How to Use Nicotine Pouches: A UK Guide Written by the Founder of LUMI

Where the pouch goes

Under the upper lip, between the lip and the gum.

Not the lower lip. The lower lip produces more saliva, and you end up swallowing it. That saliva contains nicotine, and swallowing it causes heartburn. It is not dangerous. Nicotine swallowed in saliva is generally considered safe. It is simply unpleasant, and it is the single most avoidable discomfort in nicotine pouch use.

Alternate sides. Not mid-pouch. When you put the next one in, put it on the other side. Two reasons. First, a pouch sits at a pH of roughly 8.5 to 9 and will irritate the same patch of skin if you always park it in the same place. Ours run at around 8.8 and never above 9. Second, if you only ever use one side, the gum and lip tissue there gets thicker and more resistant, and the nicotine release changes.

Before it goes in, you can squeeze the pouch to fluff it up so the powder spreads evenly through it. That is personal preference, not a requirement.

Which strength to start on

6 mg. Everyone.

We are often asked what a 20-a-day smoker should take, or what someone moving off vaping needs. We cannot answer that, and neither can anyone else. It depends on how deep the puffs are, how long the smoke is held, how the device is used. Absorbed nicotine varies between two people with identical habits.

So start at 6 mg and find out. If it does not give you the satisfaction you want, buy 12 mg next time. Pro tip: pop two 6 mg pouches in to feel what 12 mg is like first. Work upwards, 6 to 12 to 18. Going the other way means finding out the hard way. Too much nicotine makes you feel unwell: nausea, lightheadedness, racing heart rate, hiccups.

Almost every message we get from a first-time buyer is about strength. They chose a pouch that was too strong.

One note on how strength is written. Our cans say the milligrams per pouch on the top label. Some brands advertise milligrams per gram, which is misleading, because very few pouches weigh a gram. Most are 0.5 to 0.7 g. A pouch marketed as 24 mg/g that weighs half a gram is a 12 mg pouch.

Apart from the nicotine, a 6 mg and an 18 mg pouch are effectively identical. Same flavour, same base. The only flavour change is the nicotine itself, which does not taste good, so it comes through more at higher strengths.

How long to keep it in

As long as you want. There is no right answer.

Use a strong pouch for a short stretch and you get a sharper, more instant spike in the nicotine hit. Use a lower strength and keep it in far longer and you get more of a flat-line release, which keeps blood nicotine from spiking. Anything from one minute to sixty is normal.

Both are valid. It is a choice about how you want the nicotine delivered.

You can put a used pouch back in. It does not work well. The powder sitting against the non-woven fabric has already given up its nicotine, and that is the powder in contact with your oral mucosa. What is left sits in the centre of the pouch, where it is not touching anything. So there is nicotine in there, but you will get little of it.

Two pouches at once doubles the dose. That is worth understanding rather than trying. Two 12 mg pouches deliver more than one 24 mg pouch, because two pouches present twice the surface area for absorption, so it is not just double on paper. It can hit hard and make you feel nauseous.

What it feels like, and why it burns

The effect starts almost immediately. There is a cooling sensation, then stinging or burning as nicotine crosses the oral mucosa. The first five minutes are the most intense; after that it plateaus.

The burn is a combination of three things: nicotine, flavour and pH.

Nicotine is the biggest. The higher the concentration, the more it burns, so an 18 mg pouch burns more than a 6 mg one. That is another reason to start at 6 mg.

Flavour is second. Mint acts directly on the skin. Menthol and essential mint oils stimulate the nerve endings in your lip, which registers as burning. Think of a heat rub. A fruit flavour will burn noticeably less than a mint one at the same strength.

pH is third. Higher pH burns more. Ours sit around 8.8 and never above 9.

The first couple of days the burn is the sharpest. Your lip adapts. By the end of the first week the burn is much less intense. Most people who give up before that would have been fine if they had stayed with it at a sensible strength.

Flavour also changes how the strength feels. Mint makes the release feel faster. Fruit flavours feel slightly slower. The nicotine has not changed.

What affects absorption

The pH of the pouch as well as in your mouth. That is the main variable.

An empty stomach makes no difference, because nicotine from a pouch is absorbed through the oral cavity, not the stomach. But if you have just had something acidic, orange juice for example, the pH in your mouth is lower and nicotine absorption is slower.

Eating, drinking, sleeping, exercising

All possible with a pouch in. It is your call.

The one to think about is sleep. Fall asleep with a pouch in and you will usually wake in the middle of the night with a mouthful of saliva and uncomfortable heartburn.

What not to do

• Do not chew it. Chewing can break the pouch material, and loose powder in the mouth is unpleasant.
• Do not poke it with your tongue or suck on it. If you need to correct the position, use a finger.

If a pouch does split, rinse your mouth with water. Most brands use food and pharma grade ingredients but they are not meant to be swallowed.

When using nicotine pouches you can sometimes feel your heart rate rise. That is the nicotine in your system. It is normal, not a sign something has gone wrong.

If you feel sick or dizzy, get a racing heart rate or start hiccupping, take the pouch out and drink a glass of water. It dilutes and flushes what is left in your mouth. Sit down for a bit. If you still feel really poorly after that, call NHS 111 for advice.

Nicotine pouches are for people who already use nicotine. If you do not smoke or vape, do not start.

They should not be used by anyone who is pregnant, anyone with a heart condition or high blood pressure, anyone with another condition made worse by nicotine, or anyone allergic to nicotine or any of the ingredients.

