ZYN

Are you intrigued by ZYN nicotine pouches?

If so, you're in luck. In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about the popular brand, including the flavours it offers, its convenient nature, and its history. You will also learn about the company's ethos, and what it is doing to make its products more sustainable.

So, without further ado, let's dive in.

What ZYN Flavours Are Available?

ZYN already offers many flavours. However, it intends to expand its range significantly over the coming months and years to appeal to more people. Owner Philip Morris wants to bring the number of options available to users up to the level of similar brands, like Nordic Spirit and VELO.

But what tastes are available already? Let's look at some of the company's classic and unique taste sensations:

Chili Guava

Chilli guava is one of ZYN’s most original flavours to date, combining the heat of chillies with the tropical fruitiness of guava. It’s ideal for anyone who loves the sensation of heat but also the sweetness of fruit. 

Icy Blackcurrant

Icy Blackcurrant is another delicious flavour from ZYN, bringing the taste of ripe blackcurrants and combining them with a cool menthol hit. It’s ideal for individuals who feel more comfortable with a higher nicotine content. 

Espressino

Espressino is another original taste sensation from the brand. The flavour combines freshly roasted coffee with hints of nougat, chocolate and vanilla for a rich and satisfying experience.

Espressino is for users who want to replace the experience of coffee and a cigarette in the morning. It's trying to create familiarity while offering an alternative to conventional tobacco.

Cool Mint

Cool Mint offers a strong flavour letting users enjoy cooling menthol with overtones of peppermint to feel energised and revitalised.

ZYN's Cool Mint is different from other brands offering similar products. It has a sweetness and a sharpness that contrast with each other beautifully. It isn't overpowering.

Citrus

Citrus has the taste of tangy lemon for a balanced and gratifying sensation. It is a flavour targeted at individuals looking for a lower nicotine content from their pouches. 

Icy Mint

Finally, Ice Mint is ZYN's strongest flavour, bringing the cooling taste of menthol with mint and eucalyptus. It is a herbal concoction to carry higher nicotine doses.

What ZYN Strengths Are Available?

ZYN nicotine pouches come in various strengths to cater to your preferences. Some adults need a lot of nicotine while others require less.

Low

"Low" is ZYN's entry-level strength, offering 6MG of nicotine per pouch. It's among the lowest of any product on the market. 

ZYN targets these nicotine pouches at people who are new to pouches or are moving away from traditional tobacco products for the first time.

Flavours available in this strength include: 

• Espressino
• Citrus

Regular

Regular is the brand's middle-of-the-road strength for the average ZYN user. It offers 9.5MG per pouch, falling roughly in line with other companies.

Flavours available in this strength include:

• Icy Mint
• Cool Mint

Strong

ZYN markets its "Strong" line at heavy smokers or regular users of other traditional tobacco products, like snus. It contains 11MG of nicotine for a smoke-free experience.

Flavours include:

• Cool Mint
• Chili Guava

Extra Strong

Lastly, ZYN's highest-strength range is Extra Strong at 13.5MG pouch. It is for people looking for alternative products to traditional tobacco.

Flavours available in this strength include: 

• Icy Blackcurrant
• Icy Mint

Features Of ZYN Nicotine Pouches

ZYN is among the most popular nicotine pouch brands. Users love the quality of its products and the technology it uses to ensure a superior experience. However, its main appeal is the small size of its pouches.

The following is a run-down of the features you can enjoy when you start using the brand's products:

Discreet Products

ZYN makes its pouches discreet and among the tiniest on the market. Products placed under the upper lip are almost undetectable.

Packaging and Labelling

The brand sells pouches in round cans containing 15 or 20 pieces, depending on the market. It includes strength labels on its tins, telling users how much nicotine they will get in each product.

Nicotine From Tobacco

The brand also derives its nicotine from real tobacco. It does not infuse it synthetically. Therefore, users get a more authentic experience that serves as a direct alternative to cigarette smoking.

Plant-Fibre Pouches

Plant-fibre pouches are another feature you will love. These allow the nicotine and flavour ingredients to diffuse out of the pouches when moistened in the mouth. They are similar to traditional tea bags, with small perforations that allow active ingredients to escape. 

Food-Grade Ingredients Only

Swedish Match's pouches contain food-grade ingredients only. It does not infuse them with anything not allowed into the food chain. 

