Place one ZYN Melt between your upper lip and gum and leave it there. It dissolves on its own and releases nicotine and flavour as it goes. You do not chew it, you do not swallow it, and there is nothing to take out at the end. That is the whole method.

Everything below is the detail around that one sentence, taken from ZYN’s own UK instructions and from what the format does in practice.

Step by step

  1. Open the can. Each one holds 20 tablets.
  2. Take one tablet. One at a time, never two, and not alongside a pouch.
  3. Lift your upper lip and place the tablet against the gum, the same spot a nicotine pouch sits.
  4. Leave it. It will start to dissolve within a minute or so and keep going until it is gone.
  5. Swallow your saliva as normal. ZYN says that is fine while the tablet dissolves.
  6. When it has gone, it has gone. There is nothing to bin.

ZYN does not publish a dissolve time on its UK site, so we will not invent one. Expect several minutes, and expect it to go faster if you move the tablet around with your tongue rather than leaving it parked.

What it feels like

A mild tingle at the gum as the nicotine releases, and the mint flavour building as the tablet softens. If you are coming from pouches, the sensation is familiar but shorter and gentler. If you are coming from a vape, there is no throat hit and no exhale, which is the thing most vapers notice first. The nicotine arrives through the lining of your mouth over several minutes rather than through your lungs in seconds.

Do not chew or swallow

ZYN’s instruction is explicit: Melts are not designed to be chewed or swallowed. Chewing one releases the nicotine quickly and unevenly and defeats the point of the format. If you swallow one by accident, it is a 1mg or 2mg tablet and the sensible response is to not take another one for a while, and to read the pack warnings. Nicotine is addictive and the product is not risk free, as ZYN’s own packaging says.

How often

There is no published maximum on the can. The practical limit is how you feel. Oral nicotine builds more slowly than inhaled nicotine, so the mistake people make is taking a second tablet because the first one has not “hit” yet, then feeling the two together ten minutes later. Give the first one time.

If you find you are reaching for tablets every twenty minutes, the problem is probably strength rather than technique. ZYN Melts stop at 2mg, which is light for anyone used to a 20mg/ml pod. We have written about whether 2mg is enough if you vape.

Where you can use them

Anywhere. No smoke, no vapour, no smell, nothing to charge. The places vaping is awkward or banned, which is most indoor spaces, a flight, a train, a meeting, are the places a melt earns its keep. Keep the can out of reach of children. It is a nicotine product and it looks like mints.

Melts and pouches, if you use both

ZYN says adults can use both products, but one at a time. A melt dissolves and clears itself. A pouch sits for 20 to 60 minutes and comes out. Our piece on ZYN Melts against ZYN pouches sets out which suits which situation.

Where NYXE sits

We are building a dissolvable melt as well, so read this knowing that.

NYXE Melts work the same way at the front end, in that you place one and let it dissolve, with two differences. You can have it anywhere in your mouth rather than parked at the gum, and it is formulated with cooling agents to give a throat sensation that a plain mint tablet does not. Strengths are 4mg and 8mg at launch, which is where ZYN’s melt range stops. UK launch is 2027 and you can join the founding list for first access.

FAQ

Do you chew ZYN Melts?

No. Place one between your upper lip and gum and let it dissolve. ZYN states they are not designed to be chewed or swallowed.

How long do ZYN Melts take to dissolve?

ZYN does not publish a time. Expect several minutes, with the tablet dissolving faster if you move it around.

Can you swallow while using a ZYN Melt?

Yes. ZYN says saliva can be swallowed while the tablet dissolves.

Can you use ZYN Melts on a plane?

They produce no smoke or vapour and there is nothing to dispose of, so there is nothing for cabin rules to object to. Check your airline’s policy on nicotine products if you want to be certain.

Sources

NYXE is a nicotine-containing product. For adults only. Not for non-nicotine users, pregnant women, or those with underlying health conditions without medical advice.