What is Snus?

What is Snus?

Want to be part of an exclusive group of people that know their white portions from their White Fox, their loose snus from Lundgrens? We can’t promise exclusivity (this article is public), but we can give you the answers.

As a Swedish product, snus hasn’t enjoyed the global media exposure as products that have been historically popular across the globe, like cigarettes or cigars. But that’s beginning to change, as the explosion in popularity of nicotine pouches has made more people curious about their ancient ancestor. This article covers all there is to know about snus, from where it came from to how to use it.

So, What’s Snus Exactly?

Snus is a formulation consisting of ground tobacco mixed with salt, water, and flavorings (plus some other more boring ingredients). It’s consumed orally by placing it under the upper lip.

As a result, it’s both smokefree and spitfree.

But snus doesn’t like to be put into a box — or should we say a tin — beyond this point. Instead, there are a few different types of snus products on the market, and they each belong to different tins.

Loose Snus

Loose snus is the purest, rawest form of snus, and it comes in a powder form. Users must make the “portions” themselves.

In the modern age, loose snus has become something of a niche product, with only a minority of customers choosing it. But for a long time, it was the only kind of snus available.

Portion Snus

Portion snus comes in the form of readymade pouches the user can slot straight into their mouth. 

These pouches are sealed and come in a few sizes, such as mini, slim, and large. While they don’t offer quite the level of customization that loose snus does, there’s still plenty of choice.

There are two main types:

  • Original portions. These were the first kind of snus pouch made, and they have a brown color. They have moist contents, so the user absorbs nicotine and flavor faster, creating a shorter, more intense experience.
  • White portions. These were made later. They’re dried out during the production process, which makes them white. More importantly, they’re slower to release nicotine and flavor, and less messy.

 

How to Use Snus

Curiosity about how to use snus is probably the second-most-asked question for those new to the substance. Fortunately, the answer is pretty simple.

To use portion snus, simply place a pouch between the upper lip and gums, and leave it there until it stops releasing flavor and nicotine (this will usually take around one hour).

Using loose snus is a little more complex — there’s fierce debate about the superior method to create a portion. But the gist of it is simple. Use the thumb and index finger to grab some of the powder out of the can, create a wedge, and place it into the same slot between the upper lip and gums.

Swedish Snus vs Other Snus

When reading about snus products, you won’t go long without coming across some mention of Sweden or Swedish tobacco. So, what’s the deal with “Swedish snus”?

It just so happens that Sweden is the homeland of snus. The very first snus brand, Ettan, was launched there in 1822. And one of the biggest manufacturers in the market is Swedish Match, which is responsible for making General, Göteborg's Rapè, Tre Ankare, and Kronan.

As a result, “Swedish snus” has pretty much become a synonym for “high-quality snus”. But that’s not to say that snus from other places can’t be just as good!

What is Snus Used for?

At this point in the article, we’d like to think that there’s no doubt left about the intended purpose of snus.

It’s a form of smokefree tobacco for oral use, popular among those who enjoy the flavor, the buzz, or a bit of both.

There may be other possible use cases for snus, like seeing if it’s the magic ingredient to make your house plants double in size. But we recommend sticking to using it as oral tobacco!

What is Snus Made Of?

Snus generally consists of the following items:

  • Ground tobacco (duh)
  • Flavorings (anything from citrus fruits to whisky to licorice)
  • Taste enhancers
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Sodium carbonate
  • Moisture-preserving agents 

 

However, the ingredients list for every snus product is going to look a little different.

What is the Snus Tobacco Content?

The strength of snus products comes down to how much tobacco and nicotine they contain. 

Generally, snus portions contain between 4 mg and 8 mg of nicotine per portion. However, some brands — we’re looking at you Siberia — go beyond this, with nicotine contents as high as 34.4 mg per portion.

Tobacco contents work a little different for loose snus since the user creates their own product to some degree. But some powders are stronger than others. Products show nicotine contents as mg/g instead, with 8 mg/g being average a standard strength.

For instance, General Classic Loose contains 7.5 mg per portion.

At SnusCentral, we clearly show the snus nicotine mg for each product on our site.

Is Snus Bad For You?

Although snus partly gained popularity as an alternative to cigarettes, it still contains tobacco, which is known to be a harmful substance. 

Is Snus Dip?

Sometimes, people mix up snus and dip. So, are they the same? Close, but no cigar (literally). While dip is also an oral tobacco product, the tobacco goes through a different fermentation process, and users must spit out the juices it creates.

Snus: Meaning in Summary

Basically, snus:

  • Is an oral tobacco product
  • Is made of ground tobacco, water, salt, and flavorings
  • Can come in the form of loose snus, white portions, or original portions
  • Is consumed by placing a portion under the upper lip

 

Next time the question of what snus is comes up in conversation, get ready to be the go-to guy!