming back to the festival as an adult. Nothing’s better than vaping with your friends during the perfect weekend every year.

5. Smoking Buddha

How could we put together a list of the best places to vape in Parker and not include Smoking Buddha? This isn’t just shameless self-promotion–any of our customers will tell you Smoking Buddha is one of the most fun places to vape. We’ve been a trusted smoke shop and holistic store since 2011. We pride ourselves in offering the best products at fair prices–in fact, you’ll never pay over $20 for vape juices here. Some of the bottles of e-juice you can get here include: ● Candy King ● Ritual ● Naked ● Mr. Salty ● TRPCL ● pod Plus, we have all the mods, vape pens, and glass you could ever want. You’ll run into other vape enthusiasts here that may turn into great friends. Plus, you can always come and talk to us and hang out–we love meeting everyone who comes into our store. Vaping is one of the best ways to express yourself, socialize, and chill out. Whether you do it alone, with friends, or while meeting new people, it can be a special experience. However, sometimes it helps to break out of your standard routine. Trying new flavors and vaping in new places will help keep your passion for vaping alive. Come by to check out our vape shop for all your vaping needs!
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E-Juice: What is it?

Published: 17 August 2017
Written by Kendall Scheufler
No comments
Categories: Blog, Uncategorized
Updated on July 22nd 2023

What exactly is e-juice and what purpose does it serve? E-juice is a liquid that is commonly used in electronic cigarettes, personal vaporizers and mods. The vaporizer (or mod) heats up the E-juice and turns it into vapor which is then inhaled. E-juice may or may not contain nicotine, and there are thousands of e-juice flavors available for sale today. The amount of nicotine (strength) will cause the e-juice to appear darker the more there is.

E-juice typically contains a mixture of Propylene Glycol (PG), Vegetable Glycerin (VG), Distilled Water, Ethyl Alcohol, Nicotine and Flavoring or Extracts. Not all e-juice has the same ratio of PG to VG mixture, and while some e-juices use flavoring others may use extracts which are more complex and costly to produce. Read our additional article to explore the differences between PG and VG e-Juice.

How to Choose a Vaporizer
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