Zyn is a tobacco-free nicotine pouch designed to sit between your lip and gum, delivering nicotine through the lining of your mouth. Each small, white pouch contains pharmaceutical-grade nicotine salt mixed with plant-based fillers, pH adjusters, and sweeteners. There’s no tobacco leaf, no smoke, and no vapor involved.
What’s Inside a Zyn Pouch
The active ingredient is nicotine bitartrate dihydrate, a nicotine salt that the body absorbs more efficiently than freebase nicotine. Nicotine salts are naturally found in tobacco leaves, but they can also be synthesized in a lab. In Zyn’s case, the nicotine is paired with pH-adjusting compounds (sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, which is ordinary baking soda) that make the mouth’s environment slightly alkaline. This matters because nicotine crosses into the bloodstream faster when the surrounding pH is alkaline.
The rest of the pouch is structural. Microcrystalline cellulose, a plant-based fiber, gives the pouch its shape. Hydroxypropyl cellulose controls moisture and acts as a binding agent. Gum arabic (a natural sap from acacia trees) and maltodextrin (a starch derivative) add texture and volume. Two zero-calorie sweeteners, acesulfame potassium and sucralose, handle the taste alongside natural and artificial flavorings. Potassium sorbate, a common food preservative, prevents bacterial and mold growth. In total, there are about 12 core ingredients beyond nicotine itself.
Available Strengths and Flavors
In the U.S., Zyn comes in two nicotine strengths: 3 mg and 6 mg per pouch. These are the versions that received FDA marketing authorization in January 2025 across 10 flavors: Chill, Cinnamon, Citrus, Coffee, Cool Mint, Menthol, Peppermint, Smooth, Spearmint, and Wintergreen. Outside the U.S., stronger options exist. Mini Dry pouches are available in 3 mg, 6 mg, and 9 mg, while slim pouches come in regular, strong, and extra strong formats with nicotine concentrations up to 15.7 mg per gram.
How Nicotine Absorption Works
When you tuck a Zyn pouch between your lip and gum, nicotine dissolves in your saliva and passes through the oral mucosa, the thin tissue lining your mouth. This is called buccal absorption, and it’s considerably slower than inhaling nicotine from a cigarette. Smoking delivers nicotine to the brain in about 5 to 8 minutes through the lungs. A nicotine pouch takes 20 to 65 minutes to reach peak blood concentration.
That slower delivery is partly by design. Zyn pouches extract a higher percentage of their nicotine content than traditional snus. A 6 mg Zyn pouch releases roughly 3.5 mg of its nicotine (about 59%) during a typical session, compared to an 8 mg General snus pouch, which delivers about 2.4 mg (32%). So while the pouch contains less total nicotine, a greater share of it actually reaches your bloodstream. A typical pouch lasts 30 to 40 minutes before the nicotine is mostly spent.
How Zyn Differs From Snus and Chewing Tobacco
Traditional Swedish snus contains ground tobacco packed into a pouch. American moist snuff (dipping tobacco) is loose-cut tobacco placed directly against the gum. Both deliver nicotine through the mouth, but they also expose you to the thousands of compounds found in tobacco leaf, including tobacco-specific nitrosamines, which are well-established carcinogens.
Zyn eliminates the tobacco leaf entirely. The nicotine is isolated and delivered through a pouch made of food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade materials. This is the core distinction that earned Zyn its FDA marketing authorization: the agency determined that allowing these specific products on the market is “appropriate for the protection of public health,” particularly because they could help adult smokers transition away from combustible cigarettes. That authorization, however, does not mean Zyn is safe or FDA-approved in the way a drug would be. The FDA explicitly prohibits the manufacturer from making “reduced risk” claims without a separate, more rigorous application.
Side Effects and Oral Health Concerns
The most commonly reported side effect is mouth or gum irritation, which makes sense given that the pouch sits directly against soft tissue for extended periods. A systematic review of nicotine pouch research found that oral lesions are a frequent observation. In one clinical study, 9 out of 12 pouch users had visible oral lesions, typically white, localized patches in the areas where pouches are placed (the upper lip, near the front teeth and premolars). These lesions showed elevated levels of inflammatory markers, which raises concern about long-term tissue damage.
Nicotine itself, independent of tobacco, has documented effects on oral tissue. It can suppress the viability of cells in the periodontal ligament (the tissue that anchors teeth to bone), increase oxidative stress that damages DNA, and contribute to bone loss around teeth. Gum recession has been observed in pouch users, though one study noted that recession rates stayed relatively stable over the study period rather than worsening dramatically.
Beyond the mouth, nicotine pouch users commonly report nausea, headaches, rapid or irregular heartbeat, changes in taste or smell, and acid reflux. A cross-sectional study of nicotine users in Saudi Arabia found that over 80% of pouch users experienced nausea at some level, and roughly 75% reported headaches. Psychological effects were also prevalent: changes in appetite (79%), difficulty concentrating (75%), sleep problems (75%), and increased anxiety or irritability (73%). These overlap heavily with general nicotine dependence symptoms and may be more pronounced in newer users or those using higher-strength pouches.
How to Use and Dispose of Zyn
You place a pouch between your upper lip and gum, where it stays for 30 to 40 minutes. There’s no chewing, spitting, or inhaling required. Most people feel a slight tingling when they first place the pouch, which fades as the nicotine releases. After use, you remove the pouch and dispose of it in the trash. Zyn cans have a small compartment under the lid that holds about 8 to 10 used pouches, so you can store them until you’re near a trash can. The plastic can itself is recyclable once empty.
Regulatory Status in the U.S.
In January 2025, the FDA authorized 20 Zyn products for marketing in the United States, covering all 10 flavors in both 3 mg and 6 mg strengths. These are the first nicotine pouches to complete the premarket tobacco product application process. The authorization came with strict marketing restrictions: advertising on digital platforms, TV, and radio must be targeted to adults 21 and older, and the manufacturer is required to track the demographics of audiences reached by its ads. If the FDA finds a notable increase in youth initiation, it can suspend or withdraw the authorization.
Zyn is legally classified as a tobacco product, even though it contains no tobacco. This is because nicotine derived from tobacco falls under the FDA’s tobacco regulatory authority. The products are restricted to adults 21 and older, consistent with the federal minimum age for tobacco purchases.