If you take prescription medication, or have a stomach ulcer or another serious gastrointestinal condition, speak to your doctor before using them.

Keep cans away from children and pets.

Disposal of used pouches

Every LUMI can has a catch lid on the top that holds around eight used pouches. That is the convenient way to deal with a used pouch. When the lid is full, empty it into a general waste bin.

If you are out and there is no bin, put the used pouch in your pocket until you find one. Do not throw them into nature. The pouch material does not dissolve and does not degrade in nature. Used pouches go into general waste.

When you finish a can, check the lid is empty, put the used pouches in general waste, and put the can into plastic recycling. Our cans are made out of PP plastic.

Storage and freshness

Room temperature, out of direct sunlight, is fine. A fridge is better, and it is how I store mine: colder keeps the pouches fresh longer, and a fridge is always dark.

Left in a hot car, the water evaporates and the pouches dry out. That changes both the flavour and the nicotine release.

Once a can is open, the pouches stay good for around 48 hours. When the pouches become dry the nicotine and flavour experience drops off. To make a comparison, it is like the difference between bread straight out of the oven and bread that has sat on a shelf for five days. Same product, different thing entirely.

That is why our cans hold 20 pouches and not more. Twenty is the industry standard, and we have not inflated the count, because a can that takes you more than 3 days to get through has lost the peak nicotine and flavour experience. Keeping an opened can in the fridge extends the time to 4-5 days.

Shelf life on an unopened can is 18 months. The manufacturing date, best before date and batch number are printed on the bottom label.

How many pouches a day

Our average UK customer gets through about nine pouches a day.

The spread is wide. Some get through three a day. Some get through 25. There is no right number.

What is in a LUMI nicotine pouch

The pouch material is food-contact certified non-woven fabric.

Ingredient	Function	% of pouch contents
Microcrystalline cellulose (E460)	Plant-based filler / carrier	~45%
Water	Moisture	~41%
Flavourings	Taste	< 8%
Salt (sodium chloride)	Stabiliser / taste	< 5%
Nicotine	Active	< 2.6% (varies by strength)
Xylitol (E967)	Sweetener	< 2%
Sodium alginate (E401)	Thickener	< 1%
Sodium carbonate (E500)	Acidity regulator	< 1%
Sucralose (E955)	Sweetener, selected flavours	< 0.2%
Potassium sorbate (E202)	Preservative	< 0.2%
Acesulfame K (E950)	Sweetener	< 0.2%

Age of sale

You must be 18 or over. Under the Tobacco and Vapes Act it is now illegal to sell nicotine pouches to under-18s in the UK.

We have never sold to under-18s, before or after the law changed. Age verification runs through Yoti at checkout. Anyone buying from the LUMI Club goes through it, and orders that fail are cancelled.

FAQ

Upper lip or lower lip?

Upper. The lower lip produces more saliva, which you then swallow, which causes heartburn.

How long do I keep it in?

As long as you like. One minute to sixty. There is no right answer.

Which strength should I start on?

6 mg, whatever you currently use. Step up only if it does not satisfy.

Why does it burn?

Nicotine, flavour and pH. An 18 mg pouch burns more than a 6 mg one, and mint burns more than fruit. It settles after a day or two of use.

Is it safe to swallow the saliva?

It is generally considered safe, but it causes heartburn. That is nicotine irritating your throat. Avoid it.

Can I eat, drink, sleep or exercise with a pouch in?

Yes to all. Sleeping with one in usually means waking up middle of the night with heartburn and a lot of saliva.

What happens if I use two at once?

You take a double dose of nicotine at once, and slightly more effect than one pouch of double the strength, because the absorption surface area is doubled. It can hit hard and make you feel nauseous.

Does an empty stomach change anything?

No. Absorption is through the mouth, not the stomach. What does matter is oral pH. Anything acidic, like orange juice, slows absorption.

How do I dispose of a used pouch?

In the catch lid on top of the can. It holds about eight. When it is full, empty it into general waste. Never into nature.

How should I store a can?

Room temperature and out of sunlight is fine. A fridge is better. Once opened, the pouches are at their best for about 48 hours.

What happens if the pouch splits in my mouth?

Rinse with water. The ingredients are food and pharma grade and will not harm you.

What if I feel sick or dizzy?

Take it out, drink a glass of water, sit down. If you still feel really poorly after that, call NHS 111.

Is a faster heart rate normal?

Yes. You can sometimes feel your heart rate rise when using a pouch. That is the nicotine in your system.

Who should not use nicotine pouches?

Anyone who does not already smoke or vape. Anyone pregnant, anyone with a heart condition or high blood pressure, anyone with a condition made worse by nicotine, and anyone allergic to nicotine or any ingredient. If you take prescription medication or have a stomach ulcer or another serious gastrointestinal condition, speak to your doctor first.

How many pouches will I get through?

Our average customer runs about nine a day, 14 cans a month. The range across our customers is 3 to 25 a day.

About the author

Joonas Kylmäkorpi is the co-founder of LUMI. He built the company’s nicotine pouch factory in Poznań, Poland, where every LUMI pouch is made, and he runs the mix, the production line, the UK shop and customer support. Everything in this guide comes from that work and from the questions UK customers ask us.

Sources

• Azzopardi et al., A randomised study to assess the nicotine pharmacokinetics of an oral nicotine pouch and two nicotine replacement therapy products, PMC9050656 (60-minute use, 62% mean extraction, 1.26 mg mean residual)
• Tobacco and Vapes Act FAQs, Local Government Association
• National Poisons Information Service, guidance for members of the public

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