Tooth Discolouration-Tested

Finally, Swedish Match conducts various lab tests to show that its pouches don't discolour tooth enamel. However, it does not rule out discolouration entirely. While products do not contain tobacco, they may contain other ingredients that cause changes in tooth appearance. 

Where Did ZYN Come From?

Swedish Match, a subsidiary of tobacco giant Philip Morris, began offering ZYN nicotine pouches to customers in the United States in 2014. At the time, the pouches were almost unique, allowing the company to capture a significant chunk of the market.

Before 2017, ZYN exported pouches from Sweden to the U.S. However, after this date, it started converting a plant in Owensboro, Kentucky, to produce the products locally, spending more than $115 million on a refit. By 2019, the new facilities were complete and started distributing products to over 100,000 American stores.

After 2020, ZYN's popularity soared. People from every demographic began embracing its products, making it one of the most successful nicotine pouch companies globally.

Around this time, Swedish Match began distributing its pouches to more countries. Among them was the UK, which also became a leading market for the firm.

By 2023, ZYN had a 67% market share, even though other big tobacco companies were trying to cash in on the action. It sold an incredible 261 million pouches at the start of 2023, up from 140 million pouches per month in the fourth quarter of 2022, and just 20 million pouches in the last quarter of 2019.

During 2020, ZYN began appearing all over TikTok, leading some to accuse it of appealing to minors under 18. Consequently, the FDA began investigating the brand for using branding to attract underage teens.

However, many politicians viewed the move as a skirmish in the nation's culture war and warned constituents it was a move to "ban nicotine." Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson also jumped into the fray, touting ZYN's unproven benefits such as "enhancing male vitality" and "mental acuity" while complaining about the draconian move to investigate the brand.

A Philip Morris marketing application to win FDA authorization for ZYN has been pending since 2020. The regulator agreed if teen use remained low, the brand would receive approval.

ZYN users should note the company does not claim health or medical benefits from embracing its products. ZYN promotions emphasize flavours and product features but do not target underage children or imply people can use pouches to reduce harm. It has a website banner saying "only for use by adults."

ZYN's Sustainability Drive

Sustainability is at the forefront of ZYN's products and a priority of Swedish Match. The company wants to provide customers with an alternative to smoking but doesn't want to do it at the expense of the planet. 

To achieve this, ZYN focuses on a "mass balance" approach. Its cans comprise 90 per cent bio-based plastic with the remaining 10% made of essential substances required for manufacturing. 

Swedish Match makes bio-plastic with recycled and renewable resources. Most of it comes from refinery residues or food industry waste and is made of natural plant materials.

Using this approach, Swedish Match believes its mass balance strategy can reduce its climate footprint. Its product packaging contains less virgin materials, reducing the need for fossil fuel extraction. 

If the company hadn't switched to this method, it would have had to replace the machinery that makes its cans. This process would have been costly and forced the company to take longer to reduce its climate footprint and move to renewable resources.

Using ZYN Is Easy: How To Pop Pouches

Using ZNY is just about as straightforward as it can get. Here's what to do:

Step 1: Break open the side-label perforation

The first step is to break open the side seal running around the edge of the tin. You can do this with your hands.

Step 2: Pop The Pouch Under Your Upper Lip

Next, pop the pouch under your upper lip and leave it there to work its magic. There's no need to suck.

Step 3: Wait for up to 30 minutes

It takes ZYN pouches up to 30 minutes to release their nicotine. Leave the pouches in place for at least 5 to 10 minutes for maximum enjoyment.

Step 4: Put your pouch in the waste compartment once you finish

Ensure you dispose of pouches safely. ZYN pouches are non-recyclable.

Wrapping Up

ZYN nicotine pouches are the most popular on the market, having become wildly successful in recent years. Much of this has been driven by users on TikTok sharing their experiences – something that's been met with controversy. But it also comes down to the pouches' features. Ultimately, the company's standout appeal is the small size of its pouches. Products are incredibly discreet, giving you a nicotine buzz in any location, without drawing attention.

For its part, ZYN does not support anyone under 18 using its products. It advertises them for "recreational use" only.

Currently, the brand limits the number of flavours it offers. However, it wants to expand its range shortly as it becomes more international.