Zyn may have taken nicotine pouches mainstream, but we’ve come a long way since the brand popularized the “lip pillow.”
When the company hit US shelves more than a decade ago, it helped kick open the door to a booming new market for tobacco alternatives.
Now, everyone wants a piece of the pouch. Brands are repurposing the under-the-lip delivery system for everything from caffeine and cannabis to vitamins and melatonin.
The trend “was almost inevitable,” Stephanie Boyd, a consumer-focused researcher and marketing expert, told The Post. “Consumers are consistently looking for products that can fit seamlessly into their existing lives without extra preparation, equipment, calories or having to go outside,” she said.
Then there’s the stealth factor. Chances are, you’ve had a conversation with someone with a pouch tucked under their lip and never even knew it.
“I think that discretion is one of the most underestimated drivers of this category,” Boyd said. “Smoking announces itself. A pouch doesn’t.”
And that may be the key to understanding why the pouch has escaped the nicotine aisle.
The rise of the pouch
Though Zyn and its competitors certainly popularized pouches, they didn’t invent them. Oral snus — a moist, powdered tobacco product traditionally placed between the gum and cheek or upper lip — has been used in Sweden for centuries.
They took off in the US after Swedish Match introduced Zyn in 2014 (the brand has since been acquired by Philip Morris International). An alternative to smoking for nicotine users, some of the appeal is that they may have a “lower risk of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema and chronic bronchitis,” according to the FDA.
But the wider cultural impact has gone beyond fueling a potentially less risky nicotine habit: Zyn helped normalize the pouch itself.
Smoking was once an easy, relatively cheap way for young people to look “older and sexier” while signaling rebellion and belonging, said cultural specialist Annalisa Nash Fernandez, a former Philip Morris International employee. As the damaging health impact took center stage, they lost some of their “cool” factor.
Vaping offered a newer way to get nicotine, but it carried some of the same stigma as cigarettes. Pouches represent the latest evolution: a way to consume nicotine without the smoke or vapor.
Flavors are part of that appeal, too.
“Gen Z was raised on infinite personalization with customized playlists, a thousand skincare routines, et cetera, which is what the flavors play into as self-expression,” Nash Fernandez said. “But instead of expressing as rebellious, Zyn is for the individualized identity of a new age.”
Once consumers got used to the format, brands started swapping out what was inside — betting that the pouch’s discreet, adaptable nature could make it a vehicle for just about anything.
The stealth appeal of cannabis
The cannabis industry has embraced the pouch, offering users a way to partake without leaving the neighborhood smelling like a skunk.
Michigan-based KSHN touts its pouches as “more discreet than smoking and more controlled than edibles.” JOEI by Garden Remedies in Massachusetts similarly promises users can “enjoy the full effect of THC without smoke, odor or cleanup.”
For those looking for something milder, California’s Cannadips offers a CBD line in flavors like toasted coconut, southern peach and rebel red apple. “No smoke. No spit. No THC,” its website reads, “just deeper calm and full control.”
“Culturally, [this] discretion gives consumers more autonomy so they can consume without necessarily inviting questions or judgement,” Boyd said.
From getting buzzed to getting well
The trend is being fully embraced in the wellness world.
NZE sells “performance pouches” powered by nootropics intended to support energy, clarity and focus, such as Alpha GPC and L-Tyrosine.
WIP offers sugar- and calorie-free pouches containing up to 200mg of natural caffeine — roughly the amount in two mugs of coffee. Its website describes them as “built to move,” emphasizing that “no liquid = no sipping, no slosh.”
Zalt, meanwhile, makes what it calls the “first ever electrolyte and B vitamin pouch,” with flavors like strawberry lemonade and lemon lime.
“Hydration support that kicks in quick. No mixing, no shaking, no waiting,” its website states.
TRGT takes aim at bedtime with “sleep pouches” that are “formulated to support natural wind-down and restorative nighttime recovery” and contain melatonin, magnesium and L-Theanine.
The wellness industry, Boyd said, is especially receptive to pouches because its consumers are already focused on optimization.
“A pouch can be positioned not just as a supplement but also as a frictionless way to maintain a wellness routine,” she explained.
Lip pillow, meet oral health
It seems natural that dentistry would get in on the action, too. SMILE+ calls itself “the only daily pouch that whitens your teeth and eliminates bad breath.”
Its pouches — and containers — look strikingly similar to Zyn’s, but its “mint ice” flavor contains 55mg of nano-hydroxyapatite, a synthetic form of the calcium and phosphate mineral that makes up much of tooth enamel.
The company says the ingredient, along with other components, can help break down stains, strengthen enamel, neutralize odor-causing bacteria and soothe gum tissue.
Limits of the lip: Do these pouches really work?
The science may not be as straightforward as the packaging.
Certain substances placed against the oral mucosa — the tissue lining the mouth — can pass into the bloodstream, potentially kicking in more quickly than when swallowed.
“Drug delivery through the oral mucosa can provide a faster onset than that through the GI tract because, once the drug penetrates the mucosal membrane and enters the blood, it reaches the systemic circulation rapidly,” explained Dr. Kevin Li, a pharmaceutics professor at the University of Cincinnati who researches drug-delivery methods.
But the body also has to absorb enough of a substance to produce the desired effect — and that’s not a given. The oral mucosa is less permeable than the GI tract, and absorption depends on the substance, its concentration and how long it remains against the tissue.
“Only certain drugs can be absorbed rapidly and efficiently through the oral mucosa to reach the therapeutic concentration in the systemic circulation to produce the desired effects,” Li said.
He added that vitamins and minerals are harder for the mouth to absorb than the gut, and many supplements require large doses that can’t be adequately absorbed by oral tissue.
Beware: the unfortunate and unexpected side effects
Frequent pouch users may develop redness, sores, blisters and rough or white patches on their gums, warned Dr. Raven Banks, a doctor of dental medicine with Aspen Dental.
In some cases, the gums may even begin to pull away from the teeth where a pouch is repeatedly placed, leaving the root exposed.
“That’s more concerning than temporary irritation,” Banks said. “Receding gums don’t typically grow back on their own, and an exposed root is more vulnerable to sensitivity, wear and decay.”
That doesn’t mean every user is headed for a snaggle tooth. How long the pouch stays in and how often it’s used are key factors.
“Keeping a pouch in longer and using several throughout the day means the gums have more contact with the product and less time to recover,” Banks said.
What’s inside matters, too. Nicotine reduces blood flow to the gums and can interfere with healing, particularly for people with gum disease or those recovering from dental procedures.
“We know much less about pouches containing caffeine, cannabis, melatonin, vitamins or other supplements,” Banks said, but she added that “a vitamin on the label doesn’t make a product harmless to the gums.”
Flavorings and other additives can also irritate oral tissue, while acidic formulations may weaken enamel and sugary ones can raise the risk of cavities.
“The full formula matters,” Banks cautioned. “Consumers may not know everything they’re exposing their teeth and gums to based on the main ingredient advertised on the package.”
If you use oral pouches, Banks recommends keeping them away from sores, receding or healing gums — and never leaving them in while sleeping.
“Rinse with water after use, keep up with brushing and flossing, and tell your dentist that you use them,” she advised.
“If you notice that a tooth looks longer, the root feels sensitive or the tissue changes color or texture, stop using the product and have the area examined.”